Author: Michael Stevens

We just concluded a study of the text, “Waking Up from the Slumber of Ignorance,” when a flash of lightning brightened the sky outside our Dharma Center. As I drove home, I witnessed a...

Living in this moment we call a human body can be very challenging. With all the delights of sensory awareness, the physical vehicle can also feel wondrous discomfort. I am currently in the ‘shingles...

On the Metolius River … The wind rises and swirls through the trees, causing them to sway like giant arms waving and reaching toward the heavens. This invisible energy whispers divine lessons one cannot...

The other day I met at a cafe, in person, with a friend for tea/coffee. It was the first time in over a year. I have to say it felt a bit weird—in a...

My mother-in-law, Kitty (short for Katharine), passed away last Friday. Another life ends. Another life begins. One incarnation makes way for another. Those of us left behind will begin to live without Kitty, so...

The subtle wisdom of the desert speaks only to those who are willing to look beyond the obvious. Here at the Painted Hills, the obvious is the colorful multilayered hills. If one does not...

Tarn and I often become informal naturalists, interpreting nature’s wisdom for the benefit of folks we randomly meet along the trail. Today we connect with a young family—mom, dad, and two youngsters. The children...

A profusion of white flowers growing along the highway entices us to pull over and investigate. The plant getting our attention is Sweet Coltsfoot (Petasites frigidus). It likes to grow where it can have...

A masked man sits on one of the stacking chairs at the vaccine center after receiving his second shot. His back is against the wall far away from those in line to get inoculated....

I was surprised to receive the gift of a Dudjom lineage treasure vase for my birthday. It was bestowed by the good heart of a sangha member. This particular vessel was created based on...