Becoming a Buddhist priest was as much a surprise to me as it was for everyone who knew me. I grew up as a Shin Buddhist, taught elementary school, became a criminal defense lawyer, married a Catholic, and raised three sons attending a neighborhood Catholic church. My...

‘The Buddha points beyond ‘‘is’’ and ‘‘is not’’, beyond ‘‘eternal” and ‘‘annihilated”, and ultimately beyond any view that divides experience into fixed categories.’ Everyday Buddhism

‘And for one who sees the cessation of the world as it truly is with wisdom, There is no notion of existence.’ Kaccānagotta Sutta

‘This world is supported by a polarity: by existence and non-existence. But for one who sees the arising of the world as it truly is with wisdom, There is no notion of non-existence.’ Kaccānagotta Sutta

‘By turning inward, observing the unfolding of experience, and cultivating wisdom, we follow the Buddha’s path.’ Everyday Buddhism

At its heart, the Buddha’s teaching is profoundly simple, offering a clear path towards liberation.

‘There is nothing to do but accept the present as-it-is.’ Harada Sekkei Roshi

‘The phrase ‘‘non-duality’’ often carries dualistic overtones of its own. It can suggest a philosophical position in opposition to dualism—a sort of counter-stance that paradoxically reaffirms the very binary it seeks to overcome.’ Everyday Buddhism

‘As we engage with the Dharma, we come to see that our practice is not merely a means to an end but the very manifestation of the awakening we seek.’ Everyday Buddhism

Tell us about your debut novel, Trip. How did this story come to you? I just was going to write about death. I wanted to write about something that I think is true, but write about it as fiction. Then there was this autism diagnosis in my family that crashed in and...