How can we become good listeners? What might it mean to really hear and be open to ones own thoughts and feelings, and how is listening related to a spiritual path?
Monty Python and The Four Reminders
How can we remain grounded in the face of life’s tough changes? How can we use the teachings of the four reminders to live with the questions that the ups and downs of living evoke in us, especially with our families?
Family Relationships: The Gift of An Open Heart
What is the best way to relieve another person’s suffering? How do we as Buddhists relate to others who do not identify as Buddhist themselves, especially our family members?
The Future of American Buddhism
Panel discussion in NYC with Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Roshi Enkyo O’Hara, Shastri Ethan Nichtern and Mitra Mark Power. If Buddhist teachings such as mindfulness meditation are to inform, and transform, the larger culture, what are our next steps?
Dreaming on the Dharma
Special Guest Post by Joan Sutherland, Roshi
As the Buddhadharma takes root in many lands outside Asia, we can expect the unexpected. Are we dreaming the Dharma afresh, or is it dreaming us in ever-new directions?
Psychotherapy as Preliminary Practice
Can psychotherapy support beginning meditators on their journey of self discovery? Can a skilled clinician serve as a means for clients to glimpse their awakened state? Will processing feelings lead to a state of mental tranquility?
Seeing the Dharma Through Western Eyes
There’s the wisdom of the Buddha’s teachings, and there’s the Asian cultural form in which we learn about them. It’s not always easy to see which is which. But if we’re to evolve a Western Buddhism, we’ll have to take a closer look.
American Buddhism & Psychotherapy: Building an Intimate Partnership
If one of the goals of Rebel Buddha is to have a true merging of ancient wisdom with the modern world, how can we not talk about psychotherapy? How can American dharma students learn from American psychotherapists to create healthy and sustainable communities?
Figuring it Out – Reflections on a Long Journey
Where does the spiritual journey begin? When does it end? How can we stop war until we heal the anger in our own heart? On the road to freedom, how do I find my teacher?
Crazy Little Thing Called Sin
What’s the use of the labels we place on others and on ourselves? Are our “politically correct” labels really better than any other labels or concepts? What would it be like if we let go of labeling our experiences?