Mindfulness of the Body

      The body is our vehicle of awakening. Through the body we receive the wisdom, love, and compassion that animates us. All we are, all we know, all we feel, all we experience is via the body. Listening with our whole being is wise indeed. – Cheri Huber

Spiritual Practice is Useless

Norman Fischer was the first Zen priest that I had dokusan with. Dokusan is a private interview with a Zen priest or Zen master. This was around 1985 or 1986. I remember the room and my sitting position, but I have forgotten the conversation. All I know is that I have admired him since even […]

Vipassana Meditation Day 1

Satya Narayan Goenka, also known as S. N. Goenka, was the foremost lay teacher of Vipassana meditation of our time. He was the foundational teacher of Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, and many other people that have appeared on these pages. His ten day vipassana meditation course is responsible for the popularity and growth […]

7 Principles of Mindfulness in Healing

The 7 principles of Mindfulness in Healing are pervasive throughout the book, Stop Cancer in its Tracks: Your Path to Mindfulness in Healing Yourself, if only implicitly. They have been part of my life since I began studying and practicing meditation and learning about natural healing. They probably date back to the time before my […]

The Raft is Not the Shore

These words of wisdom spoken by the Buddha are still as valid today as they were 2600 years ago. He is telling us that “the raft is not the shore”. What does this have to do with our lives? The Buddha is saying that we must study the dharma, i. e., the teachings, and they should […]

Walk on Earth

Today’s words of wisdom come from my Teacher, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, known as Thay by his followers. I have heard him say that the miracle is to walk on Earth, in many of the dharma talks, and in many of the books and magazine articles I’ve read by him. Thay quotes Linji (Lin […]

Nothing But the Present

When you go into a courtroom, the judge will ask you if your are telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. When you sit down to meditate, your internal judge will ask you if you are in the present and nothing but the present moment. In truth, the internal judge will […]

Dwelling in Peace

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, known as Thay by his followers, is famous for his teachings on happiness. One of his teachings is that happiness and suffering inter-are. That is, happiness and suffering are interdependent on each other. You can’t have one without the other. Many of us exist in a state of constant suffering. […]

Dharma Talk by Lama Surya Das

This fragment of a dharma talk by Lama Surya Das came to me by email last week. Many lines in it support my rantings about meditation practices. I hope you enjoy this. “Dear Friends and Countrymen, lend me your tears and fears: Let me carry them for you. I have not come to praise you […]

Compassion is Essential for Human Survival

Here are some words of wisdom from the Dalai Lama. He teaches us that compassion is essential for human survival. How are we going to help humanity survive through the practice of compassion? We begin with compassion for ourselves. One of the best resources I know for developing self compassion is the ongoing work of […]