Category: Dharma Journal

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...

Algorithmic Determinism is a new term applied to the way in which algorithms developed for applications and social media determine a particular outcome. I do not begin to understand the technical aspects but I...

I look into the quizzical faces of a few freshman and sophomore high school students sitting here at the Dharma center as part of a world religions course. I really do not know what...

I have been asked the same question lately. “How do I deal with strong emotions regarding (fill in the blank).” The current volatility of things like political ideology and environmental concern is surfacing some...

Lately, the sky has been overcast. The clouds throw a blanket across the sun, making everything seem  dull and grey. It is hard to maintain a ‘sunny’ disposition. Even though the light shines brightly...

The word ignorance or delusion in the Sanskrit language is avidya: “misunderstanding” or “not seeing clearly.” The inability to see things clearly arises from the mind’s habits. So, when we are observing any life...