Author: Michael Stevens

The filters of our habitual mind are so pervasive we rarely peek behind the curtain and see what is in front of us. The practice of my tradition suggests ways of dropping the veil,...

A pine siskin is so small it could easily fit into a demitasse cup. This one is ill and probably will not last much longer. The little bird puffs up its feathers and stumbles...

This morning a dear sangha sister passed away. She had a blessed life, even though her body suffered a disease that would eventually claim her. She was so beautiful in her last day. I could...

The little dwarf weeping willow outside our front door has had a rough winter so far. Not because of the weather, it has been quite mellow as winters go, but because the mule deer...

If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.      Shunryu Suzuki...

Neuroscientists say we experience 50 to 80,000 thoughts per day. A high percentage of those thoughts are repetitive. How many of these thoughts benefit anyone? Do our thoughts perpetuate the issues we wish to...

As I write this, we mark the winter solstice of the solar year. It is a time to observe a return of the light, the beginning of increased daylight hours. Ancient cultures developed a...

Comedian George Carlin once suggested that the only reason we have houses is that we need a place to put our stuff. (If you want to laugh out loud, check out his monologue on...

Mist of falling water intermingles with a shaft of light penetrating the canopy of cedar and fir. Micro-droplets are clothed in rainbow hues as they swirl and dance, roiling in a fire-like display. This...

Two policemen order coffee at a local cafe. They are dressed in their uniforms, appearing like they are prepared for combat. One officer rests his hand on his service pistol. My mind projects all...