Why Antidepressants Do Not Work

These words of wisdom from Dr. David Perlmutter, MD tell us why antidepressants do not work. The reason is quite simple: they treat the symptoms and not the cause.. “By 2005, antidepressants had become the #1 prescribed drug class in the country. But these medications do not treat depression. Whether it’s Prozac, Cymbalta, Zoloft, Elavil, […]

Practicing Compassion

Here is some advice on practicing compassion which I received in an email from Wild Divine. I found this practice to be particularly beneficial because it relies on an old Buddhist practice of putting yourself in the other person’s frame of mind. As the Dalai Lama says, “If you want others to be happy, practice […]

How Not to Reform the World

These words of wisdom from Ramana Maharshi teach us how not to reform the world. With the world in so much trouble right now from climate change, social, racial and economic injustice, and growing populations, we need to consider some methods to reform the world in a peaceful way. Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh says, […]

The Bells of Mindfulness from Mother Earth

The polar ice caps are melting. BONG! The sea levels are rising. BONG! The deserts are expanding. BONG! The temperature is rising. BONG! Species are becoming extinct. BONG! Water sources are depleting. BONG! The rainforests are disappearing. BONG! These  bells of mindfulness from Mother Earth are ringing over and over again. Are we listening to […]

…And Justice for All

The pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America ends with the familiar word, “With liberty and justice for all.” In recent years we have become aware of many types of injustice – racial injustice, economic injustice, social injustice and climate injustice. Socially engaged Buddhists since the 1960’s have working in […]

The Insight of Interbeing

The insight of interbeing has played a major role in many of the articles on this site. The insight suggests that all conditioned things are interconnected in a web of causes and conditions that defy critical analysis. It relates to the insight that the earth and it’s inhabitants are all connected and indivisible component parts […]

Cheri Huber on Unconditional Love

These words of wisdom from Cheri Huber on unconditional love fit right in with the several other articles on unconditional love. She explains that we need to step out of our identification with our ego to care for, appreciate and enjoy the living forms that we love. This What we are is Life living. To […]

The Benefit of Meditation

Where do we look for the benefit of meditation? Is it in our ability to sit for hours at a time and not budge? Is it in our excellent record of retreat attendance? Is it in life itself? Sharon Salzberg tells us… “The place to look for the benefit of meditation is in your life, […]

How to Prepare for the Future

In these wonderful words of wisdom from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, we learn how to prepare for the future. When I first began writing these pages in 2012, several of the mentors I had would say, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!” This was a really hard one from me as […]

We Are So Loved

We are so loved by the Universe and the wonders of life that we have everything we need to be happy right now in this very present moment. Here, Lissa Rankin, MD, teaches us some more factors of unconditional love. “One of my friends is in the midst of a dark night of the soul, […]