If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!This is a video I put together for YouTube about three months ago, and it has already received over 600 views. Chanting OM is totally sublime, peaceful, and rejuvenating. Just sit in silence and stillness for a few minutes, […]

Here now is Chapter Three of the Blessed Dhammapada, spoken by Buddha to his original disciples:
The Mind
The restless and agitated mind is hard to protect and hard to control.
The sage makes it straight as a fletcher makes the shaft of an arrow.
Like a fish out of water, thrown on dry ground, the mind thrashes about,
Trying […]

The second blessed chapter of the Buddha’s Dhammapada:
Vigilance is the path to the Deathless;
Negligence is the path to death.
The vigilant person does not die.
The negligent are as if already dead.
Knowing this distinction,
Vigilant sages rejoice in vigilance,
And delight in the field of the noble ones.
Absorbed in meditation,
Persevering and always steadfast,
The wise touch Nirvana,
The ultimate rest from […]

I finally went to see the summer comedy The Love Guru, featuring Michael Meyers. The movie is about an Indian guru (Mike Meyers) who is hired by the owner of a Canadian hockey team (the Toronto Maple Leafs) to rejoin one of the players with his ex. The deal was if he could do this […]

The Dhammapada is considered by many Buddhists to be the most comprehensive and original verbal teaching of the Buddha to his disciples after he achieved enlightenment. There are twenty-six (26) chapters in the Dhammapada, which was translated into English from the original Pali canons in which it was previously recorded. This little book has been […]

From the book “The Essence of Zen”:
The most valuable thing we can do for the psyche, occasionally, is to let it rest and wander, live in the changing light of a room, and not try to be or do anything. - May Sarton
Within yourself is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat […]

Because I live in the greater Miami, Florida area, I have had the honor of meeting Swami Jyotirmayananda, direct disciple of the world-renowned spiritual legend Swami Sivananda. Swami Jyotirmayananda and I have exchanged spiritual e-mails over the past three or four years or so, and his encouragement, spiritual vitality, and optimism are unparalleled. He is […]

The Ideal Monk, according to the historical Buddha, is one who possesses true courage. The Buddha once said: “There is no fear for him who hath no wants.” The ideal monk is not only self-possessed and courageous, but also seeks for himself greater enlightenment from the wiser than himself and he does what he can […]

To give a simple analysis of the mind state of the Arahant, it finds expression not only in the Buddhist Psalms but also in the whole Buddhist canon (writings). The four qualities of the Arahant which stand out most prominently are (1) peace, (2) freedom, (3) joy, and (4) insight. The first of these is […]

Since the summer of 2002, I have consolidated my spiritual practice into one Divine Sound: OM. I still enjoy chanting other mantras, and hanging out with spiritually-minded people. I still enjoy lectures by great religious and academic scholars, however, my awareness is well-established in OM. In fact, whenever I hear the sound of a bell, […]