Author: BH

“Love is our true nature, but it is often covered over by a protective layer of fear. Buddhist practices unearth the gold beneath the clay, and return us to our natural goodness. The Buddhist path also uses systematic trainings to cultivate this love. These trainings are found throughout the Buddhist world. They strengthen our capacity for love, compassion, joy and peace. The practices that develop these qualities combine repeated thoughts, visualization and feelings.”

Read entire article, an excerpt taken from Jack Kornfield’s book “The Wise Heart.”

“To commit to another person is to embark on an adventurous journey,” says Thich Nhat Hanh. “You must be wise and patient to keep your love alive so it will last for a long time.” In his introduction to the book, Love’s Garden: A Guide to Mindful Relationships, Thich Nhat Hanh shows us how we can use loving relationships to cultivate the seeds of buddhahood inside us.

Read on.

10 Teachers answer the question, “What is suffering?”

The Buddha said, “I teach one thing and one thing only: suffering and the end of suffering.” Ten teachers — including Pema Chödrön, Norman Fischer, and Sharon Salzberg — explain why that isn’t a condemnation, but a joyous opportunity. Read on.

Wanting What’s Right

From the perspective of Buddhist psychology, compassion is natural. It derives from our interconnection, which Buddhism calls “interdependence.” This can be readily seen in the physical world.  In the womb, every child is interdependent with its mother’s body. If either of them is sick, the other is affected.  In the same way we are interdependent with the body of the earth. The minerals of the soil make up our wheat and bones, the storm clouds become our drinks and our blood, the oxygen from the trees and forests breathe with us, interdependent with our own life. Read on. This excerpt is taken from the book, The Wise Heart.

The Spirit Rock Mediation Center in Woodacre, California shared a lovely post this December:

“During this season of gift giving, reflect on how you might practice generosity throughout the year. There are many ways to cultivate an attitude of generosity in daily life.

“Loving-kindness can be practiced anywhere—traffic jams, in buses, and on airplanes. As you silently practice this among people, you will come to feel a wonderful connection with them – the power of lovingkindness. It will calm your mind and keep you connected to your heart.”

Follow Jack Kornfield as he explains the beauty of loving-kindness (metta) meditation which helps us to plant the seeds of loving wishes over and over in our heart.

Read on.

Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche explains how one becomes a Buddhist by taking refuge; “we are committing ourselves to freedom.”

Located in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn since 2000 (after a number of years on W. 23rd St. in Manhattan), the Zen Center of New York City, is home to a thriving practice community.
The Zen Center of New York City: Fire Lotus Temple is the city branch of Zen Mountain Monastery, the main house of the Mountains and Rivers Order. Supporting home practitioners in the metropolitan area, ZCNYC offers workshops, meditation intensives, a daily sitting schedule, and even a residency program. Newcomers are invited to attend the beginning instruction in zazen that follows the Sunday morning service each week.
Please enjoy the video and visit zcnyc.mro.org for more information. What a wonderful example of a thriving sangha.