This morning, I meditated for an hour, using a Catholic rosary as my mala and "Amitabha" as my mantra (I seem to have lost my Buddhist meditation beads, have any of you found it yet?). In the silence of stillness, there was only the simplicity of Reality beyond the "isms" of Catholic-ism or Buddh-ism, just Life here and now, just This, just "IS".…      read more »

This year, I am starting the beginnings of a new movement called: "THE SEASON FOR ENLIGHTENMENT." It will be observed from Easter to Buddha's Birthday each year. This year, it will just be a personal and local observance. Next year, I hope to have several churches, temples, synagogues, and mosques involved, and then in 2012 I hope it will become a national movement, and then in 2013 and beyond a global movement…      read more »

Today is 11-11 (just 2 years before 11-11-11 which symbolizes "Oneness Consciousness"), and in just 40 days it will be Winter Solstice. This year's Winter Solstice is very special, because it will be exactly 3 years before the Great Winter Solstice of 2012 (the number 3 can symbolize Buddha, Dharma, Sangha). Beyond all the crazy hype around this special symbolic date of 12-21-12, the truth is that this can serve as a spiritual wake-up call and encouraging opportunity for all of us to take seriously the critical time in history in which we live. Everything is accelerating to a critical mass point, and the world needs mindful people now more than ever to help humanity shift into a more enlightened consciousness. It's up to us to choose between global breakdown or global breakthrough (or both!)…      read more »

Today is 9-09-09 (Wednesday, September 9, 2009), a wonderful day to start a new venture into your own happiness, prosperity, and enlightenment. The number 9 is all about fullness, richness, abundance, wealth and fulfillment. In the Eastern traditions, the number 108 is extremely significant for various reasons, one of which is that the numbers 1+0+8 = 9, the number of completeness, totality and success. In the Western traditions, the number 9 symbolizes the Holy Spirit, as in the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit and the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit, so the number 9 is also the number of Empowerment and Manifestation…      read more »

I am on Day 24 of my 108-day Spiritual Practice Period. This past weekend, I enjoyed a "Brotherhood" Men's Retreat with six other friends at my family's vacation house on Tiki Island. Half of us are going through a midlife crisis of one sort or another, and the other half are going through young adult transitions. We learned a lot from each other and found we had more in common than we realized. Through the practice of sitting meditation, walking meditation, yoga, mindful eating, noble silence, open-hearted communication, brotherly hugs, laughter yoga, spiritual study, journal-writing and playful fun at the beach, we came to a deep place of solidarity, support and serenity…      read more »

This message was written during a writing meditation exercise at last Saturday's "Day of Mindfulness" retreat. One of my friends who was attending was having a difficult time doing the second part of the exercise. The first part is to write a letter to the Buddha, or the Universe, or God, or your Higher Self, etc. The second part is to let the Buddha (or whoever you wrote to) write a letter back to you, through you. My friend couldn't bring himself to do the second part. So, I heard my "inner Buddha" encourage me to write it for him…      read more »

I am officially beginning a 108-day Spiritual Practice Period (Summer Sabbatical) starting on Monday, May 18, and ending on my 40th birthday, September 2, 2009. During this period, I will be travelling to various retreats and meditation centers around the state and country to renew and deepen my spiritual practice in preparation for this Fall…      read more »

Dear friend of "Awakening Heart,"

Mindfulness is not a quick-fix. Mindfulness practice is a lifestyle. It is a new habit that you need to commit to every day. It is like eating three meals a day and getting about 8 hours of sleep each night. It isn't anything extraordinary. And yet, for so long, we have been living as spiritually malnourished beings; it's as if we've only been eating one meal every few days and sleeping only a couple of hours a week. Then, when we encounter mindfulness practice, especially at a retreat, it feels extraordinary. But you can't just go to one retreat or a couple of group meditations and then stop there. You must continually commit yourself to daily practice, weekly practice, monthly practice, quarterly practice (and annual practice, if it is in your means). It's just like committing yourself to eating three nutritious meals a day and sleeping about 8 hours each night…      read more »

Dear mindful community,

This weekend is Valentine's Day, and I know that for some or many or maybe even most of you, this is not a holiday you may be looking forward to. If you are in a positive romantic relationship, I want to invite you to practice a "Spiritual Valentine's Day" this weekend. And if you are single or in a not-so-positive relationship, I also want to invite you to practice a "Spiritual Valentine's Day" weekend as well.

Here is the practice…      read more »

Namaste!

This is just a short hello letter to you from the small Dhammakaya monastery in Arlington, TX. I will write a longer letter to you next week when I leave the monastery to be with you in person once more.

After all of the meditation practice here so far, I am finding my mind to be more supple, and my heart more joyful, and my body more ACHEY....LOL! (mindful grin)…      read more »

Dear mindful friends,

Today is the 7-year anniversary (a full week of seven years) since 9-11, when America received a profound wake-up call of global emergency.

Today is also exactly one month before the birthday of one of humanity's most precious spiritual resources, our beloved teacher and Zen Master, the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh (October 11)...      read more »

Dear mindful friends,

I am writing this letter to you from Deer Park Monastery in Escondido near San Diego, California. This morning, I woke up at 5:00 am and walked over to the main hall for the morning meditation at 5:45 am. The sitting began with the deep sounds of the bell and a hauntingly beautiful chant in Vietnamese, sung by one of the venerable older monks. 45 minutes went by smoothly and swiftly in a profound silence, broken only with a cough or two by one of the lay brothers in the hall...      read more »

Dear Dharma sisters and brothers,

NAMO AMITABHA BUDDHAYA!
I bow in gratitude to the "Infinite Light of Awakening" that you truly are!

Today is the 8th day of the New Year and also the first New Moon of the year. We have successfully lived through the first week of 2008 which I am calling "The Year of the Waking Buddha" (see my letter from New Year's Day)...      read more »

"Year of the Waking Buddha"

Dear mindful friends,

Today is the first day of a very exciting year in spiritual history.

2007 was a year of equanimity, of letting go, of patience and of expanding our horizons. It was a year of recovering our foundations (1st chakra); it was the beginnings of "The Great Shift" in anticipation of a possible future "Global Awakening." And it was a "wake-up call" year.      read more »

August is "Committing to the Path of Awakening" Month. And I am encouraging you to examine your life today and this week to see what you would like to do in order to commit yourself more fully to the Path of Awakening.

According to some studies, it takes about 3-4 months (which is about 108 days) to effectively change an old habit and form a new habit. I want to challenge you to make a commitment starting sometime this month for 108 days -- a commitment to forming a new habit of daily meditation at home, weekly meditation with a group, a monthly "Day of Mindfulness" retreat (alone or with a group), and a quarterly weekend retreat (as well as an annual weeklong retreat, if that is within your means)...      read more »