Today we start our exploration of the Four Noble Truths with the first one– in life, there is suffering.  While seemingly simple and straightforward on the surface, learning to reckon with this truth has a radical potential for transforming how we meet life in all of its complexities and realities.

The teacher asked his students, does it hurt more to be shot by one arrow or two?  Of course, two.  The first is what has already arisen, what is unavoidably already here.  The second is the one we shoot into ourselves in reaction to the first.  In this meditation, we use an anchor for grounding … Continue reading Sitting Meditation- Two Arrows →

In our continued exploration of Buddhist psychology, today we explore the myth story of the Buddha’s life and how it relates directly to understanding our own personal causes of suffering and the path to our healing.1-13-21

We need to look deeply in order to see our true nature and the true nature of the Earth. We need to look deeply to see that we are the Earth. With this insight, love will be born. Our love and understanding will heal us and heal the Earth.      -Thich Nhat Hanh Thich … Continue reading Sitting Meditation- Touching the Earth →

This meditation offers an invitation to explore 2 of the “Three Marks of Existence”– impermanence and the interrelatedness of impermanent arisings.

In this sharing, we look at the last of the 3 Marks of Existence– the reality of suffering in life.  This is so easily misunderstood as pessimistic or a negative view on life.  But in practice, when we follow the radical potential in this teaching, we begin to understand how a clear, wise seeing of … Continue reading Doorway to Empowered Compassion →

In this talk, we explore what’s referred as one of the three “mark of existence,” the concept of non-self.  We look at it through the lens of a translation that I prefer, “nothing exists in and of itself, without dependencies,” and in particular not only on the widened ethics that arise naturally through this understanding, … Continue reading A Joy of Inter-Dependence →

In this meditation, using the breath, we explore the quote “nothing exists in and of itself, without dependencies.”

Today we start with a short vignette on dandelions from Anthony de Mello’s book “The Song of the Bird, followed by a sharing by Michael J Fox and how he works with having Parkinson’s. I don’t look at life as a battle or as a fight. I don’t think I’m scrappy.  I’m accepting.  I say … Continue reading Dandelions and Michael J Fox →

Acceptance doesn’t mean resignation — it means understanding that something is what it is and that there’s got to be a way through it.  I look at it like I am a fluid that’s finding the fissures and the cracks and flowing through.  -Michael J Fox