A quotation from my book, Focused and Fearless, appeared as today’s quote of the day from Tricycle. It pertains nicely to my recent blog on equanimity: “Situations of inconvenience are terrific areas to discover, test, or develop your equanimity. How gracefully can you compromise in a negotiation? Does your mind remain balanced when you have [...]
How do you know if you are experiencing equanimity, or just not bothering to care? People sometimes reject equanimity practice, concerned that the development of equanimity might flatten their feelings, or foster a cold and unconcerned approach to social issues. It is important to distinguish between equanimity and indifference in how we relate to the [...]
I’m in Carson City, Nevada–teaching loving kindness (metta) practice. Teaching and practicing metta seems to put me in a marvelously good mood. May you all be happy and well! Metta is a traditional way of overcoming tendencies toward fear, anger, and ill will. It is a strong and profound attitude of non-contention and deep friendliness that, when [...]
At our community meeting last week, I was touched as volunteers spoke about their experience of getting involved in IMSB. I reflect on the energy and engagement of our members often when I walk into an event–every chair and table was moved as a gift of service by a member; every flyer and arrangement was offered by volunteers; [...]
I opened last night’s dhamma talk with a quote from the eighteenth century Tibetan master Shabkar: “One must remain in the vastness, alert and lucid, letting one’s gaze encompass the infinity of the sky, as though seated on the summit of a mountain open to all the horizons.” This simple instruction invites a spacious, non [...]
Tonight I will introduce the practice of contemplating the thirty-two parts of the body at our weekly meditation group. This traditional way of investigating the body supports the development of both concentration and insight, and dispels attachment to concepts about the body. This blog post provides a basic list of the parts and a reminder [...]