There was a moment last year as twilight bloomed across the sky, when I glanced out the windows of our vihara and noticed a marvelous play of light and dark in the nearby aspen grove. The ebony shadows of the forest pressed themselves against the brilliant etched whiteness of the aspens. Night existing next to day. Separate, yet so close.
A New Course
September 30, 2013 By | 7 Comments
I remember the feeling, as if the universe had stepped from the darkened wings of my life and escorted me on a new trajectory in the orbit of my existence.
Practice, practice, practice
June 2, 2013 By | 9 Comments
I’ve been finding that my meditation practice of late has been wanting, a lot. Wanting more focus, more effort, more stick-to-itiveness, more walk of the talk.
Suffering: The Sequel
February 17, 2013 By | 5 Comments
This week I sat with death and endings. In my meditations I watched each inhale as if it were my last; each exhale the final one I would taste in this life.
Coasting towards Samadhi
August 30, 2011 By | 6 Comments
I was this close to nibbana. Really, I was. This past weekend I had the blissed out experience of being on retreat. I sat and walked and ate with mindful awareness on my breath and the arisings and fallings within me. Ven. Bhikkhu Sona, the abbott of Birken Forest Monastery near Kamloops, BC, came down […]
The Schmo and the Monk
August 21, 2011 By | Leave a Comment
Last week I wrote about the meaning, or more accurately, the non meaning of life. Since then I have been doing a bit of pondering about that concept and struggling with the definition of a meaningful existence. Writing about non meaning and living it are two ends of a very thorny spectrum. I can intellectualize […]
The Non Meaning of Life
August 13, 2011 By | 9 Comments
“The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.” ~ Eric Hoffer The other day I was savoring with a bit of pride the scenery of my present life. I felt a surprising contentment after the brass ring I thought I needed fell from my grasp last week. The bucolic vision was […]
Grief: releasing what is already gone
March 28, 2011 By | 5 Comments
“Write grief”, the angel said. It’s day 12 of my 14 day cleanse. Every spring and fall for the past five years or so I cut out caffeine, sugar, dairy, salt, alcohol, most grains, meat, fish, fermented foods and fruit to get a fresh start and clean out the old body gunk. The detox reactions […]
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