My life with Thay (Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh) began in a small church in Berkeley, California in 1984. By some strange coincidence, I happened to sit next to him is the second row before he was introduced to speak. I became a solo practitioner in Thay’s tradition on that day. I was shy and […]
Teachings of the Buddha
October 19, 2015 by
In today’s lesson, we learn some of the teachings of the Buddha that have come to me from generous dharma teachers, Zen masters, and other resources. The first is from Roshi Joan Halifax: What the Buddha Taught The Buddha taught that we should practice helping others while cultivating deep concentration, compassion, and wisdom. He further […]
Dalai Lama Turned 80!
July 8, 2015 by
The Dalai Lama turned 80 yesterday and the whole world is celebrating. Roshi Joan Halifax sent out an announcement saying, “Yesterday, His Holiness the Dalai Lama—great model of compassion—turned 80. Join us in wishing him a happy continuation!” I’m glad to see that Roshi Joan wrote “Join us in wishing him a happy continuation” because […]
How to Develop Motivation
May 12, 2015 by
These words of wisdom from Tricycle.com by Thupten Jinpa show us how to develop motivation. We will see more on this theme tomorrow from Jon Kabat-Zinn. Thupten Jinpa is best known as the Dalai Lama‘s long-time translator and close friend. At one time, he was also a monk. This man was also partly responsible for […]
Compassion and Empathy
December 17, 2014 by
Roshi Joan Halifax is one of the most prominent female Zen masters of our day. We have known each other since we met at a retreat with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1997. This was during the summer of my first episode of muscle invasive bladder cancer. […]
The Freshness of Life
November 20, 2014 by
These words of wisdom about the freshness of life by Uchiyama Kosho Roshi come to us from the Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. My friend, Roshi Joan Halifax is the founder of Upaya and its abbess. I look forward to her emails weekly. Uchiyama Kosho Roshi lived between 1912 and 1988. He […]
Celebrating Roshi Joan’s Continuation
July 31, 2014 by
For the past two years, we have been celebrating Roshi Joan’s Continuation day. In common parlance, this means we are celebrating Roshi Joan Halifax‘s 72 birthday today. In the tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, we learn that there is no birth and no death. Thay, as he is known by his followers, says, […]
Zen Brain
January 23, 2014 by
Zen Brain: Consciousness, Complex Sytems, and Transformation: with Richard Davidson, John Dunne, Evan Thompson, Rebecca Todd, Neil Theise, Al Kaszniak, Roshi Joan Halifax I am pleased to announce what promises to be a wonderful retreat at the Upaya Zen Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend, but I would […]
How to Train Compassion
September 27, 2013 by
This video, Raising Compassion, brings together a diverse group of neuroscientists, mental health professionals, and Buddhist monks in a remarkable exchange between science, art, and contemplative practice. In a series of informal conversations about compassion, initiated by neuroscientist Tania Singer and artist Olafur Eliasson, the protagonists discuss the public perception of compassion, talk about compassion-training […]
A Quote From Father John Dear
September 12, 2013 by
These words of wisdom came to me from Roshi Joan Halifax. As you know by now, I am a great admirer of her and the work she is doing at the Upaya Zen Center in New Mexico. She and Father John Dear are holding a retreat between February 28 and March 2, 2014 on LOTUS […]
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