In a preface to one of her bestselling books, Pema Chodron (b. July 14, 1936) revealed how the paradox of productive inactivity helped her write and be creative like never before. Chodron felt she needed to take a time off “before fully appreciating” what she’d learned from her root guru, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and sharing … Read more
If you’ve learned how to see a tree, you no longer want it to be merely a “tree;” you simply want it to “be.” That is seeing; that is being; that is life. In this way, you develop a tender kinship with trees, recalibrating your sense of what’s real, of what’s most important in … Read more
What is the most powerful force that can help us live with maximum aliveness? Frank Ostaseski found an answer to this question through his work at Zen Hospice Project, a safe haven for those not long for this world. Listening to the last words of the dying gave him a unique perspective on what truly … Read more
I’d like to share one of my favorite quotes. I find them while surfing the web, reading a book, or doing research for one of my articles. As someone who’s passionate about writing, I like to keep these small reminders front and center because of their capacity to ground me in the present moment and … Read more
From mindful eating to mindful leadership, the Buddhist concept of mindfulness is omnipresent in today’s culture. But what do we know about the term itself? Does it have alternative translations? These are some of the questions Jeff Wilson explores in his book Mindful America: The Mutual Transformation of Buddhist Meditation and American Culture. He writes: … Read more