Aloha Sangha blog (post archive)
Aloha Sangha began publishing blog posts in 2001. This archive page displays many of these posts, in chronological order.
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basic human sanity
When we sit with awareness of our body sitting and breathing, we tap into a basic human sanity…
our private nirvanas in times of war
As I contemplate the latest news about the Israel-Hamas war, is meditating for an hour in the morning…
hello darkness, my old friend
When I mindfully contact the fear I feel as I think about the Israel-Hamas war, the bars in…
what if I don’t feel compassion?
When you don’t feel compassion as you scroll through the daily newsfeed horror show- just be aware of…
knee pain nirvana
If we get uptight about feeling uncomfortabe in meditation, just remember this simple instruction- give careful and kind…
it’s now or never
Want some priceless meditation advice? Become intimate with your moment by moment experience, whatever it is … yeah,…
the most important thing
This meditation is a self-discovery. We uncover the treasure of our very own being. We lose interest in…
not a caravan of despair
Do you have a fear of missing out on a more spiritual experience doing a mountain of laundry,…
don’t let the mind become a lonely hunter
You have all you need. The bounty is already laid out at your doorstep. (The title here steals…
be happy, meditate
Rather than striving to get rid of stress and confusion, we recognize how mental states act as a…
chocolate comes, chocolate goes
Impermanence is the fragrance of my life just as it is. This notion brings a subtle joy to…
taking the world into your arms
Our simple mindfulness shows us this amazing, crazy world is perfect, just as it is right now. It…
no zombies here
One of the most frequent misunderstandings I hear about meditation practice is it will turn us into “non-judging”…
the courage to grieve, and to sing
We are here to keep watch, not to keep These are not my words. They were written by…
softly, as in a morning sunrise
Meditation shows me my burdens were mostly imagined. But even imaginary ones can carry real emotional weight. I…
monkey mind, crabby mind
Lately, I’ve been dealing with a relative of monkey mind I am calling crabby mind. They may be…
a quiet aliveness
What makes the difference are the qualities of heart we bring to our everyday experiences. It’s a seeing,…
to love the world just as it is
Good poetry can show intricacies of meaning and feeling easily lost. This is why I trust the vision…
grace and humility
I get it, we older ones are no longer as energetic or slim, or good looking. Or into…
everything is a mess and it’s fine
Yes, we are all in a mess, with suffering and despair everywhere-yet one lonely channel broadcasts the remarkable…
a slow, simple life
Perhaps we need to chill a little, and settle into the slow simple life that’s already here. And…
curiosity, mindfulness and anxiety
Mindfulness meditation helps us develop a mental-emotional “check engine light” that flashes in our awareness when we get…
not knowing is most intimate
Relaxing into not-knowing is a key to the present moment. When you don’t know, all possibilities are open….
the universe marinating itself
As we marinate in the present moment, we let go of the urgencies of the self, the agendas…
In Buddhism aging is a practice
As we approach the last pages of our human story, in Buddhism aging as a spiritual practice encourages…
eating the blame
If we know how to experience our discomfort gracefully, we suffer much less. We’re no longer afraid of…
attachment in Buddhism
The problem of attachment in Buddhism is not about having or not having an attachment, but it’s our…
why meditation is important
When I started out, I had no idea exactly why meditation was important. Now meditation is truly life…
when is the best time to meditate?
… when the mind complains it does NOT want to meditate, says the Buddhist monk U Tejaniya I’m…
meditate every day? yes, you can!
We have been practicing the opposite of what meditation asks of us for so many years, no wonder…
openness to experience
Meditation turns special moments on their head. It turns out we don’t need special moments to savor the…
in praise of maladjustment
What is maladjusted? It is someone who lost the ability to be surprised, adjusting to themselves to mediocrity…
hijacked by my news feed, again
My news feed, if I let it, can incline my mind toward fear, confusion and anger at all…
on having no goals
As you set out on your meditation journey- avoid aggressive self-improvement. There isn’t anything to improve. And really,…
appreciate your life
We savor our life just as it is, messy, littered with abandoned to-do lists and unfulfilled expectations. We…
let go of expectations
As we let go of expectations in our mindfulness practice, it generalizes in our life-we are more present…
the mindfulness of outrage
Tears well up as I type these words. I ask myself, can I let myself be mindfully undone…
do I have to be Buddhist to benefit from mindfulness?
What is mindfulness meditation, and do I have to be a Buddhist to benefit from practicing it? I…
i read the news today, oh boy
That Putin is digging into a hole he will not get out of, is a trigger for the…
bearing witness to the war in Ukraine
I admit I am preoccupied with the war in Ukraine. Should I not be? I am ambivalent about…
present moment happiness
As we soak in the healing waters of the present moment, the chasms between sacred and mundane, bearable…
and yet, and yet … nothing but Buddhist impermanence
When we come home to who we are in our entirety, as we are here and now in…
practicing present moment awareness
The practice of present moment awareness shows us that whatever we are dealing with does not define us….
Don’t worry about progress
Progress happens when you don’t think about it. I was struck by a poem the other day while…
do you have to meditate every day?
Do you have to meditate every day? The question really should be can I be happily present…
stillness in meditation
With the gradual deepening of your practice, you will feel a wonderful stillness when you simply rest your…
does meditation help with patience?
I think so, but the real question is how to develop patience with the meditation process itself. The…
the coup in Burma: when bad things happen to good Buddhists:
Although I try to not address too many political issues on this blog, for reasons I hope…
tears, just tears
Tears just flowed from my face when I heard Amanda Gorman, at only 22 years old, stride up…
nurture your resilience
Realize that for many our negativity bias is on steroids right now, and that’s OK. Notice the…
Am I dreaming?
Just as our mindfulness meditation builds the capacity to unemotionally witness the unfolding imagery in our waking state,…
it’s crooked!
There is a lot of pressure on the whole pandemic New Year’s thing, right? I mean, the pandemic,…
thank you, nonetheless
Buddhism offers us a path to decolonize the mind, thankfully. It not only teaches inclusion, it points out…
2020 election: it’s a great time to be a meditator!
As I write this, the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election is still up in the air….
a moment of well being
Despite all that is wrong, I can still take delight in a moment of well-being. News stories are…
a peaceful, uneasy feeling
I feel that I should be above it all, but mostly I’m not. I struggle with my emotions….
check the lining of your own mind
Just when I thought things couldn’t get more dreadful, they did. Yes, I know pandemics happen. Evolution hurts…
now more than ever
The suffering in the world is overwhelming. But the whole mess looks differently when we have a rested,…
the pure delight of samadhi
With samadhi, our simple path of awareness reveals the wonderful secrets hidden in the depth of our being….
it’s just nature, my dear
The Burmese meditation teacher Sayadaw U Tejaniya on how a meditator can practice mindfulness during the pandemic….
mindful dishwashing
When I do catch the mind moment, in mindful dishwashing, the most ordinary things take on inexpressible beauty….
not knowing
Anything can happen. Yes, on the surface, that can feel ominous, especially in these times. But it…
lotus blooms in fire
I got it that while I talked Dharma, I wasn’t walking the path during this illness very well….
let’s live like nomads
I love Buddhist humor. I especially love the way many Buddhist meditation masters find humorous ways to show…
simple, clear and delicious
Our simple practice of sustaining mindful attention on the most ordinary happenings in our everyday life, can bring…
have your self a foolish little Christmas
Ram Dass encouraged us to embrace our foolish selves rather than try to fix them I…
I wish I could have given him the moon
Good poems, for me, are often potent teachings on how to live this precious life we are given….
just as you are
You can’t push the river, the Zen masters of old would say. And wow, how I have tried—reading,…
suffering is natural
As a species we seem to have solidified a very real revulsion for the inevitable, as well as…
just try your best
Meditation is not easy, I get it. There are aches and pains in the body, the mind gets…
savor the resistance
Do we feel we are missing out on some better, or more spiritual, experience by being stuck with…
faith in small things
There is a Tibetan saying popular in mindfulness circles: “If you take care of the minutes, the years…
no self help
Mindfulness meditation leaves the self-help mindset in the dust by challenging the existence of the very thing we…
an ordinary new year wish
While everyone is wishing their co-workers, friends and family a fantastic new year full of creativity, self-improvement, and…
everyday mysticism
There is a way to live your ordinary life in pristine peace and joy just as it is…
coming home
No matter how nice our home is, it is still “of the of world,” as my Buddhist teachers in…
a moveable monastery
The contemplative life benefits from periodic self-reflection We meditate for many different reasons. Often, our original motivations…
is that a moon i see up there?
I am often asked why I meditate. Sometimes it’s phrased – What are you trying to accomplish…
wise speech
We each find our own way in these challenging times. Take good care of yourself. Breathe. Meditate. Exercise….
safety
Hurricane Lane may be an opportunity to mindfully experience the discomforts many face as facts of life: no…
reading Suzuki Roshi 43 years later
I remember the first Dharma book I ever bought. It was Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, by Suzuki Roshi….
guns n’lotuses
The prominent Buddhist teacher, author, and activist, Joan Halifax, on the day of this shooting tweeted “I want…
mindful listening
There is something unspeakably beautiful about mindful listening to the rain. Not just hearing the rain, in the…
enoughness
Our meditation practice shows us radical enoughness. We have all we need to lead a fulfilling life now….
why I stopped making new year’s resolutions
This year, I decided to not make any resolutions. Well, except maybe one. I resolve to just be…
non-contention
We open little by little into the warmth and tenderness of our own essential vulnerability. It’s the birthplace…
facts of life
I am often asked why I meditate. Sometimes it’s phrased – What are you trying to accomplish by…
gratitude in Buddhism
Even though it’s not the end of the year yet, Thanksgiving has always been a time…
your luminous mind
According to later Buddhist thought, human beings are fundamentally good. This is not just a theory; it’s an…
all is well
It’s been a year now since Trump was elected president. No matter what your party affiliation, or non-affiliation,…
the secret beauty of the heart
Understanding the central message of the Buddhist traditions can be a complex undertaking. I have met several people…
intimacy
When asked about the fruit of the spiritual life, the 13th century Japanese monk Dogen Zenji replied: “Enlightenment…
recognition
Fairy tales often convey deep meaning. Take Hans Christian Andersen’s story of the ugly duckling. A baby swan…
emotions
I would like to address a couple of misconceptions I often hear regarding meditation and one’s emotional life….
metta
The meditation practice of metta, or loving-kindness, has had a profound effect on me over the years. I…
focus
Mindfulness helps us recognize the chronic frazzle, which is like discovering the horse you are riding has reigns….
grateful mind yoga
A complaint I sometimes hear from folks who are trying to be happy by practicing meditation is that…
boredom
The creator of a popular Mindfulness app was on Jimmy Fallon Live last Friday night talking about how…
refuge
We suffer because we forget what we truly are. We take refuge and remember. We forget we are…
Trump is not the problem
Donald Trump Jr recently released an email thread in which he describes meeting a potential Russian agent to…
lychees
The lychees didn’t fruit much this year. In fact, barely at all. I thought maybe it was something…
trust
why we meditate We meditate for lots of reasons: stress relief, maybe lower our blood pressure, feel less…
innocence
When we sit and settle our body and begin to explore that unique space that opens up when…
expectation
Mindfulness meditation also goes by the moniker Vipassana, or insight meditation. When I mentioned this in our weekly…
drink deep
In one of Tara Brach’s online talks on self-compassion, she tells a story about the work of Dian…
now what?
As a leader and host of a mindfulness meditation group meeting weekly now for 19 years, I can…
maybe she’s right
The prominent mindfulness meditation teacher Jack Kornfield tells this story illustrating the freshness of what has been…
occupy home
I read online somewhere that before they enter kindergarten kids are exposed to thousands of commercials. I remember…
these are the good old days
The other night my wife and kids threw me a 60th birthday party where, after the usual social…
Spiritually incorrect?
In this much written about contentious election season, filled with so many angry accusations and counter accusations, where…
mindfulness: undoing our own knots
For folks who are just starting this journey of mindfulness meditation, it can be rough going. I think…
mindfulness: unfolding into wholeness
I was recently reading a very inspiring book by Mary O’Malley, the title of which I love: What…
joy as a moral obligation
I recently read a passage from a book by the Franciscan priest and author Richard Rohr which resonated…
mindfulness and the tiny purple flowers by the side of the road
We already have what we need – your brain and your heart are your temples, and your philosophy,…
meditation changes your brain–for the better
Meditation changes your brain. The you meditate, the more you respond to life from the place of calm,…
mindfulness: the monkey pod tree in the beach park
Have you ever had the experience of being irritated with someone or about something, like a parking…
Gazing Upon Mercy
On this New Year’s Day, I struggle with what to do about New Year’s resolutions. Should I bother?…
Aloha Ke Akua: God is Love
We don’t need any more divisiveness, we have had enough to satisfy any curiosity for what this contacted…
San Bernardino shooting: maybe these are my people?
If you’re wondering what in the world we can do to stop this mass shooting madness, with…
Rumi’s car: metta, inclusivity and the heart
I was driving somewhere the other day with my son Kupai in the car. It was late afternoon…
meditation as love
A couple of years ago the Dalai Lama attended a large scientific meeting in Washington DC. He met…
We all really need each other
We all need each other It’s been an eventful past couple of weeks. Two weeks ago we experienced…
Loving Kindness Every Day
I think we all have an aspiration to be kind. I do. And I am keenly aware that…
fast Buddha for speedy times
You are most likely one of the majority of people who may agree with a finding in a…
wholeness and redemptive suffering
In his book, The Mystic Heart, Wayne Teasdale mentions four aspects of interspirituality: surrender, humility, spiritual practice, and compassionate action….
Why a spiritual recession is good for you
The other day I was re-reading parts of Karen Armstrong’s illuminating autobiography The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out…
Wash your bowls–meditation in daily life
There’s an old Zen story that I like very much. A monk comes to the monastery of Zhaozhou…
Inner Shelter
Here in Honolulu we are preparing for the first hurricane set to make landfall on our islands in…
True Refuge
I was reading an article the other day published about a year ago about the uncertainty in the…
Meditation – coming home to the place we never left
Meditation allows us to discover our true home, a place where fear has no place to stand, and…
Guided Meditation on Equanimity
We have come to the fourth of the four immeasurables: meditation on equanimity. It might be the most…
Buddhist meditation on joy
In these past few posts we have been looking at the practice of the Four Immeasurables – Love,…
Buddhist Contemplation: Four Thoughts Cheat Sheet
The text we will be studying and contemplating for the next six months or so is perhaps the…
Imagining what is possible with Buddhist contemplation
Welcome to the first week of our new YMD program: the Year of Meditating Dangerously (a year long…
Meditation Techniques: Truly Helpful, or Just Gilding the Lily?
Once you set up shop as a meditation teacher you get asked a whole lot of questions. Of…
Which is the best spiritual practice?
What’s the best spiritual practice or path? What’s the best spiritual practice, technique or lineage? Well, after much…
From hokey to eternity
“Love is not restricted by limitations. For love does not have any bounds, being as aspect of the…
Why meditate
I think that from time to time we need to remind ourselves why we meditate.It’s so easy to…
the church of what's happening now
Our son Kupai started Kindergarten last week. When I woke him up for school the other day I…
Mindfulness of thoughts
Mindfulness gives us the skill of seeing our natural thought-mushrooming tendencies, and to gently wake up to the present moment of simply being with what is unfolding freshly, free of proliferation, fear, dread or unbalanced excitement and agitation.
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