Is that right?

I know that some annoying-sounding things that mystics or Zen teachers say, about cosmic oneness or the flow of the Dao, are actually just straightforward descriptions of what the world looks like from a certain point in the contemplative path. “The original face you had before your parents were born” is a phrase that will make perfect, undeniable,... See more

Who Am I?

Look deep into the recesses of your being, and identify everything you think makes you, you.

Traverse all your mind’s pathways, and locate every desire and thought. Summon every opinion and belief, every interest and passion, and interrogate each and every one, relentlessly.

Ask them where they came from, and who planted them. Ask them if... See more

There’s a pervasive idea, at least among my peers, that [your 30s] should bring about a sense of calm and self-acceptance. We may have dispensed with the precepts surrounding marriage and kids, but there remains a non-specific expectation of “settling in.” Into yourself, into what you want. I took great comfort in this idea when I was in my 20s. I ... See more