Accompaniment
If we have one close friend who can understand us and know our aspirations, we feel greatly supported. A good friend does not have to do much. He or she only needs to see us…
Category: Wisdom Traditions
What To Do
A student asked Soen Nakagawa During a meditation retreat: “I am very discouraged. What should I do?” Soen replied, “Encourage others.”
Reflections for Today’s Sangha Meditation
If we meditate on and develop compassion—the wish that all others be without suffering—we hold within us the essence of all other Dharma practices. We should unhesitatingly give ourselves to any beneficial task, no matter…
On Bhakti Yoga
1. Allen Ginsberg: Well, the Hindus say that this is the Kali Age or Kali Yuga or Kali Cycle, and we are all so sunk in matter, the five senses are matter, sense, that they…
Itadakimas
Itadakimas is an important word in the Japanese language. Literally, it means, “I place this over my head,” and is translated as “I humbly receive.” It is the blessing which all Japanese, from the day laborer…
Mindfulness with Words
Before hurling insults and accusations at another, one should consider one’s own state of mind and circumstances. The tendency to lash out, defame, and belittle is an aspect of conceit. The scriptures illustrate it with…
Breathe, We Are Alive!
Concentration is Consecration. Eknath Easwaran In Thich Nhat Hanh’s 1993 revised edition of the Tiep Hien precepts, the 7th reads, in part, as follows: “Be in touch with what is wondrous, refreshing, and healing both…
Jesus Wept
While on his travels Jesus passed by a rotting skull He commanded it to speak The skull said “Spirit of God My name is Balwan ibn Hafs King of Yemen I lived a thousand years…
A Cup of Tea (Fullness and Emptiness/1)
Nan-in was a Japanese master during the Meiji era One day he received a university professor Who came to inquire about Zen Nan-in served tea He poured his visitor’s cup full And then kept on…
Tales of Munindra: “Be Happy, Be Peaceful, Be Liberated”
for Chris Wallach Sometimes the loving-kindness he intoned emanated in such a compelling way that, as Lynne Bousfield says, “you just got hit by the metta.” David Hopkins recalls such an experience at Dhamma Giri when…