By Annie Mahon When I took refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha many years ago, I was given the dharma name “Joyful Purpose of the Heart.” At the time I didn’t think much about it. Frankly, the name didn’t mean much to me. Joyful Purpose? I had…
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Second Body Practice in a Lay Sangha
Weaving the Web By Caleb Cushing Some of us in the 25-member Pot Luck Sangha were intrigued by the Second Body practice that Thay described in "Taking Care of Each Other." (The Mindfulness Bell, Spring 1999) Being openly responsible for supporting another person's practice and simultaneously encouraged by another sounded profound. We imagined that a Sangha's…
The Ultimate Dimension
A Practice with Dying and Death By Haven Tobias photo by Grace Sanchez Some friends and I joined in a practice to write about death and dying.* When we shared what we had written, we learned that the following drama was everybody’s worst-case scenario. I am in a nursing home…
The Love of a Mother
By Bettina Romhardt photo by Dzung Vo “A mother’s life is not confined to her alone. She is the starting point of life that unfolds into the infinite future. With this in mind, a mother should be careful in thoughts, choice of words and behavior, and live her life with…
How to Fight exceprts
Excerpts from How to Fight Where the Fight Begins When someone says something unkind to you, you may want to retaliate right away. That is where the fight begins. This habitual way of reacting creates a well-worn pathway in your brain. When you travel a neural pathway over and over…
Answering the Call of the Heart
Now a lay Dharma teacher, Jem offers insights from his deep Earth-holding practice, surviving stage four cancer, and disrobing after eighteen years as a monk.
Healing through Writing
By Michael Gardner & Therese Fitzgerald The group of veterans gathered casually on the deck near the familiar round yurt in the bright May morning sunshine. They spoke quietly as they gazed out at the tall grass and wildflowers in the surrounding fields of Green Gulch Farm. This was the ninth meeting at which…
Peace of Mind
We can’t heal with our minds alone. Thinking can be something productive and creative, but without integrating body and mind, much of our thinking is useless and unproductive. In Peace of Mind, Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us that integrating body and mind is the only way to be…
Meditation at Juvenile Hall
By Soren Gordhamer It took eight months to begin meditation classes at the local Juvenile Hall-seven months of talking about it and one month of letters, phone calls, and meetings with the director. The director was not sure the kids would go for it. He said if we expected them to sit down, cross…
Learning to Speak the Truth
From a Dharma Talk by Thay Phap An June 13, 2004Upper Hamlet, Plum Village Respected Thay, respected brothers and sisters, and the whole community: Today is June 13th, 2004. We are in Dharma Cloud Temple in the Upper Hamlet. In the last two weeks, we have learned that we can depict…