“To realize a tranquil heart and clear mind is to have gone far along the path of meditation,” writes Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh (October 11, 1926–January 22, 2022) in his book The Miracle of Mindfulness. “During meditation, various feelings and thoughts may arise,” he adds. “If you don’t practice mindfulness of the breath, … Read more
None of us are immune from adversity. At some point, we’ll be desperate for a moment of human kindness and connection; we’ll need someone who’d be willing to lend a helping hand without expecting anything in return. But for that to happen, we need a world that believes in kindness as the single most … Read more
The train car was doing its usual rhythmic swaying, the morning light cutting through the glass in predictable geometric shapes, when I looked down at the dog-eared page of Pema Chodron’s “Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears.” I was on my way to host my weekly English speaking club, a casual … Read more
Have you noticed a buildup of negative energy and want to release it? The great Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once said that “trouble is easily overcome before it starts.” When applied to your situation, it means that sometimes it’s easier to prevent a buildup of negativity than trying to release it later. I’ve recently … Read more
I recently found myself looking for books on the history of mindfulness. I thought the task would be easy but got quickly overwhelmed by the variety of reads on the subject. While doing research, I came across titles on the history of Buddhism, as well as secular how-to guides on meditation. But none of them … Read more