Category: Dharma Journal

I was walking down the street in our neighborhood and came upon a small painted river rock, about three inches in diameter, leaning against a fence adjacent to the sidewalk. The word ‘kind’ was...

Tarn and I go for a daily walk in our neighborhood. Many of our neighbors are doing the same these days, as it is one of the ‘safe’ activities amid social distancing recommendations to...

Closing the Dharma Center for a few weeks is a strange but somewhat inspiring experience. Although the space is empty of people, I can feel the energy of all our chants emanating. They resonate...

As one who is prone to fear and anxiety, I find myself strangely calm amidst this storm of news about the corona virus. Fear is such a potent poison and I have lived with...

The Deschutes is running full even though it is still winter. Unseasonably balmy weather has caused snow to melt in the high country, producing a high volume of water in rivulets and streams swelling...

We experienced a strong wind storm recently. It blew down many trees, including a large ponderosa pine that had been leaning precariously over a downtown parking lot for many years. The tree had an...

One of the main insights offered in Buddhism is identifying the basic nature of suffering. I sometimes hear students complaining Buddhism is too preoccupied with the idea of suffering. But Buddha was trying to...

I often receive blank stares when I am teaching some of the more esoteric aspects of Vajrayana Buddhism. It is like looking at a room full of stunned deer looking into headlights. I remember...

One of the wonderful things about being alive in this time is seeing the way science and meditation are finding a close kinship. Mindfulness is becoming almost mainstream in many venues because western cultures...

“May I not become tired and weary while accomplishing the benefit of others.” I find this phrase from our dedication prayers to be a most profound aspiration. I make this aspiration every day, actually...