As the Wheel Turns

A Zen Monk’s Letter to Adam Lanza

Gary Gach — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 03:02:51 +0000

Dear Reader ————— What if you wrote a letter to Adam Lanza : what might you say ? Here’s one, from a young man who grew up at 22 Lake Road, Newtown, Connecticut. Born Douglas Bachman, he’s now a Buddhist monk, named Phap Luu, teaching applied ethics and the art of mindful living to students [...]

Step Into the Clouds

Rick Hanson — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 23:30:09 +0000

Juggling bricks? The Practice: Step into the cloud. Why? I had a lightbulb moment recently: I was feeling stressed about all the stuff I had to do (you probably know the feeling). After this went on for a while, I stepped back and kind of watched my mind, and could see that I was thinking [...]

Hold Wants Lightly

Rick Hanson — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 23:14:11 +0000

What do you want? The Practice: Hold wants lightly. Why? Getting caught up in wanting – wanting both to get what’s pleasant and to avoid what’s unpleasant – is a major source of suffering and harm for oneself and others. First, a lot of what we want to get comes with a big price tag [...]

OPEN LETTER : Taking a Stand Against Islamaphobia

Gary Gach — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 21:23:33 +0000

BOSTON / LOS ANGELES — This Open Letter comes to us via Joshua Eaton, a journalist writing about Buddhism, religion and politics, poverty, and the American South. He is also a Tibetan translator. Also, Rev. Danny Fisher, a professor and Coordinator of the Buddhist Chaplaincy Department at University of the West (and no stranger to [...]

Drop Tart Tone

Rick Hanson — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 23:10:52 +0000

Feeling a little sour? The Practice: Drop tart tone. Why? Tone matters. I remember times I felt frazzled or aggravated and then said something with an edge to it that just wasn’t necessary or useful. Sometimes it was the words themselves: such as absolutes like “never” or always,” or over-the-top phrases like “you’re such a [...]

Lower the Pressure

Rick Hanson — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 23:09:05 +0000

Is it truly urgent? The Practice: Lower the pressure. Why? Things come at us with so much urgency and demand these days. Phones ring, texts buzz, emails pile up, new balls have to be juggled, work days lengthen and move into evenings and weekends, traffic gets denser, financial demands feel like a knife at the [...]

See Beings Not Bodies

Rick Hanson — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 22:37:47 +0000

What happens when you look at someone? The Practice: See beings, not bodies. Why? When we encounter someone, usually the mind automatically slots the person into a category: man, woman, your friend Tom, the kid next door, etc. Watch this happen in your own mind as you meet or talk with a co-worker, salesclerk, or family [...]

Receive Generosity

Rick Hanson — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 21:54:18 +0000

Do you accept the gift? The Practice: Receive generosity. Why? Life gives to each one of us in so many ways. For starters, there’s the bounty of the senses – including chocolate chip cookies, jasmine, sunsets, wind singing through pine trees, and just getting your back scratched. What does life give you? Consider the kindness [...]

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

Rick Hanson — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 21:43:49 +0000

What’s the most important thing? The Practice: Keep your eyes on the prize. Why? Have you heard this saying? The most important thing is to remember the most important thing. What are the most important things to you? In your life as a whole? During a particular interaction with someone? Right this minute? The most [...]

Give No One Cause to Fear You

Rick Hanson — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:35:00 +0000

What puts people at ease? The Practice: Give no one cause to fear you. Why? We evolved to be afraid. The ancient ancestors that were casual and blithely hopeful, underestimating the risks around them – predators, loss of food, aggression from others of their kind – did not pass on their genes. But the ones [...]