The Wheel That Carries Itself

This morning I was sitting and watching the mind move. Thoughts, reactions, small emotional shifts—each one appearing and passing like…

Who’s Minding the Breath

Who’s Minding the Breath? Today a simple question stayed with me: Who’s minding the breath? I was practicing kapalabhati—active exhale,…

Circles  Triangles  Squares

Yesterday I was thinking about the gap—that small window between what the brain has already started and what I become…

Let Go of What You Want, and You’ll Get It

The subtle foundation of trying to get what you want is this: most of the effort goes into worrying about…

At the Top of the Stairs Entering the River of Illusions

When I was a kid growing up in Bellerose, Queens, New York City, most houses were pretty much the same.…

Four Flavors of Coffee

There’s a tendency to swallow the whole thing at once. Peanut butter and jelly isn’t just peanut butter and jelly.…

The Ocean Above the Clouds

I enjoy living in Charlottesville—the mountains, the people, the wineries. But sometimes I remember something I miss from living in…

The Bag of Masks

I started imagining one of those cake-decorating bags filled with icing. The kind with a small metal tip at the…

Back From the Dream

Early this morning I woke up, but not all the way. I was in that in-between place—half asleep, half awake,…

Reading, Eating, and the Cheeseburger Moment

At breakfast, the senior monk sat quietly, reading while eating. Two disciples watched, puzzled. “You told us to only do…