Contemplative psychotherapy for individuals, couples, and groups in New York City.
Community |
Living and practicing harmoniously with others is essential to Buddhist teachings |
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Creating Sangha
A Buddhist community - a sangha - is not something one is merely born into or chooses to join, but something one is challenged to create. A sangha provides a matrix of communal support for people to realize their commitment to a common vision or concern. Yet it is in danger of lapsing into an institution intent on preserving the power of a minority of professionals. A sangha requires some kind of organized structure to serve an effective purpose…A Buddhist community - a sangha - is not something one is merely born into or chooses to join, but something one is challenged to create. A sangha provides a matrix of communal support for people to realize their commitment to a common vision or concern. Yet it is in danger of lapsing into an institution intent on preserving the power of a minority of professionals. A sangha requires some kind of organized structure to serve an effective purpose within a given society and persist over generations. More » -
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No Place to Hide
In people's idealized notions of a monk or a nun, one assumption is very accurate: that it simplifies your life so that you can put all your energy into waking up. Of course, not only monks and nuns are committed to waking up. But for many people, regular life is too distracting—which is to say, they are not at a place where they feel they can follow a path, because their ordinary life keeps overwhelming them or dragging them into passion, aggression, and ignorance. More » -
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What Would William Penn Think?
SITTING UP STRAIGHT in tall Shaker-style chairs, the members of Lilac Breeze Sangha follow their breath to the tune of Quaker silence. Like many other Westerners, they’ve taken to Buddhist sitting practice without giving up their religious roots, combining traditions for a customized spiritual experience. For math teacher David Shen, who combines Catholicism, Taoism, Quakerism, and Buddhism in his practice, mixing faiths works to their mutual enrichment: “In Quaker meeting,” he says, “when people speak, I now listen deeply, the way Buddhists would listen.” More » -
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Coming Home
Jesse has been blinded by shrapnel. Paul cannot swallow properly or digest his food. Claudia doesn’t remember giving birth to her daughter. Although they’re no longer in Iraq, the war is still with them. More » -
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The Gateway to Compassion
After it was done—the profound altruism and compassion shown by rescue workers and by the multitudes from all backgrounds and cultures became an inspiration to us all. This is a time of opportunity to open our hearts to our own sorrow; a time of opportunity to open our hearts to those who have already experienced great suffering caused by hatred and aggression. The gateway to compassion and lovingkindness is to be able to feel our own pain, and the pain of others. If we are able to open in this way, our hearts can melt, and the healing salve of compassion can anoint all our wounds. In this way we can move beyond our complacency. At this time, we need to acknowledge our own hatred and aggression, too. This requires mindfulness of the activities of our body, speech, and mind. We now have yet another opportunity to examine our lives, values, and commitments. Where do we put our time, energy, and resources? More »
