Fall is upon us. As the hurricanes pass through New York, I’m energized by the feeling of moving on and appreciating the rich experience of letting go—into a new beginning…. Read more »
A Monk’s Life
Last week I returned from a weeklong retreat with my teacher and the four other colleagues who form our small community of aspirants. Returning to New York from a Buddhist… Read more »
What Makes Life Good
Few people will disagree that life improves with money and love. The more one has of both, the better life is. Of course, it can happen that the pursuit… Read more »
Zen and Goya’s Graphic Imagination
At the time of this writing, my first real outing since Covid struck—other than to my temple in North Carolina—was yesterday. I ventured past my 14-block COVID-safety area to the Metropolitan… Read more »
Renew Your Wind-Swept Spirit With Basho’s Poetry
Self-Renewal happens in spite of our designs. The sun warms mountainsides. Our cells regenerate. With Spring—in New York—comes primeval frustration. Friends shout among themselves with a kind of crazed, ebullient… Read more »
Seriously, What Makes Time Spiritual
Almost a year ago movie theaters put signs on their doors to announce that they would be closed for two weeks due to Coronavirus. The two movie theaters within walking… Read more »
How to Become More Spiritual
We experience two connected yet different realities: the physical and the spiritual, and by understanding their connection, you may learn how to become more spiritual. The physical is everything we… Read more »
How to Find Your Purpose in Life
Are you wondering how to find your purpose in life? When survival is no longer a struggle, people sometimes find the energy to focus on a new challenge: the pursuit… Read more »
How To Be Zen About Life
A couple of years ago a family friend of mine, in his seventies, said to me, “I don’t give a sh*t about my death. I don’t care.” We were… Read more »
How To Find Yourself Again If You’re Feeling Lost
Your senses of self, identity, and agency are the primary factors that determine whether you will feel lost or found. The harder it is to live freely and draw boundaries… Read more »