Melvin McLeod: You have had a long and influential career as a Buddhist thinker and writer, social justice activist, and respected voice in the environmental movement. You are also the root teacher of the “Work That Reconnects,” which you describe as a body of theory...

  In times of doubt, disbelief, and insecurity, the practice of bearing witness can be an important aspect of our awareness and presence. Bearing witness can be defined as acknowledging that something exists or is true. From a Buddhist perspective, and specifically...

‘Sometimes life feels like a battle doesn’t it? We go though the gate and face ten thousand warriors.’ Zen Buddhism

‘Just as the self does absolutely not exist, and cannot be apprehended, so also the Buddha. As the self cannot be expressed by any dharma, so also the Buddha.’ Prajnaparamita

‘Rather than identifying with every passing thought or feeling, we can step back and witness them as transient phenomena. This practice brings a sense of inner freedom, as we no longer feel compelled to chase after each mental impression.’ Everyday Buddhism

‘Buddha is not something to be attained but something to be realised in the very fabric of our daily lives.’ Everyday Buddhism

‘One of the reasons we may feel that insight is elusive is that we often expect it to be something dramatic or transformative — a sudden, overwhelming revelation that changes everything. But true insight is often more subtle than that.’ Everyday Buddhism

‘In this very fathom-long body, along with its perception and mind, I declare the world, the origin of the world, the cessation of the world, and the path leading to the cessation of the world.’ The Buddha

In the modern world, so many of us live indoors, on screens—strangers to our own bodies and sense experience—and this leaves us uneasy. We’re homesick, for a deep sense of place and belonging, so we try to fill the void the only way we know how: with rational thought....

When I was twelve years old, I experienced a near drowning at a public swimming pool. I’d been to the pool many times, but since I’d never had swimming lessons, I always stayed in the shallow end. One bright and sunny day, my best friend convinced me that he could...