It’s evening now, but this morning, after sleeping in a good bit, I lazily rose and peaked out my window only to see – SNOW! It’s June 10th for heaven’s sake – Snow? Ha! I stood motionless for minutes watching it come down in big wet flakes, melting as it hit the ground. “What a fine way to start the day,” I thought, smiling, and made my way on foot to work two blocks away. ~ Work is coming together... Read more

What a weekend! It all began innocently enough, sitting in the Friday evening sun on the porch watching a doe and fawn nibble next door. Apparently these lovely ladies can be mighty vicious this time of year, but mostly they just go after dogs.Then my friends Jen and Patia (pictured below) showed up to help me celebrate my birthday. They brought me some awesome gifts, a Bodhi tree bookmark by Jen and a Mantastic sticker from Patia and then took... Read more

growing up (from Lotus in the Mud) To take refuge in the Buddha is to take refuge in someone who let go of holding back just as you can do. To take refuge in the dharma is to take refuge in all the teachings that encourage you and nurture your inherent ability to let go of holding back. And to take refuge in the sangha is to take refuge in the community of people who share this longing to let... Read more

Sunset over Missoula, May 31, 2008 This week has been one of many blessings for me: time on retreat, exciting news from a friend, a birthday and the well-spring of support and kind messages that flowed from all corners of the world, and the birth of new routines in familiar lands. So, without further adieu, I am grateful for: Rootedness. I remember being utterly stunned by the beauty of Montana one fall evening just after returning from my MA work... Read more

“The sun will have to struggle mighty hard to cut through these clouds this morning,” I think, sitting at my east window waiting expectantly for that great ball of light and life. But then I think, “the sun doesn’t struggle. It just does its thing, day after day. We say it’s ‘not sunny’ today, but it is sunny – everyday! Ha. There might be clouds in our way, but the sun is still up there, doing its thing, without struggle.”... Read more

I’m back in Helena now for my birthday (which is tomorrow, June 2) to be with my family. All is well – well, almost all. Time is beginning to pick up its pace in a good way – getting settled in a great home in Missoula, two retreats and more to come, new work at the University, seeing friends, making my way back to studies. One of the many wonders of being back in Montana is that I want to... Read more

I’m on ‘silent’ retreat now – so shhhhh. Here are some photos though from recent days in Missoula: On Jesuit Retreat: Meditating along the river. (the rest of these are from my new digs, a room in a beautiful house 2 blocks from campus and just a block from a Mount Sentinel trailhead.) — Soaking up the morning sun in my room. A deer from my bedroom window. Deer from the front porch. My desk. My room. shhhhh…. more soon.... Read more

I’m en route to another retreat in a few hours, this one a Jesuit retreat based in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Along with these retreats and simply being back in Montana, here are some things to be grateful for in my life (we have an S-theme): Sunshine – It has been a rainy week here in Montana, making the periods of sunshine all the more precious and warm. As a frequent sufferer of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), the... Read more

An article in New Scientist that was recently brought to my attention suggests that humanity may not be so special in terms of moral sense. While this is not earth-shattering news to most of us, especially those with Buddhist practice, the science behind it is compelling and will hopefully lead more people to develop a deep sense of moral value in the animal realm. Recent overviews of research… show that empathy is more widespread among animals than science has so... Read more

Those who know Buddhism fairly well know the teaching of the four divine abodes, brahma-viharas: metta: loving-kindness karuna: compassion mudita: sympathetic-joy upekkha: equanimity The four brahma-viharas represent the most beautiful and hopeful aspects of our human nature. They are mindfulness practices that protect the mind from falling into habitual patterns of reactivity which belie our best intentions. (from here) During our retreat each of these was discussed briefly. However, what was covered more deeply was the fact that each of... Read more