Growing up in Jammu for twenty-four years, Ananya was a fiercely independent child who preferred the peace of her own inner world over the heavy societal expectations. As the eldest daughter in a family where both parents worked in the government sector, there was a...

Several months ago, I asked permission to ordain as a priest at the Berkeley Zen Center. To become a priest has been a lifelong dream of mine — or at least one that I’ve dearly held in my heart for the last thirty years of my adult life. When my teacher said “yes” to...

“I used to tolerate a lot because I didn’t want to lose people. Now I set boundaries because I don’t want to lose myself.” ~Anonymous I used to feel stretched and depleted in my own life, drained by obligations, and confused about why I felt overwhelmed even when...

I want to share a story, one that I think is important for us to recall at this time in our country. For as my friend Rebecca Solnit reminds us, our memory of the past provides us with the ingredients for insight into what might serve the future.  It is the story of...