Category — open heart project

When I started the Open Heart Project a year ago, I didn’t expect it to grow so quickly and so organically. Purely by word of mouth, we’ve grown into a community of nearly 5000 people who have had the courage and commitment to explore their lives and discover joy, vitality, passion, and compassion through the practice of meditation. (If you aren’t a member, you could sign up here and check it out–it is free.)

On June 1, 2012, I’m launching a new level of the OHP: the Practitioner level. I’m really, really excited about it. Many of you have expressed a desire for more and I feel happily obligated—and quite delighted—to offer a way to do so.

It’s time for meditation instruction and dharma talks that go beyond the brand-new-beginner stage and I’m going to offer Practitioners both shorter and longer sits and more subtle insights to challenge you (and myself) to become more disciplined about practice and more forgiving when we screw up. Both of these qualities—exertion and self-compassion—are fruits of meditation and we will continue to cultivate them, as well as other potent qualities directly related to practice, such as bravery, joy, wisdom, power and love. [Read more →]

One of the questions that most of us will end up asking about our meditation practice is “how do I know if I’m doing it right?” We sit there minute after minute, day after day, month after month and it is totally natural to wonder, am I really doing anything? Is there a right way to meditate? How do I know if I’m doing it?

There are several possible answers to this situation. [Read more →]

In the last newsletter, I offered a review of some basic “don’ts.” Today is part 2: the “dos.” I know that some of you may have heard these things before, but, really, we can’t hear such things too many times.

Without further ado, please do: [Read more →]

Some thoughts on some of the most basic misconceptions and nutty side trips we all make when it comes to meditation We can’t hear these things too many times.

And now, without further ado, please do not: [Read more →]

This past weekend, I was teaching at the Providence, RI Shambhala Center. We spent the entire time talking about fearlessness—what it was, how fear maintains its grip on us, how to loosen it, and how to manifest fearlessness in our lives. My final talk was on confidence and it was meant to be a culmination of the entire program.

As I prepared, I thought about my own plentiful experiences with fear and doubt. What right did I actually have to discuss such a topic? How could I find something genuine to say that wasn’t merely parroting what I had been taught without any inner connection to the teaching? The more I thought about what I could say that would be true and honest, the more anxious I became. I pictured myself flubbing the whole thing, confusing my students, dishonoring the dharma. I could feel my heart start to pound and my shoulders tighten. [Read more →]

Last week, we discussed two of the three aspects of the awakened mind—compassion and wisdom. Today I’d like to offer a (very) few thoughts on the third quality—power.

When we think about the quality of power, I’m sure many things come to mind. Some are positive—the certainty of a strong ruler or the beneficence of a saint. Some are not so positive—the authoritarianism of, say, teachers or bosses, or those who have influence over us due to wealth, beauty, or position.

However the Buddhist view of power has nothing to do with becoming a ruler or a saint (not that there is anything wrong with that), nor is it about authority, influence, or control. The Buddhist definition has more to do with the ability to see clearly. [Read more →]

Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of wisdom
(Detail from a thangka painting by Greg Smith)

As mentioned in the last post, according to Buddhist thought, the awakened mind has three qualities. The first is compassion. The second quality, wisdom, is the topic of today’s post.

When it comes to what it really means to be wise, it’s easy to posit all sorts of definitions: from really, really smart to deeply insightful to maybe simply being old and thus knowledgeable from experience.

Buddhism certainly has many definitions of wisdom and one of them is this: the ability to see beyond concept to the way things really are. Moment by moment, perception by perception, we let go of our judgments, opinions, and projections. Which seems impossible, I know. Still, we have each had moments where we have been able to grasp the clear, empty, luminous, still, vast space that lies beyond our conventional minds. [Read more →]

According to Buddhist thought, the awakened mind has three qualities.

Although I’ve said many times that having goals for your practice is a bad idea, I’m now going to suggest that there actually are goals and they are to realize these three qualities. However, the path is not accomplished by conventional means. Interestingly, these qualities arise spontaneously when we let go of our other agendas, no matter how well-thought out.

Meditation is, of course, the path.

The three aspects of the enlightened mind are compassion, wisdom, and power. We’re going to look at each one in turn over the next three newsletters. [Read more →]

I want to speak to you about the most controversial, incendiary notion in the entire world, the one that, if you are looking to cause a commotion, disturb the status quo, or get into a fight, is the thing you should say.

Are you ready?

Are you sure you’re ready?

All beings are basically good.

There, I said it. [Read more →]

The Open Heart Project is designed to help you find your unique path with meditation as a support. Whether you are a Christian, Jew, Atheist, or none of the above, meditation provides a powerful foundation from which to explore your world. No one has to be (or pretend to be) a Buddhist to receive this support.

However, sometimes members of the OHP ask me questions about Buddhism, which I love. One of the more regular questions I get is, “What does it mean to become a Buddhist? How do you actually do that?”  [Read more →]