Beginners often want to know if meditation gets any easier, and the answer is yes… and no. It doesn’t get easier in the way that we would think it should. But as we get more experienced, it allows us to reap more of the benefits, even if there’s discomfort associated.

Devotion is a word that can evoke a wide variety of ideas and opinions. Though we may have our reference points and or knee jerk reactions, devotion is a natural quality of the heart that we can nourish and cultivate, and it can benefit us in both our mundane and spiritual lives.

The five aggregates of form, feeling, conception, mental formations, and consciousness make up the entirety of our samsaric experience. They are described and emphasized in the teachings of the Buddha, as they form the basis for how we experience life.

As we continue to collectively face the consequences of the coronavirus spreading across the globe, no doubt, all of us (sick or healthy) are experiencing the uncomfortable results of this unfolding pandemic. My heart goes out to you and your loved ones in whatever way this has and will affect you.

We are currently facing some challenging days ahead. There's a lot of fear, a lot of anxiety, and many unknowns. Now is the time when our Dharma practice can really come alive and be of great use.

There are so many ways we can spend our time before we die. Unfortunately, not all of these ways are going to lead us to the happiness we so desire. I doubt many of my readers need this repeated, but our modern hedonic-materialist belief systems, ideologies, and unexamined behaviors are leading us further and further away from genuine happiness.

The following is a repost from an article written by the late Traleg Rinpoche:

The Buddhist path begins with the recognition of suffering—not just the pointed suffering of sickness, aging, or death, but the vague feeling of anxiety and dissatisfaction that underlies every moment of our lives.

The essence of the Buddhist path is the teachings on Buddha-nature (awakened-nature). As a foundational principle, I have found these teachings indispensable for my meditation practice.

As we officially move into the Fall/Winter, I am reflecting more on the power of rest. To be more accurate, the power of true rest.

“When I was about six years old I received the essential bodhichitta teaching from an old woman sitting in the sun. I was walking by her house one day feeling lonely, unloved and mad, kicking anything I could find. Laughing, she said to me, “Little girl, don’t you go letting life harden your heart.”

I thought to write a follow up to Craig Hase, and I's essay on "Is Secular Mindfulness for the Better?" In it, we covered some of the complexities we have both had to face as Buddhist and meditation teachers in a rapidly evolving field. We both received a lot of great feedback on that piece. Based on a suggestion from one reader, I would like to talk about some possible directions for people who have benefitted from mindfulness meditation and are looking for some next steps. I am writing this one solo, so any views expressed here do not necessarily represent my previous co-writer, Craig Hase.

Mindfulness has hit the big time. It's in schools, it's in hospitals, it's even at Google and Facebook and General Motors. Many of our friends are delighted by this development. Others are dismayed and disturbed. We are two teachers who sometimes share the dharma in contexts that are more explicitly Buddhist, and sometimes share meditation instructions in secular environments—and as such, we find ourselves straddling an awkward space in between.

Buddhism is a 2,600-year-old living tradition stemming from the teachings of the historical Shakyamuni Buddha (c. 563 BCE to 483 BCE). A living tradition means that it survives both through the preservation of the words of the Buddha, and the direct experience of these words extent in the minds/hearts of realized practitioners.

It’s actually fine to be happy and carefree. The more carefree you are from deep within, the better your dharma practice is.

I originally wrote this article for Tricycle Magazine’s Meditation Month. To read it in its original form please visit: Joy Is a Radical Act

The following piece was originally published in Tricycle Magazine. To read it in its original form please visit: How to Be in the Body (Without Jumping Out of Your Skin)

Some of you may know that I have a history as both a jazz drummer and the son of a well known jazz bassist (Frank Tusa). For as long as I can remember, jazz culture and music have been a part of my life. When I was a kid my dad would take me to Jazz festivals and some of the first records I ever heard featured Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock.

Growing up jewish, I have vivid childhood memories of the jewish holidays throughout the year. Apples and honey at new year. Costumes and cookies with delicious filling at Purim. Chocolate money and eight days of presents at Hanukkah (I'm sure you are starting to see a pattern here) When I reflect back, it seems that as long as there was delicious food, I was okay with whatever boring activities surrounded it.

Meditation happens in the body. I think we can all mostly agree on that. Yet why when so many of us sit down to meditate we so easily forget this and end up endlessly cycling in and trying to catch and subdue an out of control thinking mind?

The following is a transcript excerpt from a series of video Dharma talks I did for Tricycle Magazine. If you would like to watch and or read the entire set of talks please visit: How to Cultivate a Healthy Relationship with a Buddhist Teacher