‘This is the Buddha’s firm and unshakeable awareness that watches over and protects the mind.’ Ajahn Chah

Melvin McLeod: How Do you define mindfulness? Jon Kabat-Zinn: Nowadays, the word mindfulness is used in a lot of different contexts. To some degree, its deep meaning has been obscured through becoming so popular in the mainstream world. That itself is not necessarily...

Death feels to me like an invitation, one that we reject at our peril. We can overthink it, worry it. Not now, we might say to death. Later would be better, or never. As adults we develop an opinion about it. I tell my ex-partners I will help them with their goals of...

‘The exploration of the illusion of self is not merely an intellectual exercise, but a profound journey towards the heart of reality, where the dualities of self and other, form and emptiness, dissolve into the radiant clarity of clear awareness.’ Everyday Buddhism

As we study and practice Buddhism, we encounter three subtle yet powerful obstacles: the superiority complex, the inferiority complex, and the equality complex. Each creates unique suffering, trapping us in the habit of comparison and judgment. Yet, with gentle and...

I believe we are witnessing a momentous event in world spiritual history. It is the birth of an authentic new contemplative tradition. This new contemplative tradition, born on American soil, was founded by the man on this issue’s cover, Jon Kabat-Zinn. It is called...

I traveled to Costa Rica, where I was scheduled to teach a retreat at Blue Spirit. I went two weeks early to have some personal retreat time in a tiny fishing village called San Juanillo, not far from the Buddhist teacher Lama Tsultrim Allione’s house. I’d planned...

I recently offered an all-day program on mindful leadership to twenty Black public administrators. They work on the front lines of life-threatening situations, managing essential services such as food, health care, and housing for underserved and low-income...

Jungian psychologist and Zen teacher John Tarrant recounts the Buddha’s life in his colorful new book The Story of the Buddha (Shambhala Publications). In this beautiful tome, which includes a rich collection of traditional Chinese and Japanese illustrations, the...

A few years ago, a parent asked me to teach meditation to a group of mothers and their kids. I agreed, confident that I could replicate the children’s class I taught at the monastery where I lived. My plan was simple: I’d give this group of twenty or so kids and their...