Death: the Key to the Door of Life
There is no need to be afraid of death. It is not the end of the physical body that should worry us. Rather, our concern must be to live...
The Problem of Time
It is necessary to realize that technology itself is not the cause of our problem of [not having enough] time. Its influence on our...
Thought Power
Be careful of your thoughts. Whatever you send out of your mind, comes back to you. Every thought you think, is a boomerang. If you hate...
Disturb Me, Please!
In graduate school, I had one professor who encouraged us to notice what surprised or...
I Am Interested In My Mind
I am interested in my mind, and in my body. Previous to my having cultivated the habit of sitting, I had thought about myself and had...
Clinging Causes the Pain
Genuine love and kindness is desperately needed in this world. It comes from appreciating the object, and rejoicing in the object,...
Are You Ready To Lose Your World?
There is a very famous poem written by the third patriarch of Zen, Seng-ts’an, called the Hsin-Hsin Ming, which translates as...
Contemplation Vs. Social Change
Brother David: You can’t really be a contemplative, unless you also want to change the world. You want to...
If You Really Pay Attention
When I was a little bitty kiddy, about five, my Dad began a process … anytime somebody came and said something to us, my dad would...
Maintaining Vision, While Focusing
It seems that the key to the practice is maintaining vision and focus. Vision keeps an overview of what one is doing and the greater...
Plan of Life
For most of us, the first thing we must do is to work -- to have a roof over our head, bread in our mouth, fire in our chimney -- for...
Underneath All Victories and Defeats
In the midst of some activity, even the activity of reading this now, it is completely possible to allow your mind to open fully, and in...