Taking Care of Anger

At a recent meeting of our Mindfulness In Healing sangha (meditation group) we discussed the Mindfulness Training #6, Taking Care of Anger. This training reads, Aware that anger blocks communication and creates suffering, we are committed to taking care of the energy of anger when it arises, recognizing and transforming the seeds of anger that […]

The Wisdom of Self-Compassion

The wisdom of self-compassion is one of the most vibrant teachings of our times. We may find it quite easy to be compassionate with other people when they hurt themselves or feel sad or lonely. When it comes to compassion in own life, we often fail to grasp the concept and fail to believe the […]

Love Is All Around

During the Holiday Season and the time of the Winter Solstice, we need to be assured that love is all around. Take a look at the couple in the photograph below. Love is all around them as the look out across San Francisco Bay on a beautiful October evening, being aware of only each other, […]

More on Self-compassion

A few days ago, I received an email from Lissa Rankin‘s “The Daily Flame” which teaches more on self-compassion. I’m hoping that you like this email addressed to your Inner Pilot Light as I did. If you do, you can sign up for it on Lissa’s website. My Darling Jerome, It starts with one small […]

Falling Flat on Our Face

In these words of wisdom from Kristin Neff, we learn that falling flat on our face may not be a bad thing. She says that this is how we learn. Thomas Edison is famous for inventing the light bulb, but did you know that he had 10,000 failures? He said, “I have not failed. I’ve […]

A Little Kindness Goes a Long Way

A new trend in kindness is beginning to happen at some of the strangest places in the United States and the European Union. Random people are showing how a little kindness goes a long way. They are paying for peoples’ groceries at the checkout counter. The Dalai Lama once said, “When we feel love and […]

Life is Available Only in the Present Moment

Dear Friends: Now that the world knows that Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) is in intensive care, it is important to remember one of his major teaching: “Life is available only in the present moment.” Tricycle also picked up on this theme with these words of wisdom from Thay. It is funny that things […]

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 […]

The Perfection Of Diligence

According to Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, the fourth paramita is the perfection of diligence. In previous articles, we learned that the Sanskrit word, paramita, means, “Crossing over to the other shore,” from ill-being to well-being. Perfection and completeness are also acceptable translations. The traditional way of talking about the perfection of diligence is to […]

Taking Refuge In Kindness

Taking refuge in kindness is coming home to yourself with a gesture of kindness when you are feeling anxious, lonely, depressed, and down on yourself. Tara Brach teaches us to have a little self-compassion: The way of healing and homecoming begins with what I call “a gesture of kindness.” You might for instance put your […]