Awareness has more to do with the quality of attention we bring to something rather than what we give our attention to. It’s not so much...

orange moon sailed-off before i came to the river to watch the boats light begins to turn time to prepare for fall love of summer your glitters down to the sea you go Jisei, or death poem, is a genre of poetry established since the early days of Zen where the author, usually a monk or practitioner, would offer their reflection on death when the encounter with it seemed imminent but more broadly would express an understanding or worldview informed by Buddhist teachings; a sent

a report from a week of silent sitting ____________________________________ the deeper silence reaches within, the lesser your...

I rainy season sheets of water freely traveling illusion of you are going anywhere accompanying you wherever you go adds embellishment to...

The 8-day silent retreat in July 2023 was my second through Maitri Retreats – I also attended in July 2022 with Hamid. This time, I had...

There is a Zen expression: shoshaku jushaku that is rendered in English as; to succeed wrong with wrong or, one continuous mistake. In...

I have attended Hamid's retreats twice : last year for an 8d retreat in Portugal and this year for a 4d retreat in Bali. Trying to...

What arises from silence is GRATITUDE. I feel blessed and privileged to have experienced such an expansive feeling throughout the...

hua hin, july 2023 carnet de voyage _____________________ seasons of rain sheets of water freely traveling anywhere the illusion of...

" learn to take the backward step that turns the light and shines it inwards. " it's with these words that master dogen speaks about the...

This was to be my second meditation retreat with Hamid, and my first time ever in Bali. The excitement that comes with discovering a new...

For a period of time, the March 2023 silent retreat in Bali was not going to happen for me. Due to passport issues, my partner and I got...

in whatever state the old buddha’s mind i’ve always been here sitting in the palm of his hand heart a silent flooding of grieving and love

the ultimate path is not difficult just avoid picking and choosing seng t'san - hsin hsin ming circa 6th century...

poem written about twenty years ago. it evokes meeting my teacher zen master ryotan tokuda a few years before. over a period of time i...

in the end it is in silence that we have our questions answered for it is in silence that all our questions come to dissolve. the one who...

Hello dear reader! Please allow me to pass along some thoughts based on my attendance at the 8 day silent retreat in Monchique. As a 37...

Immersion in silence and stillness in the company of others during a meditation retreat can be a profound and potentially...

I arrive at The Yogi’s Garden in Payangan, Bali, with a small red suitcase. But I’m also carrying another burden, one that’s harder to...

not time enough to practice the teachings many maybe just enough to unwrap a gift or two what are they the teachings windblown words in...