Emotional health, says parent coach Krissy Pozatek, means accepting the full range of human emotions, both the painful and the positive. For parents who wish their children nothing but happiness, that can be difficult. When my daughter was four, she said to me, “Mommy, I'm worried.” She had tension in her voice and fear in her eyes. Concerned, I asked, “Sweetie, what are [...]
Musical about the life of the Buddha premieres off-Broadway in NYC
This month, Under the Bodhi Tree, a musical about the life of the Buddha, premiered off-Broadway in Manhattan. Jennifer Keishin Armstrong reviews the show. Photos from A. Jesse Jiryu Davis. On a recent Tuesday night, an audience of about 50 settled into a small, black box theater less than a block from Broadway. Over the next two hours, they’d learn about the life of [...]
What might “Ordinary Zen” look like?
I tend to photograph my sangha, the Village Zendo, at aesthetic high points. Like when we're on retreat and there are 80 of us meditating in black robes, sitting in the big old church we rent in winter. Or when Enkyo Roshi stands at the altar in a cloud of incense. We look exotic, like Zen monks. But in 2011, I started to ask about our ordinariness. What do we look like [...]
Entering the Jhanas
Entering the jhanas is not easy—the harder you try, the more difficult it becomes. But as Leigh Brasington explains, you can make yourself ready for them to open up to you. Perhaps no aspect of the Buddha's teaching has been both more misunderstood and neglected than right concentration. Yet right concentration is obviously an integral part of the Buddha's path to awakening: [...]
Ask the Teachers: Should I believe the thought that I want a divorce?
I'm not sure I understand the statement, often evoked by Buddhists, “Don't believe everything you think.” How can I know which thoughts to believe? For instance, I seem to constantly have an unbidden thought that I wish I weren't married to my spouse. But then I think, well, I'm a Buddhist, I don't have to believe this thought. Besides, this is not something I would discuss or [...]
Metta for Refugees
Zen priest Liên Shutt teaches a short meditation to foster compassion beings in search of refuge. Many people think Buddhism is about getting rid of desire. Really, our main focus is on promoting non-harming in the world. We look at how we can alleviate suffering. Given the social climate of the world today, people often ask, “How do I know when to meditate and when to [...]
The Dharma in Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks’s quirky-cool special agent famously upended the idea of the TV G-man. And now, after twenty-five years, Dale Cooper has resurfaced with the series' 2017 relaunch on May 21. Though followers have studied the original shows fanatically, some might have missed Cooper's significant nods to Buddhism. Rod Meade Sperry looks at one of pop culture’s most endearing, enduring [...]
Silencing the Inner Critic
The nagging, negative voice of self-judgement, says Christina Feldman, is a powerful affliction best met with courage, kindness, and understanding. Unruly beings are like space. There’s not enough time to overcome them. Overcoming these angry thoughts. Is like defeating all of our enemies. —Shantideva The Buddha sat beneath the Bodhi tree on the eve of his enlightenment [...]
Fear and Fearlessness: What the Buddhists Teach
So much of our suffering—as individuals and as a society—is caused by fear. In fact, according to Buddhism, fear is at the very root of ego and samsara. Four outstanding Buddhist teachers discuss the vital practice of working with our fears. Starting on the Path of Fear and Fearlessness By Judith Lief It helps to explore how we can work with fear from the point of view of [...]
Trust in Your Goodness
Instead of trying to promote or defend ourselves, says Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, we can base our lives on something more powerful and trustworthy—our basic goodness. Paintings by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Lettering by Hannah Reynolds. Meditation practice is not an exotic or out-of-reach approach. It is immediate and personal, and it involves an intimate relationship with [...]