Pleasure. Happiness. Joy. What do these words bring up for you? How do you define or experience them differently? What does each of these offer you? I’d like to explore these mind states a little deeper and learn what you think about them. Service will be in person and on Zoom. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83975762265?pwd=TC9BcStaTDF4dFZOU2ZsUHhZTERoUT09 Meeting ID: 839 … Continue reading Joy
On March 2, Keren Tischler spoke eloquently on the topic of Trust. She asked the question, “How do we find and foster a genuine trust or a faith in things when they are the way they are?” I would like to offer four short, guided meditations based on Keren’s message, that you can continue to … Continue reading Finding and Fostering Trust When It’s Like This – Round Two
Thich Nhat Hanh says, “The situation of the world is still like this. People identify completely with one side, one ideology. To understand the suffering and the fear of a citizen of another country, we have to become one with him. To do so is dangerous – we will be suspected by both sides. But … Continue reading Inclusion – Holding the World with Open Arms
Stories are powerful. When I stop and pay attention, I realize that stories are running through my head all the time! Stories about the world around me, stories about myself, stories that replay past events, stories that rehearse something yet to come. What is the flavor of these stories? Are they hopeful? fearful? angry? loving? … Continue reading Stories We Tell Ourselves
I don’t know what your life is like right now. Is it full of joy and excitement? Is it full of sorrow and despair? Anxiety and overwhelm? Our theme this month is presence. Can we be present with whatever is there? How do we do that? Do we even want to do that? I’d like … Continue reading Presence
This week I would like to share a post from Abbot Tenzin David Zimmerman of the San Francisco Zen Center. I tried so hard to speak on this month’s theme of “Repair.” I just couldn’t do it. It presupposes that something is broken. And broken things get fixed or tossed. And it’s so hard to … Continue reading How to Be in This World at This Time
One of the five basic Buddhist precepts is to refrain from harsh or untruthful speech. Thich Nhat Hanh offers a Mindfulness Training on this topic that includes both speaking and listening. I would like to share this very rich Training, and explore its various aspects, looking at practical ways to apply them in our daily … Continue reading Loving Speech and Deep Listening
Today I would like to offer a guided meditation based on the Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing. It is a gentle practice that moves smoothly from attention on the breath, to the body, to physical feelings, to mental/emotional feelings. This is a meditation practice I use nearly every day. It is a practice … Continue reading The Invitation to Explore Breath, Body & Feelings
What is the Order of Interbeing anyway? (Hint: it has something to do with Zen Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hanh.) Who would want to join such a thing? What do you have to do to join it? What is different in your life if you do? I would like to share my experiences in finding … Continue reading The Order of Interbeing
Do you remember Aesop’s Fables, those children’s stories that always had a moral at the end? I remember the moral of The Boy Who Cried Wolf as “Don’t tell lies.” What if we looked at this story through a Buddhist lens? What lessons could we learn? I found at least six lessons hidden in the two … Continue reading Buddha Meets the Boy Who Cried Wolf
