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How is it possible to practice during a time of stress and anger?

October 7, 2024   |   8 Comments

Audio only version is here.
Meditation begins at 16:15

Dear, wonderful Open Heart Project practitioners, May all beings discover their inherent sanity and decency.  Although it may sound improbable, meditation is a direct conduit to such qualities. It introduces space between what we think and what we do, how we feel and the conclusions we draw about self and other. Truly, the world is in need of people who... READ MORE

How (and why) to accept the unacceptable (aka impermanence)

September 29, 2024   |   10 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation begins at 12:14

Hello, I hope you and your loved ones are well. Before today’s 10-minute meditation, I share some thoughts about the first noble truth of Buddhism–that life is suffering (or unsatisfying). Thanks a lot, Buddha! Not exactly what I was hoping to hear. Nonetheless…there is power and even joy in abiding in reality. In your life. IRL (in real life). It’s... READ MORE

3 ways to work with “negative” emotions

September 2, 2024   |   5 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation begins at 12:00

Dear wonderful Open Heart Project, It’s possible you thought, as did I, that meditation would help you feel…less. Less rage. Less sorrow. I’d have even settled for less crankiness. No such luck–I’m still a human being. I made this video for those of you who fear that anger or other so-called negative emotions mean you are not a spiritual person.... READ MORE

Election season anger and fear

August 26, 2024   |   2 Comments

This morning while I was meditating, I pictured myself punching a particular Presidential candidate in the face. I wished he was dead. I found myself hoping that someone would kill him. While I was meditating, y’all. As lame as I may be as a meditator and a Buddhist, I recognized that this was the wrong way to go. Even though... READ MORE

The path is what you’re doing right now

August 19, 2024   |   5 Comments

In the Buddhist view, there are three ways to practice the dharma. (Determining the way that is right for you is a matter of karma and inspiration.) The first way is the path of monasticism. This is fairly straightforward in terms of understanding what is meant. You renounce this world and the things of this world—money, sex, buying a house,... READ MORE

Grief, loss, and cats

August 5, 2024   |   74 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation begins at 21:17

Hello, First off, I want to say that if you are struggling with grief or depression, you may not want to listen to this because I cry and talk about my own sorrows.  In this video, I share about my loss of a beloved household member, our cat, Sly. I didn’t know if I could talk about it because I... READ MORE

In which we listen to music and search for our true teacher

July 29, 2024   |   8 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation begins at 23:38

Hello and many thanks for the kind responses to our recent series on the 8-fold path. I’m so glad we can contemplate these profound teachings together. If you missed the series, no worries! It will rerun at some point. In the meantime, I’m just back from teaching a retreat on the Heart Sutra in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. (The text... READ MORE

The Secret to Unhappiness

May 27, 2024   |   19 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation begins at 16:11

Hello, welcome to your meditation practice! Before today’s 10-minute sit, I share some thoughts about the third noble truth of Buddhism, the cessation of suffering. As a reminder, the first noble truth says that life is suffering (meaning impossible to stabilize). The second noble truth posits grasping as the cause. Now, with the third noble truth, we begin to open... READ MORE

I’m torn by emotions. How can I rid myself of grasping?

May 20, 2024   |   11 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation begins at 13:51

Hello, I hope you and your loved ones are well and finding moments of joy. Before today’s 10-minute meditation, I share some thoughts about the second noble truth of Buddhism, the cause of suffering. Suffering is said to be caused by grasping (or craving).  That means we are out of luck because most of us are riddled with wanting, desire,... READ MORE

How (and why) to accept the unacceptable (aka impermanence)

May 13, 2024   |   11 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation begins at 12:14

Hello, I hope you and your loved ones are well. Before today’s 10-minute meditation, I share some thoughts about the first noble truth of Buddhism–that life is suffering (or unsatisfying). Thanks a lot, Buddha! Not exactly what I was hoping to hear. Nonetheless…there is power and even joy in abiding in reality. In your life. IRL (in real life). It’s... READ MORE

Buddhism is called the Middle Way. What is it in the middle of?

April 29, 2024   |   4 Comments

Audio only version is here
Meditation begins at 12:16

Hello, I hope you and yours are well. Before today’s meditation, I offer a few thoughts on the Middle Way, as Buddhism is sometimes referred to. No one has to be a Buddhist to benefit from contemplating this middle way. What is it in the middle of? What does it mean to me and my practice? Have a listen and... READ MORE

Spiritual practice is not about meditation only, but how we live our lives

January 8, 2024   |   13 Comments

Audio only version is here.
Meditation begins at 12:45

Dear, wonderful Open Heart Project practitioners, I am always so glad to practice with you. I know that many of us are thinking about what we can do to create more goodness and sanity in the world. Before we sit this week, I share a few thoughts about where the confidence to do so can come from. Spoiler alert: it... READ MORE

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