“Therefore, Ananda, be islands unto yourselves, refuges unto yourselves….” As he lay dying, the Buddha gave this advice to his beloved disciple Ananda. Most of us are so, so tired of being islands right now, isolated from others, watching video streams. Yet when the Buddha spoke of being an island he didn’t mean being cutContinue reading “Islands in the Stream”
Tag Archives: Mindfulness
PAUSE AS PRACTICE
Life is difficult. Even in the best of circumstances, before a pandemic shut down much of the world, the pressures were great. Sometimes the demands were so great, my friends and I would switch into warrior mode. Like Navy Seals, we plotted and planned and pictured, mentally rehearsing the operations to be executed, how toContinue reading “PAUSE AS PRACTICE”
The Practice of Not Knowing
At times, I wish I had more funny things to say to buoy spirits. But this particular time doesn’t lend itself to humor. Nor is it a time for self-improvement. It’s a time of collective sorrow and grief and fear, a time for sheltering in place (those of us who can) and waiting forContinue reading “The Practice of Not Knowing”
Small Good Things
“After great pain, a formal feeling comes,” writes Emily Dickinson. “The Nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs.” After a great shock, a stillness comes. We may be very busy outside, but inside we are still. The world we knew and the narrative we constructed about our future has been blasted away. We may be able toContinue reading “Small Good Things”
Looking Down the Road
“In the middle of the journey of our life I found myself in a dark wood where the straight way was lost.” –Dante In the middle of a journey across the country I found myself stranded in a broken-down VW van on an empty highway in the Midwest. Just recently I told this story toContinue reading “Looking Down the Road”
A Light in Dark Times
“How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon.” –Dr. Seuss The dark season is here in the Northern Hemisphere. And maybe it is dark for you inside as well as outside. You may feel lonely or in pain. You may fear the future. It can be a great comfort toContinue reading “A Light in Dark Times”
Tracy Cochran 