Peonies – Mary Oliver
This morning the green fists of the peonies are getting ready to break my heart as the sun rises, as the sun strokes them with his old, buttery fingers and they open — pools of lace, white and pink — and all day the black ants climb over them, boring their deep and mysterious holes … Continue reading
Working with Discomfort and Pain
What most needs attention is the part of us that we seek to avoid feeling. When we have tended to that, we are changed, and the world changes with us. —Dan Emmons Often our efforts to avoid suffering serve only to exacerbate it. The very methods we use to label and address … Continue reading
“Busyness serves as a kind of existential reassurance, a hedge against emptiness; obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or trivial or meaningless if you are so busy, completely booked, in demand every hour of the day.” I really love this article by Tim Kreider and it’s been a good reminder to me to examine … Continue reading
Creating Mindful Community
In my last essay I wrote about the benefits and advantages of being part of a mindfulness community or sangha. Having discussed these benefits, I wish to explore how to find a meditation community that suits your needs. Beyond locating a … Continue reading
Community is the Heart of Mindfulness
In his teachings, the Buddha emphasized what are called the Three Gems of the Eight-Fold Path, the path to enlightenment. Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh has said that of the three, Sangha, which can be translated as the “community of practitioners”, is the most important in the Western world right now. Why do the Buddha … Continue reading
