Some reflections from a nighttime poem

“The benefit of the doubt” in most cases, implies that a person or a situation is less than trustworthy, that based on our past experiences, we feel compelled to muster from within the depths of our generosity, a modicum of trust, to give them another chance to prove our expectations wrong. Does everyone or every situation deserve that second, third, etc. chance?

There's a Zen perspective that even if there is an eternal afterlife either in Heaven or in Hell, by attaining enlightenment in our lifetime here on earth, we could be doomed to Hell and still be able to make it Heaven. How?

Peaceful living feels like a one giant paradox to me most of the time. I read koans, or some of the little snippets of conversations between masters and disciples, and to be honest, I identify more often with the clueless students making neither heads nor tails of the enigmatic language used by their teachers than with the teachers themselves. One of the most common concepts presented by the Tao that I struggle with, is the idea that living fearlessly and passionately is achi

As a society, we place a premium on intelligence, cleverness, and humor, especially when all three are combined into a single, cutting remark we would recognize as a real shut down, a zinger, or a burn. But what long-term purpose can it serve?

There is a little story that Ram Dass once told about caring for his aged father. Every morning, his father, a man who apparently was never physically demonstrative in his affection would pat Ram Dass on the back as he bent to help him put on his socks, and Ram Dass could feel his heart "just sing." And it brings to mind the quote by Khalil Gibran:

Modern society teaches us that anything worthwhile doesn't come easily. We are always told that the good things in life take hard work. We have to work hard, study hard, play hard, and if we fail or fall short, we must try harder, practice harder, become harder. Everything hard, hard, hard... because life is hard.

Love does not change who we are, but rather it reveals how we can relate to another without pretense.

From James Baldwin's collaborative book of essays with Richard Avedon's photography, "Nothing Personal," comes a timeless message that...

If you have ever found yourself wondering about love on Valentine's Day, this one is for you.

Introducing an adult character, the Boy's grandfather, who I imagine has been a big influence in his life and contributes much to the...

"Love is like the sea. It's a moving thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from the shore it meets, and it's different with every...

Collaboration with psychotherapist and meditation teacher Koret Munguldar, who is based in Istanbul, Turkey.⁠ Here are some of her...

To me, Dr. Jaiya John's poetic proclamation "Daughter Drink This Water" read as an invitation to a celebration of womanhood, an embracing of everything from the bitterness of birth to the weight of expectation to the complex joy we carry through life, it called to that part of me that yearns to simply be and live free. But why women in particular?

A nod to the Little Prince and his rose, and the wise fox who taught him the painful beauty of being tamed.⁠

I've been thinking about love recently, and how everyone feels loved in different ways. Some enjoy receiving tokens of affection like...

These incredibly lovely words are by my friend Utkarsh Raj, whom I met through the Instagram account in its very earliest days. ⁠ ⁠ A...

A little nod to one of my favorite scenes from Winnie-the-Pooh, where Piglet takes Pooh's paw and says, "I just wanted to be sure of...

Today's prompt is CHANGE. Our relationships change all the time, especially those between a parent and a child as the child grows older....