‘Patience requires us to go beyond the choice between fleeing or fighting. It is the third and most difficult way.’ Corrado Pensa

I am sure I’m not alone in having made mistakes that I remember long afterward. Whenever I say the wrong thing, there’s such a horrible sinking feeling as I realize the impact of my words. One such moment I remember came in my first year or two of teaching meditation...

‘Dharma in its essence is pure. Sunyatā (emptiness) is above defilements and attachments, there's no self, no other.’ Bodhidharma

Tara is awakened awareness manifest in a female form. She’s a beloved Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist figure whose countless devotees have invoked her compassionate presence since the late sixth century in India. While Tara’s wisdom is inconceivably profound, she’s...

‘The self is like a puppet dancing on the strings of Karma.’ Zen Graffiti

In the middle of a New England winter, a friend of mine told me that he takes cold showers daily. “How cold?” I asked. “As cold as I can get,” he replied with a smile. The thought made me cringe. Hesitant but inspired, I began experimenting by showering in room...