September 14, 2026 |
Audio only version is here.
Meditation practice begins at 16:14.
Hello, dear Open Heart Project, There are times when it can be difficult to know how to respond to what is happening around us. When fear, division, and violence are so present in our shared experience, it is understandable to feel overwhelmed or uncertain about what to do. We may want to help, but not know where to begin. This... READ MORE
September 7, 2026 |
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Meditation begins at 16:11
Hello Wonderful Open Heart Project, We’ve been talking about the Four Noble Truths the past couple of weeks. You can go back to the First Noble Truth (life is suffering) and the Second Noble Truth (grasping is the cause of suffering), but only if you want to. This week, we continue with the Third Noble Truth: the cessation of suffering.... READ MORE
August 31, 2026 |
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Meditation begins at 13:25
Hello Wonderful Open Heart Project, Last week, I began an exploration of the earliest teachings from the Buddha with some thoughts on the First Noble Truth. This week, we move on to the Second Noble Truth: the cause of suffering. What is the cause of suffering? One answer is grasping. Grasping isn’t the same as having feelings, caring about outcomes,... READ MORE
August 24, 2026 |
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Meditation begins at 10:41
Hello Wonderful Open Heart Project, Sometimes the best way to deepen practice is to begin at the beginning. The Buddha’s first teaching was the Four Noble Truths. Though I’ve been studying them for decades, I still hear something new every time I return to them. The teachings may be familiar, but my life has changed, and I can hear them... READ MORE
August 17, 2026 |
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Meditation begins at 17:59
Hello Wonderful Open Heart Project, One of the most important spiritual practices I know is this: clean up after yourself. Not because you should be more organized or more virtuous. Because every unfinished mess takes your attention. We can clean up physically by caring for the spaces we live in, emotionally by apologizing when we’ve caused harm or addressing what... READ MORE
August 10, 2026 |
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Meditation begins at 23:38
Hello Wonderful Open Heart Project, How do you find a teacher? It’s a question I hear often, and the answer is more nuanced than you might think. Every true teacher appears in three ways. There is the outer teacher, the person who offers the teachings. There is the inner teacher, the part of you that recognizes something as true. And... READ MORE
August 3, 2026 |
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Meditation starts at 12:49
Hello Wonderful Open Heart Project, It’s no secret that many forces are competing for your attention, especially online. Some are noble and righteous. Some are not. Trying to track it all is…exhausting. The need for boundaries for our hearts and minds has never been more important. We must preserve our energy so that we can continue to care. Meditation helps... READ MORE
July 27, 2026 |
Hello Wonderful Open Heart Project, When I first learned to meditate, I was given an instruction that has stayed with me for more than 30 years: place more attention on the out breath than the in breath. This week my mother entered hospice care. She is 96 and as I prepare to be with her, that simple instruction has taken... READ MORE
July 23, 2026 |
Thank you to all who registered for the info session on the 30 Days of Dharma program. If you have any questions, email us. Just for your awareness, we have 2 spots left in this new program. I hope to see you there. Love, Susan
July 20, 2026 |
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Meditation practice begins at 8:51
Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project meditator. Before we sit today, I want to share with you a few thoughts about a concept famously associated with Buddhism: emptiness. It’s easy to think this means something like null or devoid of meaning or value. It doesn’t! Have a listen for more on the beauty and power of true emptiness. With love, Susan... READ MORE
July 13, 2026 |
Audio only version is here
Meditation practice begins at 10:08
Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project meditator. Before we sit today, I want to share with you a teaching called the Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind to the Dharma. In a recent conversation with the wonderful, deeply realized teacher, Lama Sonam Rinpoche, he mentioned numerous times that these teachings, also called the Four Reminders, change everything. Have a listen and... READ MORE
July 6, 2026 |
Audio only version is here
Meditation practice begins at 6:40
Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project meditator. This week’s email is a chance to meditate together once again. We just moved to a new house and this is my first video from a brand new place. It was exciting to feel connected to you here. Before we sit, I share an experience I had during a recent meditation practice. Instruction was... READ MORE
