Author Archives: Tracy Cochran

The English word “morality” suggests rules and constraints. The Buddhist word sila, which is often translated as morality suggests something different. In fact, in the ancient commentaries it is explained by the word samadhana, which means “harmony” or “coordination.” To practice right speech or right action or right livelihood means to be in harmony withContinue reading “A Greater Truth”

“We have a tendency to think in terms of doing and not in terms of being. We think that when we are not doing anything, we are wasting our time. But that is not true. Our time is first of all for us to be. To be what? To be alive, to be peaceful, toContinue reading “Happy New Year, 2022!”

“People are somewhat gorgeous collections of chemical fires, aren’t they?” wrote Harold Brodkey. “We are towers of kinds of fires, down to the tiniest constituencies of ourselves, whatever they are.” Those tiny constituencies include our mitochondria, the little engines in the center of our cells, and smaller still: the molecules and atoms whirling and pulsingContinue reading “Gorgeous Little Fires”