Zen Moments

“The natural state of the human mind is calm and clear…”

I was in my mid-fifties when I met my soul mate. It’s not that I never wanted to get married, the problem was that I never met anyone I wanted to marry or if I did, she didn’t want to marry me. Anyway, [...]

“You watch it all, until the last sliver of golden light vanishes…”

Having taught meditation for many years, I’ve found that one of the most common questions I get asked is: “How do I get started?”
People often begin with a book and try to teach themselves. But in the beginning you don’t really know what you [...]

“The Earth laughs in flowers”

Some restful meditations on the beauty of flowers – chosen from Youtube by Zen Moments

“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” – The Buddha.

“Nobody sees a flower — really — it is so small it takes time — we haven’t time [...]

“We can all use a little piece of Zen in our lives…”

Webster’s defines Zen as a Japanese sect of Mahayana Buddhism that aims at enlightenment by direct intuition through meditation. The online Urban Dictionary gives this definition: “One way to think of zen is this: a total state of focus that incorporates a total togetherness [...]

“Nothing happens next. This is it.”

The Grass-is-Greener Syndrome:
Challenges to Being Present
Have you ever had an experience like this: you might be walking on a beautiful wooded trail, or watching a sunset over water, or relaxing with good friends at the end of a day’s work; you are doing something at least mildly enjoyable or pleasant, [...]

With a worried look on her face she asked me:
“What did I do wrong?”

This is something I wrote for a lady in Sri Lanka who decided she wanted to develop her meditation practice in daily life. She resolved to bring more mindfulness into ordinary day-to-day activities. So she set out to go shopping mindfully.
She [...]

“Zen monks at one with Flash.”

The Laughing Buddha or Budai is a wandering monk who clears away the woes of the world. He carries an alms bowl and a cloth sack, which never empties, and is filled with many precious items, including rice plants (symbolizing wealth), sweets for children, food, small children and animals. [...]

“Oh well – another adventure… I thought…”

I had just finished high school, and was desperate for fresh air, sights new to my eyes, and experiences that would restore my soul, enliven it with vigour. Living in Mexico City, it always is a gift to drive for four hours and visit the beaches, beautiful as they [...]

“…we are conscious intelligence manifest in a thousand different configurations…”

“In the cherry blossom’s shade,
there’s no such thing
as a stranger.”
Issa
As a young woman in the late 70’s, I spent time in India travelling and staying in ashrams. Once, after three months of intensive meditation, I took a train to Bombay (Mumbai) with a group of friends. [...]

“May your Buddha Nature illuminate all your moments, especially the foggy ones, this new year and beyond!”

Happy New Year from NOT2WO!
My holiday travels along the California coast are officially over, and despite all the nice places I’ve seen and experienced along the way, it’s good to be back at home-sweet-home in NYC.

I must make a [...]