This quote from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh talks about Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. A bodhisattva is a being who forgoes his own enlightenment in order to help other beings awaken. “There is a Bodhisattva, whose name is Avalokitesvara, in Vietnamise we call her Quan The Âm, in Chinese, Quan Yin. It means: ‘Listening […]
Happy Continuation Joan Halifax
July 31, 2012 by
In celebration of the continuation day of Roshi Joan Halifax, please enjoy this poem. Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh taught us that his way of saying, “Happy Birthday” is “Happy Continuation Day!” So Happy 70th Continuation Day to you Roshi Joan Halifax. LONE MALLARD A lone mallard glides across the pond without her young practicing […]
Equanimity
July 29, 2012 by
This is another quote from Weekly Words of Wisdom chosen by Lama Surya Das. The subject is upekkha or equanimity, which is one of the four brahma viharas or “immeasurable minds” or “sublime abodes” that lead to liberation. What are the other three brahma viharas? Metta or loving kindness, karuna or compassion, and mudita or […]
Deep Listening and Loving Speech Are Meditation Practices
July 26, 2012 by
Deep listening and loving speech are the foundations of our meditation practices at the Mindfulness in Healing support group that takes place at the Pine Street Clinic in San Anselmo, California every Wednesday night. The group has been meeting now for more than three years. Last night, we had a especially touching gathering. After spending […]
Bring The Earth Your Love
July 12, 2012 by
Many say that the Buddha was the first ecologist. He taught that the true nature of all things is that nothing exists by itself alone. Everything is interdependent on everything else. We are totally dependent on the earth for our existence. If we mess up this planet, we are done for as a species. This […]
The Good, The True, And The Beautiful
July 4, 2012 by
This quote from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh speaks to the age old questions of determining the good, the true, and the beautiful. I think it was Plato that first presented these ideas. They are coming back in the digital era – see Dr. Howard Gardner’s lecture, below. The Good, The True, And The Beautiful Thich […]
Happy Birthday Roshi Joan Halifax
July 1, 2012 by
Open Letter to Roshi Joan Halifax Dear Roshi: We met in 1997 at the Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) retreat in Santa Barbara sitting under a tree with a group of people. Maybe we will meet again in 2013 when Thay comes to Santa Cruz. You might remember me as having just been diagnosed with bladder […]
Christian Wisdom From Meister Eckhart
June 24, 2012 by
Meister Eckhart was an influential fourteenth century Christian mystic. His given name was Eckhart von Hochheim. He lived in Germany and was a member of the Dominican Order. He was kind of a revolutionary for his time, He was tried as a heretic by the inquisition led by Franciscan monks. No verdict seems to have […]
Interview With One Of My Mentors
June 11, 2012 by
This online interview with one of my mentors inspired me to share it with you, my readers. I have decided to withhold the name of my mentor for the time being. This is quite different from all of my other posts, so please have a little patience. Interview With One Of My Mentors The text […]
Why Are We Here?
June 5, 2012 by
Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh is well known for peace efforts during the war in Vietnam. Since then, and probably before, he has been teaching about interbeing. He says that we interare with everything in the cosmos. Here is a quote illustrating why we are here. We are here to awaken from our illusion of […]
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