What do whirling dervishes, American Indians, beautiful women and Asian holy men have in common? What do we all share in common? It is our universal privilege that we are born to be free! Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh says, “Waking up this morning, I see the blue sky. I join hands in thanks. For […]
Mother Earth Is Inside Of Us
December 5, 2012 by
This quote is a transcription of the first part of a dharma talk by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (know as Thay by his followers). The talk took place in Lower Hamlet, Plum Village, France on November 29, 2012. The title of the talk is “A New Teaching on the Twelve Nidanas.” The nidanas are the 12 teachings of […]
True Giving
December 1, 2012 by
I received this quote from Roshi Joan Halifax. She is the abbot of the Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, NM. She sent this to me as part of her holiday greetings. True giving is not an economic exchange; it is a generative act. It does not subtract from what we have; it multiples the […]
Moral Injury
November 9, 2012 by
Today, I am in the beautiful redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Ben Lomond, California. The trees are so beautiful. People know about the redwoods in Muir Woods, and these are just as wonderful. Just a little while ago, I was walking on a path and felt a gentle breeze blowing in the wind. […]
Guided Meditation And Shamanic Healing
November 7, 2012 by
Dr. Michael Harner Dr. Michael Harner is the founder and inspiration for The Foundation for Shamanic Studies. He is an anthropologist who received his Ph. D. from the University of California, Berkeley. In their book, Higher Wisdom, Roger Walsh and Charles S. Grob say this about Michael: What Yogananda did for Hinduism and D.T. Suzuki did for Zen, […]
The Neuroscience Of Meditation
October 27, 2012 by
My dharma brother, Paul Tingen, recently published an article on the Mindfulness Bell website. The title of the article is “Using Mindfulness to Rewire the Brain: How the Insights of Neuroscience Can Aid Our Practice.” It explains Paul’s view on the neuroscience of meditation. By dharma brother, I mean that both Paul and I are members of the […]
Healthy Cells Grow All By Themselves
October 17, 2012 by
Lying still Breathing in, breathing out Healthy cells grow all by themselves I am free of cancer. This poem came to me in a guided imagery session on the vernal equinox of 1997. It was a life changing experience to see so vividly that I was going to heal from cancer. When I told this […]
Richie Davidson Came To Stanford
October 5, 2012 by
Dr. Richie Davidson gave the Meng-Wu lecture for The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University last night. I felt really privileged to be able to attend. Richie Davidson is one of the world’s leading neuroscientists and considered by Time Magazine to be one of the 100 most influential people. He founded the field […]
The Buddhist Teaching of Non-Self
September 24, 2012 by
In a recent post on Best Meditation Videos, I asked the question, “Is there a self?” The post was inspired by a video featuring Dr. Thomas Metzinger, a philosophy professor and cognitive scientist. His answer to my questions is, “No!” The Buddhist teachings on non-self were outlined in that post. Here, we provide deeper look into the […]
Doing Nothing!
September 2, 2012 by
Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh hold question and answer periods at most retreats. During one of these question and answer periods, this was asked: Question: I feel guilty when I’m not occupied. Is it okay to do nothing? Answer: In our society, we’re inclined to see doing nothing as something negative, even evil. But when […]
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