As I write these words, sirens are sounding. Not as a memory or a metaphor. Right now, outside my window, on the sixth day of the war on Iran, missile attack sirens are wailing.  My body does not wait for my mind — it has done this before. It contracts, pulls inward,...

“The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh Five years ago, my son missed a basketball tryout. We had been out of town, and by the time we got back, the rosters were already set. I made a few calls anyway, hoping someone might give...

‘A beginner to Buddhist practice has more chance of awakening than someone who thinks they know it all.’ Zen Graffiti

Recently I was a participant for a research study where they asked me a question, "What is your definition of mental health?" That question left me blank for a moment while I found myself deep in thought. After years of working, learning and being around the mental...

‘Buddha’s path is not one of striving but a path of realising, not a path of becoming but a path of being. It is a path that asks us to let go of our ideas about enlightenment and to experience the truth of our own being, directly and intimately, in each moment of our...

‘Teachings can be most profound, but those who listen may not understand. Just do the practice wholeheartedly and you can arrive at real understanding; it will bring you to the same place the teachings are talking about.’ Ajahn Chah

“Being a people-pleaser may be more than a personality trait; it could be a response to serious trauma.” ~Alex Bachert Growing up in a home, school, and church that placed a lot of value on good behavior, self-discipline, and corporal punishment, I was a model child....

Fragrance of chrysanthemums in Nara there are so many old Buddha statues Basho