Category: Dharma Journal

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...

I remember one of my yoga mentors saying that walking is simply a controlled fall. As we step out, the forward leg keeps us from falling forward—so we continue in that way. What would...

The Dharma sometimes appears very esoteric. The term esoteric has its root in the Greek word esōterikos, ‘belonging to an inner circle.’ The teachings and practices seem to have limited appeal and only a...

Vajrayana Buddhism seems overwhelming at the beginning—too many practices and principles. It is important to ease into the process and discover for yourself what piques your curiosity. Then follow that interest. All aspects of...

Maps refer to this landform as Steens Mountain. The Northern Paiute name is Tse’tse’ede, meaning “The Cold One.” It is an apt designation for the glacially carved fault-block uplift that rises nearly 10,000 vertical...

The vast Alvord desert is located in southeast Oregon in the shadow of 9,700 foot Steens Mountain. It is a remnant of an ancient pluvial lake created when the last ice age retreated about...

We are hiking at about 9,300 feet in elevation, witnessing the source of a creek that tumbles down the headwall of Big Indian Gorge, a glacially carved valley in Steens Mountain. Near one of...