Author Archives: Jeff

Becoming a Collector

Posted on April 5, 2014 by Jeff

In preparation for yet another move, I finally bit the bullet, boxed up my records and stereo equipment that have not been used in years and found a place to sell them to. The first steps were easy: catalog the … Continue reading →

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When Things Go Wrong with You

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Jeff

As the line from the old blues song puts it, \”When things go wrong with you, it hurts me too.\” This is the original meaning of compassion—to suffer with. Or as Bill Clinton put it, \”I feel your pain.\” Most … Continue reading →

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Your Brain at Work

Posted on March 18, 2014 by Jeff

What I bought Your Brain at Work for is summed up in the subtitle, “Strategies for overcoming distraction, regaining focus, and working smarter all day long.” What I found it most useful for was meditation.It describes the neuro-chemistry and biology … Continue reading →

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Teaching Challenges I

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Jeff

Part of my job as a teacher is to challenge students to help them develop. To do that, the challenge needs to be both reachable and a stretch. The usual way to do that is to put obstacles in their … Continue reading →

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Power to the (Lay) People

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Jeff

In 21st Century America, meditation is almost synonymous with Buddhist practice for both monastics and lay people. It wasn\’t always that way. And still isn\’t in much of the Buddhist world. Meditation en Masse in Tricycle magazine tells the reaction … Continue reading →

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Send Out the Teddy Bear with a Full Tank

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Jeff

Teddy Bears act as reservoirs of love for us all. When giving one to someone, hug it and talk to it before you send it on its way. It needs to arrive full.

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Calling

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Jeff

Confronted by my messy room, my mother would say, \”What if the Queen should come?\” The Queen has the grace to call ahead. But God doesn\’t schedule appointments, God just comes. And will I have time \’n room in my … Continue reading →

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Not the Brightest Match in the Box

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Jeff

What does this mean? That the speaker tripped over a Freudian slip or just mixed metaphors? The brightest match in the box is the one about to burn out. Or if it\’s still the box, light the whole box on fire. … Continue reading →

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Remembering Beginner\’s Mind

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Jeff

”In the beginner\’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert\’s mind there are few. — Shunry? Suzuki Roshi   The above quote has always bothered me. My immediate reaction is, “You need some better experts.” There is an anti-intellectual … Continue reading →

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Be Here Now

Posted on December 19, 2013 by Jeff

A friend told me of a conversation with a doctor in her 50s who complained about her memory going. She couldn\’t remember clients\’ answers to intake questions. The friend asked what was she doing while the client answered. The doctor … Continue reading →

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