Gavril Nikolaev
One of the most influential Japanese poets of all time, Matsuo Basho (1644–1694) elevated haiku from a mere literary pastime into an exquisite poetic craft. Leaving his hometown of Ueno behind, he moved to Kyoto, where he studied poetry and Zen as a young man and later became a Buddhist monk. This, perhaps, is why … Read more
Ancient scriptures of Theravada Buddhism are one of the best ways to learn more about the Buddha’s teachings. And the most prolific writer in this field is Bhikkhu Bodhi. A kindly man has observed that Buddhist monk Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi presents to the Western world the intellectual equivalent of the Hubble Space Telescope: Peering … Read more
Some poets have this power. They can help us stop and discover moments of spaciousness free of mundane troubles, free of our mind with its automatic reactions and obsessive self-concerns. One such poet is Mary Oliver (September 10, 1935–January 17, 2019), winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, who is known for … Read more
Sometimes, the most challenging part of practicing mindfulness lies in full acceptance of what is. It starts small, like letting go of a distracting thought and going back to the immediacy of your breath during meditation. But then it slowly becomes a part of your everyday life – an ability to stay grounded in the … Read more