‘It mostly requires a deliberate effort to identify oneself with the joys and successes of others.’ Ajahn Chah

‘Finding joy in the happiness and success of others, has not received sufficient attention either in expositions of Buddhist ethics, or in the meditative development.’ Ajahn Chah

‘Followers of the Way, do not seek for anything in written words. You will tire your heart and inhale icy air without profit.’ Zen Master Rinzai

“Being free isn’t actually that easy.” ~Unknown I’ve always been an achiever. I’ve worked hard to reach goals: I was good at school, then got a good job, and ended up making good money. My colleagues valued my clear view of the goal, my ability to break down the big...

There I was, eating cereal and watching a CNN documentary about Kobe Bryant—yes, I mix deep life reflection with Raisin Bran—when his old speech teacher said something that made me pause mid-chew. He described Kobe’s approach to life as giving everything—heart, soul,...

The Meaning of Human Dignity It’s hard to lay down a simple definition of human dignity that everyone would agree with. Human dignity is an idea we seem to understand intuitively rather than through a formal definition. The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights...

'The deep source of realisation comes with constancy.' Hongzhi Zhengjue

My work in caregiving, both in hospice and at Rikers Island’s jails, has brought me face-to-face with pain, sorrow, loss, terror, fear, frustration, and anxiety. Since shutting down is not an option—I have found that I cannot serve without feeling—I am well-steeped in...

I recently sat down with my son to watch an old season of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. One episode begins with Splinter, the mutant rat sensei and adoptive father of the Ninja Turtles, standing in a meditation posture. He’s just beginning to settle into the...