From the time I was a little girl, I dreamed of being in India. I remember creeping around the living room on a bitterly cold day in Northern New York (no kidding about the cold, as I write this it is -23 degrees, F. in Watertown, -37 degrees factoring in wind chill). I remember knowing […]
When the man who became Mahatma Gandhi was 12 years old, he saw a play that struck a chord deep inside, telling the story of someone who stood up for the truth even when all his loved ones, and he himself, suffered greatly as a result. The boy acted out the part countless times and […]
“Therefore, Ananda, be islands unto yourselves, refuges unto yourselves….” As he lay dying, the Buddha is said to have given this advice to his beloved disciple Ananda. Many of us have heard or read a translation of this teaching that encourages us to be a “lamp” or a “light” unto ourselves–verifying the truth in the […]
To move forward with a great resolution we must first fall back. Recently, I read this bit of New Year’s Resolution wisdom on Facebook (our endless forward-rushing stream of adages and quotes and clips and quips). It struck me that there was deeper truth here, beneath the well-worn nuggets about regrouping for a great […]
Hearts can change. Given enough time and the right conditions, even the most battle-hardened heart can learn to take off the armor, stop contracting into a fist, dare to be soft and exposed. This process of opening can take a long, long time–a big piece of lifetime or even many lifetimes according to the Buddhists. […]
