In the year 2022 we continue to see our lives impacted by the persistent currents of personal and collective suffering like a River during a catastrophic flood that has breached its natural boundaries washing away our sense of belonging. The story of ... Read more

In September I sent my teenager off to their first day of 8th grade. The ritual of school mornings these days looks and feels a lot different than it did 8 years ago - the freshness of early childhood has given way to adolescence. Zen teacher Suzu... Read more

Over the past seventeen years I have known Venerable Dhamananda we have had many discussions about compassion. She has helped me accept that there is no magic formula to learn how to be more compassionate; it is our practice that leads us on the pathw... Read more

Anxiety and I are long-time friends. She has been present in my life since my earliest memories. However, we weren’t always friends and I didn’t know her name was anxiety until later in life. I gave anxiety a “her” pronoun because I have discovered th... Read more

There is a conundrum in spiritual practice. “I” practice meditation or Dharma to find peace of mind and that “me” must do something to get there. And yet, the very idea of me doing it, for myself, for my suffering, and the notion of “getting there” ar... Read more

My daughter Hilary and I just made a pilgrimage back to Cambridge where she grew up. Her children are launched now. We’ve had a few days together, just the two of us – such a rare opportunity. Seeing old friends, walking around Harvard Square in the r... Read more

Myself and Suzanne Smith offer a program that is geared toward caregivers and healthcare professionals; those working closely with death and dying, deep loss, and grief. ‘Meditation, Mindfulness and Coping with Death,’ is a daylong retreat offering to... Read more

Affinity groups are very helpful. It helps when people are able to gather with others who have the same unique experiences as each other. You feel less alone, and when you are with others going through the same things as you, you are able to come up w... Read more

Over a thousand years ago, the great yogi scholar Atisha created a mind training that is still helpful today. “Drive all blames into one” is a slogan that addresses the way human beings so often place blame on others when things go awry. When some... Read more

I arrived at a seven day meditation retreat feeling rattled and restless. Although I had been meditating for years and attended many silent retreats, this one felt different. I was unsure how to proceed. As a Zen student, I had plenty of experience me... Read more