Buddha's teaching method was counter intuitive, to say the very least. More often than not, he didn't even talk. He just sat there.There is a well-known story about The Buddha sitting in a place with hundreds of people gathered around…
In June 1859, Jean-François Gravelet (known as The Great Blondin) crossed Niagara Falls walking a tight rope. During his life, he repeated the feat several times, always with a different theatrical variation: blindfolded, in a sack, trundling a wheelbarrow, on…
Last night our sky lit up, glowing with drama and theater, flashes of lightning followed by resounding thunder, accompanied by wind and heavy rain. And let’s just say, this is very rare for the PNW, especially in August. Even so,…
A young man grew up with the notion that before he got too old, he needed to set about the task of becoming somebody. So, he busied himself with setting goals and accomplishing much. He learned the art of juggling…
A Zen roshi is dying. All of the monks gather—an eagerness restrained—around the deathbed, hoping to be chosen as the next teacher.The roshi asks slowly, “Where is the gardener?”"The gardener," the monks wonder aloud. "He is just a simple man…
More and more, I get questions from people asking about self-care when life feels unraveled. And unsettled. “How is it possible to stay grounded and sane?” One asked.And I do know this: my lists are a good bit shorter than…
A small art gallery near Lake Galway in Ireland holds an exhibition with local art. A poet of no small renown drops by to view it. As he finishes his perusing, a local farmer arrives. Once a year, the farmer…
This week we celebrate the Advent Candle of Joy (the Shepherd's or Gaudete Candle).Count me in. I’m all in favor of joy. But sometimes, I don’t feel it. Is that okay to admit? Or say, out loud? There’s a part…
During a noon-hour rush on a steamy July day, two men were jockeying their way through the crowd on a New York City avenue. They practically shouted as they tried to hear one other above the din. One man, a…
While a young mother waits at a post-office-counter, her four-year-old daughter occupies herself with the opportunity for self-entertainment, exploring the lobby, looking, prattling, not an item left untouched.The girl finds a penny on the floor. "Look momma," she says proudly,…
