‘Lot of money worries in the world today — may all beings find their inner treasure and be well and happy.’ Everyday Buddhism

‘Should they come to mind, reflect on how success and failure come and go.’ Words of my Perfect Teacher

This essay was written five days before the Madison, WI police killing of Corey Ruiz and a week before the Austin, TX police killing of unarmed Anthoneil Williams II. I am a Black mother to a Black child in the U.S. The deaths of teenagers Nolan Xavier Wells and...

‘Only one familiar with the observation of mind can really understand Dhamma.’ Buddhadasa Bhikkhu

These days, Buddhism is a familiar presence in the American conversation about wellbeing, invoked in wellness culture, clinical research, and popular media as a path toward calmer minds and healthier bodies. But as a scholar who has long focused on “Buddhist medicine”...

During the 2020 fires in southern Oregon, I bought an air purifier. I set it up, turned it on, and felt better. It ran for months. When I finally opened it to change the filter, the plastic wrap was still on. There was one small tear, and under the tear a black dot —...

“To tie your worth to achievements is a recipe for suffering.” ~Brad Bizjack Children don’t just learn mathematics, science, and languages in school. They also learn what success feels like, what failure means, who they believe they are, and sometimes, whether they...

‘Its source is neither from heaven nor from earth; its heroism does not depend upon the changing seasons. Then from where does it arise?’ Chan Master Fenyang

A few months ago, I found myself wondering whether I had made a mistake. It is not a question I expected to be asking in my seventies. Like many people my age, I sometimes think about retirement, savings, and financial security. I look around and see friends who spent...

‘Now, wellbeing is a beautiful thing; there is no inherent shortcoming in wellbeing. The problem is in our excited reaction to it.’ Corrado Pensa