The great Zen master and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh (October 11, 1926–January 22, 2022) has been a constant source of inspiration for my mindfulness practice. And not a day goes by that I don’t think about him, his teachings, and his incredible dedication to a Lifetime of Peace. He lived an extraordinary life by … Read more
Much has been written over the centuries about Buddhism and what its teaching really means. The word “enlightenment” is tossed around like a giant ball of cotton candy — delicious, fluffy but, ultimately, without much substance. This happens because “while second-hand wisdom is valuable as a signpost pointing the way, it is too easily … Read more
As a lover of ancient wisdom, I’ve been slowly savoring the now classic Zen Flesh, Zen Bones: A Collection of Zen and Pre-Zen Writings — an extraordinary portal into the minds of the greatest sages of the East, oscillating between the transcendent and the mundane in the most thought-shattering way possible. From short stories that … Read more
How do Buddhist monks resist sexual temptation? A while ago, I wrote about how Buddhist monks handle insults, inspired by instructions in Manual of Insight by Mahasi Sayadaw (July 29, 1904–August 14, 1982). The same manual has information about how Buddhist monks resist sexual temptation. There are four kinds of morality for Buddhist monks: observing … Read more
“Your life is now,” Eckhart Tolle wrote while contemplating the art of living in the present moment. When you live in the moment, you’re free of psychological time – past and future. You no longer regret what happened in the past and not afraid of what might happen in the future. All your attention is … Read more