When I began writing this message, I was flying back to Burbank from San Jose. Overnight the weather had turned from being unseasonably balmy to bringing a winter chill with strong gusts of wind and snow in the mountains. I …
Everyone has opinions. In this electronic world, we’re bombarded by more clamour than ever before. Sometimes, it is the loudest voice or the most outrageous statement that gets heard—note the media focus on what gets said (or not said) by …
If you choose to walk the path of the Buddha-dharma, you are interested in a teaching that is pertinent to the state of your life right now. If you are interested in responses to questions such as how life began …
“… some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something,unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all—in which case, you fail by default.” [J.K. Rowling, 2008 …
Sometimes we come across foreign words in our teaching that, after repeated use, may not seem so foreign over time. Considering that we declare regularly that we take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, it is hoped …
He abused me, he beat me, he defeated me, he robbed me—in those who harbour such thoughts hatred will never cease.
The world does not realize that one day we must all die; but those who realize it settle their …
The Getty Center recently offered a viewing of the video, “Buddhist Art: A Fragile Inheritance,” which focused on the efforts of various art and cultural institutes to restore centuries-old Buddhist cave art in various locations such as in Bhutan and …
It had been a worrisome time. My mother-in-law had recently slipped while trying to help our dying dog, who was her constant companion for many years. Mom fell backward and suffered a bad gash on the back of her head
As I write this, we’re in the middle of Obon Festival season. There are advantages to holding ours at the end of June. For one thing, there’s a better chance that the weather won’t be as sweltering as it was …
Los Angeles is renowned for its complex and often frustrating freeway system. It can also be terrifying for drivers new to the city if an exit is missed or they are in the wrong lane when the traffic is actually …
