New moms and dads, you'll want to read this: Sumi Loundon Kim offers two simple practices that can turn your energy and attitude around so you can better connect with your little one — and yourself. Does this sound familiar? You need some quiet time to recharge yourself, but the demands of your infant, baby, or toddler now make the opportunities for that all too rare. So, [...]
About Sumi Loundon Kim
Hellooo… Anybody Home?
Sumi Kim on shifting your kids’ attention from screens to the real world. Question: My children spend a lot of time on screens. How can I encourage them to be more present in their lives and during our family time? Answer: Begin by observing your own habits around screens. Are you modeling what you wish to see for your children? Realizing I was a screen junkie, I now [...]
Forum: The Road Ahead
Gen X teachers from across traditions are transforming the vision and landscape of American Buddhism. Six years ago, Jack Kornfield and Noah Levine had the idea for post-baby-boomer-generation dharma teachers to meet, learn from, and support each other. Starting with that simple idea, Noah, Spring Washam, Josh Bartok, Lama Willa Miller, and I organized a conference, held in [...]
Just Clean the Toilet
The weekend's here, and while that might mean "fun," it can also mean chores. Here's Sumi Loundon Kim with a little perspective on getting things done. “And here is your work assignment for the next seven days of the meditation retreat: clean the women’s bathroom in the dormitory.” The meditation center’s staff person noted it on my orientation sheet. I was excited about my [...]
Let’s Talk: A Family Affair
Sumi Loundon Kim presents a new model for family-centered dharma communities. Ed Gensho Welsh, a longtime member of the Zen Community of Oregon, posted the following on BuddhistGeeks.com: "In the USA, many couples start attending church after having a baby. And most churches have the resources to support them. In American Buddhism, the pattern appears to be the opposite: have [...]
Teachers Are People Too
We want our teachers to practice what they preach, but when we look closely, they can seem just as flawed as the rest of us. Sumi Loundon Kim discovers for herself what’s so special—and so ordinary—about being the teacher. A few years a go, I attended a talk by a well-known Western Buddhist teacher. As always, her talk was wonderful, full of insight and wisdom and delivered [...]
“I’m culturally a Christian – but in every other way, a Buddhist”
This last Christmas eve, my husband and I decided to take our young children to our local chapel, a building much like the cathedrals of France, to participate in the traditional Lessons and Carols pageant. As Joy to the World rang throughout the arches, I found myself singing along, knowing almost all the words. Likewise, I knew Silent Night, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, O [...]
Why I Quit Facebook
What if our online life gets in the way of our flesh and blood connections? Sumi Loundon Kim on how she cut the wireless tether. (It wasn’t easy.) My Facebook addiction began six years ago when my husband said to me, with no apparent irony, “Facebook is so cool! Why don’t you join so we can become friends?” A year later, we relocated to a city where we had no friends or [...]
I Married a Monk
Sumi Loundon Kim expects the worst when she and her Korean boyfriend ask his Zen master for permission to marry. But a personal bodhisattva has already intervened on their behalf. It’s been more than five years since my husband and I met as graduate students at Harvard University. We first noticed each other during a class entitled “Buddhism in America.” After a collegial [...]