Wesak or Vesak celebrates Visakha Puja on first full moon of May.

In his “Instructions to the Cook,” Dogen, the Japanese founder of the Soto Zen school, wrote that someone working to benefit others should maintain three minds: magnanimous mind (daishin), parental mind (roshin), and joyful mind (kishin). Magnanimous mind (or “big...

In August 2011, a doctor at a hospital in mid-central Wisconsin called to tell me my mother was in the intensive care unit. She explained that Mom was suffering from dehydration and kidney failure and had been brought by ambulance to the emergency room. Sitting on my...

Mindfulness is a basic capability of mind, and it is practiced for many different reasons, both spiritual and secular. Buddhism uses mindfulness in a unique and powerful way—to develop wisdom. This combination of mindfulness and insight is the basic definition of...

Thich Nhat Hanh, our teacher, described love as an extremely powerful energy that has the capacity to transform ourselves and others. But many of us find it difficult to direct love toward ourselves. We quickly become aware of negative feelings like shame, guilt, and...

We empathize with people with obvious physical health conditions; we sign their casts and send get-well cards and flowers. But people with mental health issues are all too often stigmatized, misunderstood, and ignored. Even those hospitalized with mental health crises...

“Whenever domination is present, love is lacking.”  —bell hooks One of my former students, a mixed-race woman, was a talented volunteer at a renown retreat center. Her administrative skill set earned her free access to events. After working all day in the office, she...

‘Even in very difficult circumstances there will be an inner serenity and there will be an inner peace.’ Trevor Leggett

In a body scan, we systematically focus our attention on different parts of our body, from our feet to the muscles in our face. This creates a rare opportunity for us to experience our body as it is, without judging or trying to change it. This exercise is designed to...

El Vesak: Comprender las lecciones que se esconden tras las leyendas Thomas Calobrisi explica los extraordinarios acontecimientos de la vida del Buda que se celebran durante el Vesak — su nacimiento, iluminación y nirvana final— y cómo podemos recurrir a estas...