Loving the Imperfect
“It’s not the perfect, but the imperfect who have need of love.” —Oscar Wilde A common misapprehension about meditation is that its aim is to attain a peaceful uninterrupted state of bliss and luminosity. When…
Let the Teaching Fall Into Your Heart
The gift of mindfulness practice is that in any moment of anxiety or fear, we are called to open our hearts, to know we have the courage to be with even our deepest, darkest fears. …
Silent Illumination in Work Meditation
Practice is not limited to sitting meditation. In the Chan tradition, it is taught that the “Silent Illumination” evoked by practice can cover all our activities so that life does not become stressful as soon…
Appropriate Response
What is the best response to our share of the joy and pain of the world? Are we tossed by the winds, inclining to exuberance when things go our way or to depression when they…
Joy to the World
Everyone’s life is, by nature, continually vulnerable to pain. Remembering this is the gateway tomudita (often translated as appreciative joy or joy for the joy of others), the third of the fourBrahmaviharas (Boundless or Supreme…
Got Compassion?
Compassion (Pali: karuna), the second of the four Brahmaviharas (Divine or Supreme states), is the spontaneous response of the heart of metta to suffering it encounters. Etymologically, “com” is “with” and “passion” is “suffering.” We…
Loving Unconditionally
What do we usually consider love to be? We conventionally “love” based on desire and attachment—unreliable because it is fundamentally about grasping—one of the roots of suffering. This “love” is conditioned on what returns to…
The Safe Place
Maya Angelou said, “The ache for home lives in all of us—the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” Loving-kindness (metta), Compassion (karuna), Sympathetic Joy (mudita), Equanimity (upekkha). In…
Nurture That Seed
Doubt is the fifth hindrance or difficult energy that we encounter in practice and life. We know when it arrives as a hindrance: the mind says, “What am I doing here? Does this mindfulness stuff…
Beginning Again
Welcome back from our short Summer vacation. I trust you enjoyed the beautiful weather we have had and that the activities in which you engaged were supportive of your inner peace and happiness. The transition…
Loving the Imperfect
“It’s not the perfect, but the imperfect who have need of love.” —Oscar Wilde A common misapprehension about meditation is that its aim is to attain a peaceful uninterrupted state of bliss and luminosity. When…
Let the Teaching Fall Into Your Heart
The gift of mindfulness practice is that in any moment of anxiety or fear, we are called to open our hearts, to know we have the courage to be with even our deepest, darkest fears. …
Silent Illumination in Work Meditation
Practice is not limited to sitting meditation. In the Chan tradition, it is taught that the “Silent Illumination” evoked by practice can cover all our activities so that life does not become stressful as soon…
Appropriate Response
What is the best response to our share of the joy and pain of the world? Are we tossed by the winds, inclining to exuberance when things go our way or to depression when they…
Joy to the World
Everyone’s life is, by nature, continually vulnerable to pain. Remembering this is the gateway tomudita (often translated as appreciative joy or joy for the joy of others), the third of the fourBrahmaviharas (Boundless or Supreme…
Got Compassion?
Compassion (Pali: karuna), the second of the four Brahmaviharas (Divine or Supreme states), is the spontaneous response of the heart of metta to suffering it encounters. Etymologically, “com” is “with” and “passion” is “suffering.” We…
Loving Unconditionally
What do we usually consider love to be? We conventionally “love” based on desire and attachment—unreliable because it is fundamentally about grasping—one of the roots of suffering. This “love” is conditioned on what returns to…
The Safe Place
Maya Angelou said, “The ache for home lives in all of us—the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” Loving-kindness (metta), Compassion (karuna), Sympathetic Joy (mudita), Equanimity (upekkha). In…