Lights in the Dark

Paul Tingen, a fellow Order of Interbeing Member in the Plum Village Tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh has made this wonderful offering of music which he calls “Light in the Dark.” It is an acoustic guitar rendition to the tune of Leonard Cohen‘s Hallelujah. Paul hopes that we keep in mind the lessons […]

Engaging in Deep Listening

Dear Brothers and Sisters, I hope you are all well and warm on this winter morning. I know that with all of the hatred, anger and violence that is manifesting in our world, we are all looking deeply at how to engage effectively so that we can be of some help.  I would like to […]

Remembering Dr Martin Luther King Jr

Today in the United States is a day of remembering Dr Martin Luther King Jr. As portrayed in the movie, Selma, Dr. King was a man who believed in non-violence. He took on the whole country to try to rid us of our  discrimination against people of color. To a large extent, he was very […]

What is the Spiritual Life?

In the Spring, 2013 issue of Inquiring Mind, Pico Iyer was asked, “What is the spiritual life?” Part of Pico Iyer’s answer was, “…my sense (or prejudice) has always been that a spiritual life is whatever brings the clarity and stillness, the sharpened awareness of the mountaintop into the rush and confusion and congestion of […]

Earth Saint Thich Nhat Hanh

These words of wisdom came to me from the Cloud Cottage Community of Mindful Living. These words were written by Joanna Macy, who we wrote about just a few days ago. See, for example, Taking Action For The Benefit Of All Beings. Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the most beloved Buddhist teachers […]

The Three Jewels

Every Buddhist practitioner takes refuge in the Three Jewels. The Three Jewels are The Buddha, The Dharma, and The Sangha. The Buddha What does it mean to take refuge in the Buddha? When we take refuge in the Buddha, we aspire to awaken the seeds of joy, happiness, peace, and serenity in our lives and […]

Martin Luther King And Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh Were Friends

These words of wisdom were spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King. They come on January 20, 2014, Martin Luther King Day in the United States. It is well known that Dr. Martin Luther King and Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh were friends. In fact, Dr. King nominated Thich Nhat Hanh (known as Thay by his […]

Can A Few People Make A Difference?

Can a few people make a difference? Yes they can! Four people, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, Dr. Martin Luther King,  Sister Chan Khong, and Alfred Hassler did make a difference. These four superheros of peace used the five powers of faith, diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and insight to change the course of history during the […]

Dalai Lama On Nelson Mandela

His Holiness the Dalai Lama responded to the passing away of Nelson Mandela with this short video message. Nelson Mandela died last Thursday at the age of 95 years old. The Dalai Lama on Nelson Mandela said that he knew him as a friend and admired his stand on non-violence. He was a good father […]

The Dalai Lama’s Dream

In memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, the Dalai Lama also has a dream. The Dalai Lama spoke from his home in Dharamsala, India in honor of the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream,,,” speech. The Dalai Lama’s dream is that in this century the world truly becomes one […]