Author: Michael Stevens

One of the ways we honor our spiritual tradition is in how we sustain our practice over time. If we are sincerely interested in awakening to the truth mirrored to us by our lineage...

A dear sangha member passed away recently. He simply faded away with ease and demonstrated the face of death to remind us of the tenuous nature of existence. Everyone will wear this face at...

I am writing this on new year’s day according to the Tibetan lunar calendar. It is called Losar and is celebrated for fifteen days during which all activities are thought to be multiplied by...

Sometimes what we call Buddhism seems so esoteric that we wonder about practical application. From an absolute point of view, we absolutely know how to apply the teachings. We simply love. We listen to...

The shakuhachi flute is a very difficult instrument to play, let alone master. It demands very precise air management. In reality, you are only playing air. The flute is simply a channel. Gaining skill...

The snow is gone for the moment but winter is not yet done with us. The cold will return, the snow will fly, and we will deal with whatever arises. In the meantime, frosty...

The overlook at Crooked River Gorge is not for those with acrophobia. I have a bit of this affliction myself. Today, as I look down basalt cliffs from the ‘bump out’ in the retaining...

In the Tibetan Buddhist view of the subtle human body we are composed of three things: channels, winds, and subtle essence. When we are feeling happy and settled, the winds flow freely through the...

As I write this, the solar year 2022 is coming to a close. No use spending time reviewing events in a short journal entry. Better to wax poetic on what a year actually means...

Brrr…eight degrees. Not so bad with the right layers of wool. My heart goes to those in Ukraine who have no layers, no power, no reliable heat source—people watching their homes being destroyed by...