In Praise of Solitude
Three years ago, I divorced my husband of thirty-four years. Even though I have a strong support network of incredible women, there are times when I miss his companionship and am lonely. In last week’s episode of Casual Buddhism, I asked Venerable Dhammananda about loneliness. She said that we are always alone, from the beginning. This prompted me to think [...]
Overcoming Doubt
I woke up the other morning full of doubt. Why did I write my memoir, Finding Venerable Mother? Did anyone care; did I really make a difference? Unable to stem the tide of negative thoughts, I decided to talk a walk. As I stepped outside the front door of my condo, a flash of white caught my eye. I stooped [...]
Dealing with Chronic Pain
Everything was going smoothly when BAM! My body brought me to a screeching halt. I was having a really nice day. I had driven myself to a small coastal town that I love, Pt. Reyes Station in Marin County, California. I sat outdoors at my favorite café and ordered my favorite salad. I went shopping and bought myself a candle, [...]
When You Can’t Forgive
In an earlier post on Practicing Forgiveness, I spoke about a heated argument I had with a close friend of mine while we were on a trip together. Although four months had passed since the original incident, we had not discussed what happened and there was still a lot of tension between us. I wanted to talk with her and [...]
Anger is Good Fuel
In my memoir, Finding Venerable Mother, I take a look at the roots of my anger. I grew up thinking anger was a bad thing and stuffed it inside. Occasionally I would blow up, like a volcano spewing lava. This still happens to me—not nearly as often as it used to—but when it does, I always regret my outburst. Growing [...]
Practicing Meditation
Meditation is a practice that requires patience. I start meditating first thing in the morning because my anxiety is strongest then. Meditation calms my mind and helps me be more present and attentive to what’s going on around me. Yesterday, however, I didn’t take the time to meditate. Big mistake! I spent the day running, literally and physically from one [...]
Practicing Forgiveness
Practicing Forgiveness I don’t know about you, but one of my biggest struggles is forgiving someone near and dear to me, especially when they are angry with me. I had an opportunity to practice forgiveness when a good friend of mine got really angry with me. Her reaction surprised me and seemed to come out of nowhere. Initially I was [...]
Moving Through Anger
Anger is my Achilles heel. In my memoir Finding Venerable Mother, I talked a lot about my struggle with letting go of anger. The first time I heard Venerable Dhammananda speak, she spoke of anger. “We cannot solve anything with anger. Anger doesn’t lead us anywhere. It is much harder to practice loving kindness and compassion. That is the goal [...]