Today I want to share some beautiful poems written by my friend Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts—a wise man and gifted poet whom I grew close to fourteen years ago, during the final months of his wife Tey’s life. I first met Tey when I became a Zen student at the Monterey Bay Zen Center in 1993. She warmly embraced me when I felt like an excluded outsider amidst the tightly knit group of seasoned students.
Read MoreWhether it’s demonstrating how to seed a pomegranate, showing a teenager how to drive, or modeling a sincere apology, teaching is something we all do in many forms throughout our lives. Learning is never limited to the classroom. In fact, we are all teachers.
Read MoreOsho Zenju Earthlyn Manuel’s powerful new book, Opening to Darkness, was written during the peak of the COVID pandemic, when the entire world was trapped in fear and there was nowhere to flee.
Read MoreThese past few weeks, I’ve been eagerly soaking in wisdom from the beloved Buddhist nun, Pema Chödrön. I read When Things Fall Apart and a few of her other bestselling books decades ago, but now I’m able to understand and appreciate her teachings in a whole new way.
Read MoreThere are times when life unfolds to reveal gifts we could never have imagined. Quest for Eternal Sunshine—the spiritual memoir I co-authored posthumously with my father, Mendek Rubin—has brought me many of these unexpected blessings. There are times when life unfolds to reveal gifts we could never have imagined. Quest for Eternal Sunshine—the spiritual memoir I co-authored posthumously with my father, Mendek Rubin—has brought me many of these unexpected blessings. One of them is becoming a regular contributor to Spirituality & Health magazine, which gives me the opportunity to interview people I greatly admire. Today I’m sharing a Q&A with one of my all-time favorite writers and spiritual teachers, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel.
Read MoreToday I want to share a short post featuring calming artwork and gentle wisdom from Thich Nhat Hanh’s lovely book of Zen calligraphy, This Moment is Full of Wonders. I only recently discovered how much Thich Nhat Hanh loved calligraphy, and that throughout his life he created over 10,000 images. It was one of his favorite forms of meditation.
Read MoreI’ve been reading a wonderful book, Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm, by Thich Nhat Hanh, the extraordinarily wise Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist. Much of Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings revolve around the benefits of mindfulness, and he emphasizes the importance of regularly bringing that deep attention to our fear.
Read MoreToday I’m sharing an essay about changing my relationship with death. When I “assigned” myself this topic a few months ago, I knew it would be both difficult and important, but I had no clue what would arise for me. It turned out that intimately contemplating death for so long with a sense of bravery, curiosity, and calm helped me shed much of the terror I’ve been projecting onto it. Ultimately, I discovered that holding death close is a powerful way to wake up to life.
Read MoreIt’s often said that we don’t need to move to India to live in an ashram in order to get enlightened—all the opportunities we ever need are available right at home, in the midst of our daily lives. For many of us, as we approach a full year of pandemic restrictions, these opportunities for self-realization and growth abound.
Read MoreToday I want to share a few beautiful poems written by my dear friend, Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts, which were published in the book, White Fire. But to do them justice—to have you understand why the ones I selected touch me so deeply—requires some context. So let me take you back twenty-seven years to when I first met Elliot’s wife, Tey Roberts.
Read MoreThose of you who have read Quest for Eternal Sunshine already know that my childhood was far from typical. When I was seven, my family joined an alternative spiritual community called the Pathwork. “The Guide”—a spirit channeled through the leader, Eva—explained exactly how the universe works and the best ways to evolve both spiritually and emotionally.
Read MoreToday, I’m excited to share a wonderful and timely new resource—Compassionate Communication—generously created by my dear friend, Patricia Wolff. I have known Patricia for over three decades, and we’re grateful that our special connection has been deepening with each passing year.
Read MoreTrudy’s odyssey in life has been analogous to a turbulent ocean crossing filled with unanticipated, treacherous storms.
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