The practice of renunciation is the practice of non-addiction. It is the practice of saying “no” to the mind. It’s not a “no” motivated by aversion but a wise “no” that sees clearly craving in the mind. Where there is fixation and dependency a skillful discrimination and kind “no” are needed. This afternoon while I […]
Embracing Grace
When I was in my chaplaincy program at Naropa University, an insight occurred to me one day. I realized that even though I was studying Buddhist chaplaincy, it was much more likely that I would be ministering to people who identified as Christian rather than Buddhist (and I was right, especially when I worked in […]
The Value Of Showing Up
“My students have shown me so many times that it’s not always about being the perfect person in the perfect position – it’s about showing up when you’re needed.” ~ Jill Biden For the team of teachers here at MOI offering mindfulness classes in the Re-Entry Program at the Douglas County Correctional Facility, the value […]
Why Generosity Is Not Enough
I was inspired to write this while listening to the radio a couple of weeks ago. The essence of what was said was that while generosity was a positive action and quality, it was not enough, and that justice was more important. The reason given for this was that generosity made the giver feel good […]
2022 New Year’s Message
Greetings to all our dear friends and generous supporters! It’s the start of a new year and we at MOI are excited for all that’s ahead. It’s been a difficult time with many changes and a great many challenges over the past couple of years. While the work that we do in the community is […]
Seeing Our Interests in Our Practice
For the longest time, I have held this idea that mindfulness practice was all about how much time I spent in seated meditation. Of course, I also cultivated mindfulness practice using walking meditation and mindful eating. But for me, it was always about sitting — about getting into the correct posture and continually returning to […]