Always News Goin' On!
Always News Goin' On!

These days, people often talk about their addiction to their smart phones, and their continuous need to check the internet to try to make sense of the weirdness we often call “the news.” I sometimes experience it as an act of rebellion against my susceptibility to excitement and despair, when I go up into my shrine room and close the door behind me. It turns out, there is a lot of subtle, riveting, and profound news going on all the time.

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Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel
Small but Mighty
Small but Mighty

I was out on a walk early this morning, admiring the late summer blooms. This year we had more rain than usual. It has been wet. But even in our greenest moments, the plants that grow here are small iterations of what they may have grown to in a lush or even moderate climate. The existence of these small plants give us high desert dwellers something to boast about.

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Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel
These Dark Times
These Dark Times

In “ These Dark Times”, Elizabeth explores the process of finding courage in the face of adversity. “It is only through looking life squarely in the face,” she says, “that we find liberation.” She reminds us that this world we try so desperately to secure, doesn’t ultimately lend itself to trustworthiness, and that, our relentless attempt to secure this world, defines samsara. Elizabeth suggests that there is another way of being in life that is empowered and courageous. However that approach, ironically, relies upon our ability to accept the frailty and poignancy of being human.

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Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel
New Year's Greetings!
New Year's Greetings!

Every year we celebrate Tibetan New Year (Losar). Today, February 24th, begins the year of the iron mouse. May this New Year usher in robust health and boundless joy!

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Jennifer Kern
Olà!
Olà!

In the fall of 2019 I was graciously invited to Ibiraquera, SC, Brazil, to teach at the Paz & Mente (Peace and Mind) Institute, a Brazilian interdisciplinary postgraduate program dedicated to Conflict Transformation and Peace Studies. This program draws a diverse group of peace educators from all over Brazil, and includes psychiatrists, social workers, judges, and lawyers. 

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Jennifer KernBrazil
Let’s Do Something Different!
Let’s Do Something Different!

I’ve been reflecting a lot lately about how crucial it is to identify where we have “agency” in our lives, and why we sometimes forfeit our agency either knowingly or unknowingly to make choices that don’t support our own or other’s wellbeing. By “agency” I am referring to our ability to make sane and conscious choices that allow us to bring our actions together with our intention to lead a sane and healthy life.

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Jennifer Kern
The Liberating Art of Making Aspirations and Prayers
The Liberating Art of Making Aspirations and Prayers

The word “aspiration” means to dream, to wish, to consider. When we make an aspiration we set ourselves in motion in the direction of our intentions.  It’s like riding a bicycle--wherever we gaze, the bike tends to steer in that direction. Like that, by consciously making an aspiration we steer our life and efforts in the direction of our dreams, our wishes; in other words, our aspirations help us bring our actions and our deepest intentions into harmony.

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Jennifer Kern
The Mark of Non-Creating
The Mark of Non-Creating

The first practice instruction Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche ever gave to me was: “Don’t create.” He told me, “Leave your mind in its natural state—don’t do anything. When thoughts and sensations arise, just let them arise. When they fall away, just let them fall away. Don’t try to manipulate them.” Then he went to Tibet for six months. 

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Jennifer Kern
The F Word
The F Word

This entire book hinges on the word faith. You may assume that you know what that means. You may think that it has a single, clear definition. But words are not definitive structures: one word can have limitless—even opposing—meanings. Language morphs over time and words take on different meanings depending on their contexts. You’ll likely find as many definitions of faith as there are people to define it. Try asking around.

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Jennifer Kern