Tag Archives: Suffering
Quiet Mind, Open Heart
As we approach this important election, like many people I find myself nervous and stressed. Last week I enjoyed photos of the Hindu festival of lights, which I was fortunate to attend in India and Nepal. In Nepal people make … Continue reading
The Grief
Stephen Levine, insight meditation teacher and author of several books, including Who Dies and A Year to Live, has worked with grief for decades. Like the Buddha, who pointed out that we will inevitably suffer if we are born into … Continue reading
Wheel
This wheel on a neighborhood fence reminded me of the first part of the Buddha’s first discourse, that life has the characteristic of dukkha, translated as suffering, unsatisfactoriness, stress, and so on. I was recently reminded that one of the … Continue reading
Simple Pleasures
Sometimes when I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by the suffering in the world, I return to simple pleasures to get some relief. I can revel in these ordinary yet pleasing experiences to renew my energy. I took this photo … Continue reading
Except…
It was a crisp autumn morning, and I was worried. My client, who had been doing well recently, came in very depressed and possibly suicidal. Fortunately, I thought to ask him this question: “have there been any exceptions to these … Continue reading
Caring for the Earth
When I first started my Buddhist study and practice, a friend asked me “why do you follow a path where the first thing the guy taught is that ‘life is suffering’? I replied, “because it’s an accurate description from my … Continue reading