Written by David Nichtern

When asked how we could possibly find time for our meditation practice in the midst of our oh-so-busy lives, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche used to respond (in his best...

Written by David Nichtern

Sometimes I wonder if religion would exist at all if it didnt address the most daunting fact that we human beings are faced with: that we are going to die and that...

Written by David Nichtern

You’re sitting on the F train between a woman with too much perfume and a man with too little deodorant. Nearby, a baby wails an orchestral symphony of tears....

Written by David Nichtern

For some of us, meditation may feel like an extension of the “me” culture in which it’s all about me, myself, my mind, and my body. But what about the...

Written by David Nichtern

The essence of Buddhism, I think most Buddhists would agree, is to cultivate awareness and compassion and to explore our existence in an open and unbiased way. In some...

Written by David Nichtern

In the old days in Japan, a spiritual aspirant would kneel in the snow at the gates of the monastery for several days before either gaining entrance or being turned away.

Written by David Nichtern

I’m a Buddhist and as a Buddhist, I am trying to follow the Buddha’s example of an “awakened being” — but what does that really mean?

When we...

Written by David Nichtern

A few years ago I completed a 12-day silent meditation retreat at Karme Choling, Shambhala International’s Buddhist Meditation Center in Vermont. Literally, as soon...

Written by David Nichtern

Seven years ago I was swimming in a lake in Tuscany. Nearby a small boy appeared to need help getting into his little boat — naturally I gave him a hand and he...