Compassion, Emergence and Climate Change
Emergence is the process of coming into being. Emergence helps us to recognize that change is not the end of something. In its place, something new is always created… Emergence can help us to...
The Roots of Discouragement
Progress in meditation may be slower than we anticipate. Discouragement develops when the comparing mind holds unrealistic expectations, demands perfection, and craves for measurable progress, predictable results, or signposts of success. This obstacle of...
Leaning into Change and Collapse
One or other generation will inevitably be the last humans on earth, and despite our resistance to contemplating such a scenario, there is no reason that couldn’t be us. We might naturally hope for...
Tending the Seeds of Compassion to Bring Goodness to Life
We want to be good. It’s a natural impulse. Toddlers have it. You can see it when they spontaneously share or rush to comfort someone hurt. We can lose touch with this natural disposition....
Mindful Intentions – From Pressure to Growth
Everything we do, say, or think is born out of intention. Behind every action, even something as small as thought, is a motivation. There is intention in the hands-on actions of eating something or...
Opening To The Joy Of Interconnection
Walking down the high street today I saw an advertisement for happiness. It claimed that happiness is a new pair of shoes. I don’t know about you, but reading that made me stop in...
Dancing with the Devil – Coming Home in the Midst of our Difficult Emotions
Many of us find our way to the spiritual path due to experiencing dissatisfaction in our life. Maybe there is long-lasting or severe physical pain and it’s associated hopelessness and frustration. Perhaps life itself...
The Body as a Vehicle of Awakening
What is the body, really? Despite living in our body for many years, we may know very little about it from a Dharma perspective. Through Dharma practice, we can learn to see the body...
Beyond Mindfulness: The Fullness of Insight Meditation
The 8th Century Indian Buddhist philosopher and monk Shantideva once wrote, “All the joy the world contains has come through wishing happiness for others. All the suffering this world contains has come through wanting...
The Power of Connection
I’m writing this from a remote Indigenous community along the pacific coast of Canada, where I’ve been invited to do some therapeutic work with the first people of this area. It’s a place of...