Mindfulness and the City

What Mindfulness is Not

Contrary to the fundamental belief that the root of all suffering is fear of death, I think many individuals fear poverty or the loss of love more. In other words, it is possible to fear living, that is– living with the constant threat of helplessness, of not having the means to care for oneself with […]

You are my teacher, you are my student

All life and learning is an energy of giving and receiving. We encounter others on our path to exchange this life force. In an instant, we recognize ourselves in the other; a giving reflection of a world we need to see. This is our world that we see, a creation of our thoughts and our […]

What is the point? From Self to Others

I woke up this morning thinking, “Why?” and “What is the point?” It is not new, this interrogation into the purpose of life. The well known German-Austrian psychiatrist, Viktor Frankl, posits that meaning comes from three sources: 1) loving a person 2) purposeful work/ project 3) surviving adverse conditions with dignity. Each of these things […]

How We Contribute

Each year we consider best wishes and pathways that lead to happiness. We evaluate the past and heave sadness and regret, for now it becomes clear what overshadows. Another year gone by and we think the future looms… such daring resolution, gleaming before us like a crystal wine glass unsure of itself, half empty or […]

Tree of Refuge

Anchored in my seat, feeding offthe warm, succulent energy of the cosmosBreathing in sun, breathing out gentlenessWatering deep soil with rain and tormented sea Eyes closed spark a fireLight appears and waterfalls, then moistA wide circle forms with all its nutrientspassing through the immaterial Pressure risesAbdomen moves like a babyslipping into drowsy wakefulnessMilk curdles on […]

Sustenance: The Artist Way

“WHAT NEXT? My ‘future’ is the darkest thing in the world to me, but as there still remains a great deal for me to do, I suppose I ought rather to think of doing this than of my future, and leave the rest to THEE and the gods.” ~Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spake Zarathustra: A book […]

How Do We Return to Society?

In Zen training we start with The Search for Ox, the Ox being our true nature. With diligent practice over time, we move through stages that lead to an enlightened return. Examining the evolution of Zen training is essential when we think about how a commitment to mindfulness meditation can positively influence society and encourage […]

Refuge and Crafting Space

I’m staying at another house. Moving from place to place seems to mark my current reality. In this wandering, my awareness of space increases and also my perception of home and refuge. Displacement elicits all kinds of emotion and there is insight into adapting and tolerating ambiguity. When you’re faced with a gap in life […]

Change Agency from a Light Tower

“There is no loftier mission than to approach the Divinity nearer than other men and to disseminate the divine rays among mankind.” Ludwig van Beethoven What do we owe the world if we are healthy and happy? How do we feel in the presence of a joyful human being? What does a person who is […]