Tomorrow I will be attending a conference on learning. The name of the conference is the “IT Conference.” It means the, “Innovative Teaching Conference.” I’m sure there will be lots of innovators there. I’m going there to listen and learn. That will be my focus to keep an open mind. Learning requires an open mind. … Read more
It is not hard to live through a day, if you can live through a moment. What creates despair is the imagination, which pretends there is a future, and insists on predicting millions of moments, thousands of days, and so drains you that you cannot live the moment at hand. –Andre Dubus, “A Father’s Story,” … Read more
Tonight after arriving home and exiting my car I looked up. The night sky was clear and glistened with stars, a quarter moon and at least one aircraft moving slowly with blinky lights from south to north. Tonight is one of those nights that invites us to be still and look not just at the … Read more
I was looking at LearnHub.com and I came upon this wonderful presentation by John Kabat-Zinn. I hope you’ll take the time to view it and to wonder why we are aren’t teaching mindfulness in our classrooms. I have a link to Mindfulness in Education in my blogroll, but this is an invitation to mindfulness and … Read more
I remember when I used to look for all I could read about meditation. Imagine writing a book about Zen. Zen seems to be the antithesis of definition. When this quote came in today’s mail, it struck a chord with me. Contemplation cannot be taught. It cannot even be clearly explained. It can only be … Read more
This quote came in today’s mail and it really resonates for me. Being present does not mean getting rid of emotions in order to stay calm. It is the ability to stay calm within the emotional world we inhabit. Emotions have real value. At the same time, we can avoid falling prey to their traps. … Read more
To say that one practices zazen in order to become an enlightened person is like saying one practices medicine to become a doctor. To practice medicine is to be a doctor. To practice zazen is to be enlightened. Enlightenment is not a static state of achievement; it is the active undertaking of the way exemplified … Read more
We are always at the beginning. It is always the very first time. Truly, there are no repetitions. When I play the piano, I often come to a repeat sign. Can that passage be repeated? If I am teaching a piano student and we see a repeat sign, I tell the student that there are … Read more
