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My Favorite Biases
I'm often quoting one of Shunryu Suzuki's opening passages from Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind where he says: "After some years we will die. If we just think that it is the end of our life, this will be the wrong understanding. But, on the other hand, if we think that we...
Showing Up
I'm moved last week by how people are called and how they show up. I don't usually tear up hearing the Star Spangled Banner, but I did that day when it was sung by Lady Gaga during Joe Biden's inauguration. Here are the opening lines from the Inaugural Poem by Amanda...
One Question, One Recipe, and a Practice for the New Year
The question Do you live with a closed fist or an open hand? A worthy experiment is to make a fist with one hand, closing your fingers really tight and notice how you feel. Then, slowly open your hand with fingers extended and be aware of how this influences you. This...
Two Questions, a Quote and a Song for the New Year
One of my favorite questions from the Zen tradition is: What is the impossible request your life asks of you? Great question, don’t you think? (If you are thrown or put off by the word "impossible," just omit it.) So, what is the request your life asks of you? Either...
Spaciousness: Working Hard, Accomplishing Nothing
Spaciousness: Working Hard, Accomplishing Nothing This was the imprint on one of my favorite T-shirts that was popular for some time during summers at Tassajara, Zen Mountain Center. I don’t remember the image or design, just those bold letters on the back of the...
Interview: Warmhearted Mindfulness
Marc Lesser joins Raghu Markus on Be Here Now Network to talk about bringing Zen Buddhism and mindful leadership to Google, working with evolutionary fear, cultivating humor and courage, and reclaiming mindfulness as a warmhearted practice. You can listen to the...