Right after my mother passed away, I got an email from my sister saying that my dad was feeling sad and guilty because he felt that he should have hugged and kissed my mom more before she died. It reminded me of when I was in the play “Our Town” in high school. In the... read more
One time, a supporter of the Abbey gave our cats some catnip seeds and a toy mouse with a built-in laser pointer. Manjushri loved chasing the red dot around even though there was nothing to catch, and even our older cat Achala watched the dot intently. It made me... read more
All religions are worthy of respect because all have something in them that is conducive to the welfare of human beings. They are all based on ethical conduct, like not killing or stealing, but having love, compassion, and forgiveness. Even if someone is not... read more
When you imagine all sorts of wealth coming, our usual attitude is to think of material wealth. I was thinking that it should not be just material wealth we think about, but the fear of not having enough material things controls us. When there is a sense of poverty in... read more
When we meditate on death, we must be very clear about what the correct conclusion is. People who do not know the Dharma can fall into a panicky fear of death, and people who do understand the Dharma properly go to wise concern about death. It is very important we... read more
