The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully

I do see that each wave is completely unique. No two waves are the same. They come into form dependent on many differing conditions, live for a while, and express a distinctive beauty before they disappear, thrown up on the beach before flowing back out to sea. Each wave is distinct, yet not separate. All are part of the same ocean. The ocean is on

The philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote, “I have often said that the sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.”

“You are as amazing as the blue sky above us. Your emotions are like the clouds passing through the sky. This story of unrequited love is just another passing show. Like clouds, emotions can be powerful and painful. Sometimes they appear big enough to block out the sun. But it’s only temporary. Don’t be fooled.”

Forgiveness asks us to move closer to our suffering, and, in so doing, discover a larger, more compassionate part of ourselves that can touch our wounds with kindness and understanding.

Not long after bringing her demented mother home to live with her, Gillian walked into the living room to find her beloved books, including sacred Buddhist texts, scattered across the floor. Her mother announced, “I’m tired of all these dusty old books. I’m going to give them to my dentist.” Gillian was momentarily trapped by her anger. She scolded

When we release our clinging to what used to be and our craving for what we think should be, we are free to embrace the truth of what is in this moment.

Our brains are not computer hard drives. Human memory is not a simple matter of “accurate data in, accurate data out.” It is a far more complicated, subtle, and beautiful process.

Loving and letting go are inseparable. You can’t love and cling at the same time. Too often we mistake attachment for love. In Buddhism, loving kindness, or metta, is considered a sublime state of being. A heavenly realm. It’s expansive, allowing, caring, and connective. Attachment masquerades as love. It

It’s confusing to be around people who are confused. Their apparent irrationality and the absence of customary social patterns disturb us. We expect people to make sense. We are so strongly identified with our rational-thinking minds that the idea of losing control is frightening to most of us.

“Helping, fixing, and serving represent three different ways of seeing life. When you help, you see life as weak. When you fix, you see life as broken. When you serve, you see life as whole. Fixing and helping may be the work of the ego, and service the work of the soul.”