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Unsettled, but not alone

April 27, 2026   |   1 Comment

Hello Wonderful Open Heart Project, I wrote to you recently about not feeling settled, about living among boxes and in-between spaces, about that strangely tender mix of disorientation and possibility. I had a feeling many of you would understand, but, I didn’t quite anticipate the depth, honesty, and humanity of what you shared in return. A special thanks to all... READ MORE

Not settled, still practicing

April 20, 2026   |   1 Comment

Hello Wonderful Open Heart Project, I’m writing to you from a new home. Moving, as you may know, has a way of revealing everything at once. There is the thrill of beginning again, of opening a door and not quite knowing how the light will fall in the afternoon. And there is also the compression of it all, the boxes,... READ MORE

Meditation is not for self-help. It’s for mystics.

April 13, 2026   |   9 Comments

Hello Wonderful Open Heart Project, I am thrilled and nauseated and delighted to say that I’ve finished the manuscript for my next book. Thrilled, because it was created to honor my extraordinary teachers of the last three decades. Nauseated, because what writer isn’t. Delighted because it’s done. It should be out in the next few months. It will be self-published... READ MORE

The New Edition of The Buddhist Enneagram

March 16, 2026   |   Leave a reply Two wisdom traditions, one path of insight The Buddhist Enneagram New edition with Shambhala Publications

Hello Wonderful Open Heart Project, Today I wanted to let you know that my book, The Buddhist Enneagram, has just been released in a new edition by Shambhala Publications. The book explores how the wisdom of Buddhism and the Enneagram can illuminate each other. Together, these two systems offer a powerful way to understand how we move through the world,... READ MORE

Strength in a Time of Crisis: What Helps?

February 2, 2026   |   5 Comments

Audio only version here.
Guided meditation here.

Hello Open Heart Project, Each morning, the Open Heart Project Sangha gathers to meditate and to tell the truth about what is happening. Recently, the group was larger than usual. That alone says something about the moment we’re in. I don’t have a teaching that makes this time acceptable or less painful. There is no way to explain it away.... READ MORE

Podcast lovers! The Open Heart Project now has a podcast

January 26, 2026   |   1 Comment

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project meditator. This week’s email is to let you know that the OHP now has a podcast, Buddhism Beyond Belief. I created it to offer further support on your journey. I talk about classical Buddhist teachings and share experiences from my own life about how I have applied (and misapplied) them. I’m linking to a few episodes... READ MORE

Balancing Kindness and Self-Protection with Difficult People

January 12, 2026   |   9 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation begins at 8:40

Dear, wonderful Open Heart Project, I received a thoughtful question about how to offer loving-kindness to people who feel toxic, while still honoring and protecting our own boundaries. Before today’s sit, I wanted to share a few reflections with you. If you have a question you’d like me to explore in a future video, please feel free to send it... READ MORE

When the Ground Gives Way, Wisdom Appears

December 29, 2025   |   Leave a reply

Audio only version is here
Meditation practice begins at 15:42

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. What is true wisdom? If you’re like most of us, you might imagine wisdom as something you accumulate, understand, or finally arrive at. But in the Buddhist tradition, wisdom, the sixth paramita, isn’t something you do or achieve. It’s something that unfolds when we practice staying with our lives as they actually are. In the... READ MORE

A Steady Mind in an Unsteady World

December 22, 2025   |   Leave a reply

Audio only version is here
Meditation practice begins at 9:37

Hello Open Heart Project, As we begin a new year, many of us are doing so in the midst of profound heartbreak. Recent violent events alongside the ongoing turmoil and uncertainty within the U.S. government and across the world, can leave us feeling shaken, overwhelmed, and unsure how to hold it all. Feeling deeply is not a personal failure—it is... READ MORE

How to Protect Your Mind and Your Vitality

December 15, 2025   |   5 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation practice begins at 16:30

Hello, dear friends, As we move toward the start of Building a Mindful New Year, I want to offer a short preview of one of the teachings we’ll explore together: the fourth paramita, exertion. We’ve spent recent weeks looking at generosity, discipline, and patience—three qualities that can bring tremendous clarity and kindness into our lives. But without exertion, their energy... READ MORE

The Strength of Patience When Everything Feels Uncertain

December 8, 2025   |   4 Comments

Audio-only version is here.
Meditation practice begins at 21:26

Hello Open Heart Project, As we look ahead to Building a Mindful New Year, I’ve been reflecting on the qualities that genuinely support meaningful change. In recent weeks, we’ve explored generosity and discipline as part of the paramita teachings—capacities that help us relate to our lives with steadiness and clarity. This week, our attention turns to the third paramita, patience.... READ MORE

Discipline: The Paramita of Steadiness and Joy

December 1, 2025   |   1 Comment

Audio only version is here
Meditation practice begins at 15:24

Hello wonderful Open Heart Project, I’m writing to share something I believe deeply: the second of the transcendent actions — the paramita of discipline — isn’t a matter of rigid self-control. It is a source of clarity, spaciousness, and genuine joy. Practiced well, discipline becomes the structure that supports our freedom. It’s also a perfect preparation for the new year.... READ MORE

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