How can we follow the news in ways that nurture – not diminish – wellbeing? Author, Buddhist, and media scholar Holly Stocking offers some guidance. I began to think about the harm that mindless consumption of the news can do after hearing of a spiritual teacher who cautioned his students about going to the mall. The mall can be a place where we feed our afflicted emotions, he [...]
My Child Fears the Future
Sylvia Boorstein on how to give our children — and ourselves — hope in a worrying time. Question: I grew up under the shadow of nuclear war. Today, my children fear for the future of the world because of climate change and Donald Trump — and nuclear war too! While I know that Buddhists are supposed to transcend hope and fear, I don’t think it’s good for children to grow with [...]
Compassion Has No Enemy
In the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012, Chan Buddhist teacher Guo Gu looked at how to understand violence through the lens of the three poisons. My teacher, the late Master Sheng Yen, once said something very simple, but which requires a lifetime of practice to actualize. I share it with you in this difficult time: “Wisdom does not give rise to vexations; compassion [...]
My Livelihood Doesn’t Seem Right
Michael Carroll on what to do when your work doesn’t align with your values. Question: I work at a large energy company. I love my job, my colleagues, and my workplace culture, but intellectually I know that my company does harm to the planet. Can I respect the Buddhist principle of right livelihood and keep a job I enjoy? If so, how? Answer: In our pursuit of right [...]
Is it worth sticking with a testy relationship?
Karen Maezen Miller on taking a break or sticking with it. Question: Even though I am an adult, my relationship with my parents still involves a lot of arguing. It feels kind of toxic and I’m considering taking a break from communicating with them. But I also feel guilty about deserting them. What does Buddhism say about my obligation to others vs. my obligation to take care [...]
Everything We Do Matters, But Two Things Are Critical
Zen teacher and Unitarian Universalist minister James Ishmael Ford offers a commentary about how we got to Charlottesville and where we go from here. If you’re not familiar with the run-up to the Charlottesville demonstration, let me briefly outline what has happened. It started with some people announcing a protest of the removal of a statue honoring a Confederate [...]
The Long Goodbye of Alzheimer’s
She’s no longer the grandmother you remember. Marguerite Manteau–Rao on how to love and accept your loved one as she is now. Question: What does Buddhism offer me about relating to my grandmother who has Alzheimer’s and is no longer the person I once knew? Answer: Buddhist practice gives you a place to acknowledge and hold your grief. The ambiguity of the slow, [...]
5 Ways Not to Bite the Trump Hook
Getting hooked by your habitual reactions isn’t going to help anyone, says Susan Piver. She suggests five ways you can respond more skillfully. Pema Chödrön famously introduced us to the notion of shenpa, which she defines as "biting the hook" of our habitual reactions. When someone leaves us, we may bite the hook of grasping. When something unfair happens, we may bite [...]
How Do I Deal With Painful Thoughts of Revenge?
You needn't give harbor to thoughts of ill will, says Lewis Richmond, no matter how justified they seem to be. Question: Someone did a real wrong to me recently and now I’m haunted by thoughts of revenge. Although I think they deserve it, I know I shouldn’t try to hurt them back. How do I deal with these painful thoughts of revenge while still recognizing the harm that was [...]
Practicing the Dharma in Uncertain Times
During times of pain and confusion, we arrive at the perfect place to deepen our practice of awakening. Following the results of the US presidential election, Jack Kornfield shares how to practice the dharma in these uncertain times. When times are uncertain, difficult, fearful, full of change, they become the perfect place to deepen the practice of awakening. After [...]
