Aloha Sangha posts archive
Aloha Sangha began publishing a weekly newsletter & related blog post in 2001. This archive page displays some of these posts, in chronological order.
shine on, you crazy diamond
Well being, peace and happiness are hidden in plain sight, in the ever-present flow of experience…
sit quietly and observe your thoughts
This simple practice helps release unhelpful preoccupations. You notice these creeping into your mind space as…
living into what cannot be solved
Mindfulness allows us to live into all that cannot be solved. It’s also a gateway to…
this is why we meditate
In the present moment we discover a spontaneity beyond time, where there is no aging, no…
meeting your edge
The mind throws up resistance to the process of liberation- but we can metabolize this, allowing…
Compassion in Buddhism: Why does Kuan Yin have so many hands?
Kuan Yin is an archetype of compassion in Buddhism. Sometimes portrayed as female, or male, or…
a gentle rain in the garden of the heart
I was initially turned off by Buddhist metta meditation. I felt it was silly. But slowly,…
Buddhist insight in our day to day life
We can experience deep Buddhist insight by examining our present moment experience of seeing, hearing, smelling,…
the essence of mindfulness practice
What a marvel, what a special thing it is to be conscious, to be aware, and…
a keener love of simplicity
Meditation helps us put down the baggage we carry around. Traveling lightly, we feel airborne. We…
you can’t win if you don’t play
Experiment infusing your meditation time with playful qualities such as curiosity, lightness, awe, and child-like delight…
to live wisely, and able to love
This is our work: to live my life wisely, not in contention with anything, and able…
basic human sanity
We breathe, and open our hearts no matter how difficult it feels, bringing some peace to…
meditation in a time of war
As I contemplate the latest news about the the situation in Gaza, I wonder how is…
hello darkness my old friend
When I think about the Israel-Hamas war, I struggle for some time, before finally sighing to…
what if I don’t feel compassion?
When you don’t feel compassion as you scroll through the daily newsfeed horror show- just be…
knee pain nirvana
If we get uptight about feeling uncomfortabe in meditation, just remember this simple instruction- give careful…
it’s now or never
Mindfulness loosens the “interminable chain of longing” as Robert Frost puts it, so I have half…
the most important thing
This meditation is a self-discovery. We uncover the treasure of our very own being. We lose…
not a caravan of despair
Do you have a fear of missing out on a more spiritual experience doing a mountain…
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…
be happy, meditate
Rather than striving to get rid of stress and confusion, see how these mental states act…
chocolate comes, chocolate goes
Impermanence is the fragrance of my life just as it is. This notion brings a subtle…
taking the world into your arms
My higher order narrative is just this: when I lie on my deathbed, can I let…
no zombies here
One of the most frequent misunderstandings I hear about meditation practice is it will turn us…
the courage to grieve, and to sing
We realize everyone is experiencing the same impermanence that we are. This is one Buddhist insight…
softly, as in a morning sunrise
Meditation shows me my burdens were mostly imagined. But even imaginary ones can carry real emotional…
monkey mind, crabby mind
Lately, I’ve been dealing with a relative of monkey mind I am calling crabby mind. They…
a contemplative life
What makes the difference in the contemplative life are the qualities of heart we bring to…
to love the world just as it is
Good poetry can show intricacies of meaning and feeling easily lost. This is why I trust…
on aging and humility
If I’m going to explore aging and humility I need to remember we older ones are…
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…
a slow, simple life
Perhaps we need to chill a little, and settle into the slow simple life that’s already…
curiosity, mindfulness and anxiety
Mindfulness meditation helps us develop a mental-emotional “check engine light” that flashes in our awareness when…
not knowing is most intimate
Relaxing into not-knowing is a key to the present moment. When you don’t know, all possibilities…
the universe marinating itself
As we marinate in the present moment, we let go of the urgencies of the self,…
In Buddhism aging is a practice
As we approach the last pages of our human story, in Buddhism aging as a spiritual…
eating the blame
If we know how to experience our discomfort gracefully, we suffer much less. We’re no longer…
attachment in Buddhism
The problem of attachment in Buddhism is not about having or not having an attachment, but…
why meditation is important
When I started out, I had no idea exactly why meditation was important. Now meditation is…
when is the best time to meditate?
… when the mind complains it does NOT want to meditate, says the Buddhist monk U…
meditate every day? yes, you can!
We have been practicing the opposite of what meditation asks of us for so many years,…
openness to experience
Meditation turns special moments on their head. It turns out we don’t need special moments to…
in praise of maladjustment
Who is maladjusted? It is someone who lost the ability to be surprised. We must re-learn…
hijacked by my news feed, again
My news feed can incline my mind toward fear, confusion and anger. But I can also…
on having no goals
As you set out on your meditation journey- avoid aggressive self-improvement. There isn’t anything to improve;…
appreciate your life
We savor our life just as it is, messy, littered with abandoned to-do lists and unfulfilled…
let go of expectations
As we let go of expectations in our mindfulness practice, it generalizes in our life-we are…
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…
i read the news today, oh boy
That Putin is digging into a hole he will not get out of, is a trigger…
bearing witness to the war in Ukraine
I admit I am preoccupied with the war in Ukraine. Should I not be? I am…
present moment happiness
As we soak in the healing waters of the present moment, the chasms between sacred and…
and yet, and yet … nothing but Buddhist impermanence
When we come home to who we are in our entirety, as we are here and…
practicing present moment awareness
The practice of present moment awareness shows us that whatever we are dealing with does not…
Don’t worry about progress
Progress happens when you don’t think about it. I was struck by a poem the other…
do you have to meditate every day?
Do you have to meditate every day? The question really should be can I be…
stillness in meditation
With the gradual deepening of your practice, you will feel a wonderful stillness when you simply…
does meditation help with patience?
I think so, but the real question is how to develop patience with the meditation process…
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…
nurture your resilience
Realize that for many our negativity bias is on steroids right now, and that’s OK….
lucid dreaming and meditation
Just as in a moment of lucid dreaming we realize Wow, I’m dreaming, we can similarly…
thank you, nonetheless
Buddhism offers us a path to decolonize the mind, thankfully. It not only teaches inclusion, it…
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…
a moment of well-being
Despite all that is wrong, I can still take delight in a moment of well-being. News…
a peaceful, uneasy feeling
I feel that I should be above it all, but mostly I’m not. I struggle with…
check the lining of your own mind
Just when I thought things couldn’t get more dreadful, they did. Yes, I know pandemics happen….
now more than ever
The suffering in the world is overwhelming. But the whole mess looks differently when we have…
the pure delight of samadhi
With samadhi, our simple path of awareness reveals the wonderful secrets hidden in the depth of…
it’s just nature, my dear
The Burmese meditation teacher Sayadaw U Tejaniya on how a meditator can practice mindfulness during…
mindful dishwashing
When I do catch the mind moment, in mindful dishwashing, the most ordinary things take on…
not knowing in Buddhism is just fine
Anything can happen at any time. This is called not knowing in Buddhism. And it’s precisley…
lotus blooms in fire
I got it that while I talked Dharma, I wasn’t walking the path during this illness…
let’s live like nomads
I love Buddhist humor. I especially love the way many Buddhist meditation masters find humorous ways…
simple, clear and delicious
Our simple practice of sustaining mindful attention on the most ordinary happenings in our everyday life,…
have your self a foolish little Christmas
Ram Dass encouraged us to embrace our foolish selves rather than try to fix them…
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…
suffering is natural
As a species we seem to have solidified a very real revulsion for the inevitable, as…
savor the resistance
Do we feel we are missing out on some better, or more spiritual, experience by being…
faith in small things
There is a Tibetan saying popular in mindfulness circles: “If you take care of the minutes,…
no self help
Mindfulness meditation leaves the self-help mindset in the dust by challenging the existence of the very…
an ordinary new year wish
While everyone is wishing their co-workers, friends and family a fantastic new year full of creativity…
a moveable monastery
The contemplative life benefits from periodic self-reflection We meditate for many different reasons. Often, our original…
is that a moon i see up there?
I am often asked why I meditate. Sometimes it’s phrased – What are you trying…
wise speech
To say what is true, in ways that promote harmony among people, mindfully and with kindness-…
safety
Hurricane Lane may be an opportunity to mindfully experience the discomforts many face as facts of…
reading Suzuki Roshi 43 years later
I remember the first Dharma book I ever bought. It was Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, by…
guns n’lotuses
The prominent Buddhist teacher, author, and activist, Joan Halifax, on the day of this shooting tweeted…
mindful listening
There is something unspeakably beautiful about mindful listening to the rain. Not just hearing the rain,…
enoughness
Our meditation practice shows us radical enoughness. We have all we need to lead a fulfilling…
why I stopped making new year’s resolutions
I decided to not make any new year’s resolutions. Well, except maybe one. I resolve to…
non-contention
We open little by little into the warmth and tenderness of our own essential vulnerability. It’s…
your luminous mind
According to later Buddhist thought, human beings are fundamentally good. This is not just a theory;…
all is well
It’s been a year now since Trump was elected president. No matter what your party affiliation,…
the secret beauty of the heart
Understanding the central message of the Buddhist traditions can be a complex undertaking. I have met…
intimacy with all things
When asked about the fruit of the spiritual life, the 13th century Japanese monk Dogen Zenji…
recognition
Fairy tales often convey deep meaning. Take Hans Christian Andersen’s story of the ugly duckling. A…
emotions
I would like to address a couple of misconceptions I often hear regarding meditation and one’s…
metta
The meditation practice of metta, or loving-kindness, has had a profound effect on me over the…
focusing the mind
With mindfulness we learn how to single-task, leading to focusing the mind, bringing clarity, ease and…
grateful mind yoga
A complaint I sometimes hear from folks who are trying to be happy by practicing meditation…
boredom
The creator of a popular Mindfulness app was on Jimmy Fallon Live last Friday night talking…
Trump is not the problem
Donald Trump Jr recently released an email thread in which he describes meeting a potential Russian…
the lychees, or letting go of thinking
The work of meditation is finding a home in the present moment and letting go of…
trust
why we meditate We meditate for lots of reasons: stress relief, maybe lower our blood pressure,…
expectation
Mindfulness meditation also goes by the moniker Vipassana, or insight meditation. When I mentioned this in…
drink deep
Meditation practice is about coming back to love and compassion, and celebrating the one who is…
now what?
As a leader and host of a mindfulness meditation group meeting weekly now for 19 years,…
beginner’s mind
The prominent mindfulness meditation teacher Jack Kornfield tells this story illustrating the freshness of what has…
occupy home
I read online somewhere that before they enter kindergarten kids are exposed to thousands of commercials….
these are the good old days
The other night my wife and kids threw me a 60th birthday party where, after the usual…
mindfulness: unfolding into wholeness
I was recently reading a very inspiring book by Mary O’Malley, the title of which I…
joy as a moral obligation
Acknowledging the inevitable sorrows in our lives with mindfulness opens the heart to kindness and joy…
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…
meditation changes your brain–for the better
Meditation changes your brain. The you meditate, the more you respond to life from the place…
the monkey pod tree in the beach park
Life just as it is, is eloquent. The world is its own magic. We need to…
Rumi’s car: metta, inclusivity and the heart
I was driving somewhere the other day with my son Kupai in the car. It was…
We all really need each other
We all need each other It’s been an eventful past couple of weeks. Two weeks ago…
wholeness and redemptive suffering
In his book, The Mystic Heart, Wayne Teasdale mentions four aspects of interspirituality: surrender, humility, spiritual practice, and…
Wash your bowls–meditation in daily life
There’s an old Zen story that I like very much. A monk comes to the monastery…
Guided equanimity meditation
The main work of equanimity meditation is a kind of radical, open and healing acceptance. We…
Buddhist meditation on joy
In these past few posts we have been looking at the practice of the Four Immeasurables…
Buddhist Contemplation: Four Thoughts Cheat Sheet
The text we will be studying and contemplating for the next six months or so is…
the church of what's happening now
This is our true home. We must live here, for it is only there that we…
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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