Certain topics seem off-limits in Zen, like: What's the goal of meditation? How do I get better at it? What is everyone else experiencing when they sit? I spoke at the New Paltz Zen Center about getting stuck at a plateau in meditation skill, and about Zen communities' reluctance to discuss peak experiences, progress, and goals. Here's a written version: https://emptysqua.re/blog/speak-up-if-youre-stuck-in-a-zazen-rut/

I look in the Bhagavad Gita and the life of radical abolitionist Benjamin Lay for examples: how do we live in stressful times, and how do we act when there are no good options?

Which animals are sentient, and how can we liberate them from suffering? I review the philosopher Jonathan Birch's book "The Edge of Sentience" and shares good news about humanity's moral progress regarding animal welfare.

This is a dharma talk I gave at the Village Zendo December 12, 2024, about my mother's brain surgery and end-of-life decisions. Here's the video and a transcript.

You can find yourself in a critical situation without warning. Is Zen practice preparing you?

Here's a dharma talk I gave to the Village Zendo on September 5, 2024, about the classic koan, "Nansen kills the cat."

Video and transcript here.

Bodhisattvas smile, though they hear the suffering cries of the world. You should smile too! A Zen talk I gave against doomerism.

Rich countries and drug firms act selfishly the COVID pandemic. Selfishness is natural, but we can strengthen our universal goodwill through training.

The United States as we know it will someday come to an end. It's shocking to see how vulnerable our democracy is, but as Buddhists we aren't surprised: Buddha told us that nothing lasts, and we can't rely on anything except the truth revealed by our own practice. A talk at the Village Zendo, November 8, 2020.

Buddhists must respond to the current political crisis, just as abolitionists like Frederick Douglass did in the 19th Century. A talk at the Village Zendo, September 3, 2020.

Our leaders are plainly untrustworthy. And when we hear about toilet paper hoarders, or protestors storming the Michigan governor's office, or covidiots crowding together on beaches, we stop trusting each other, too. But there is someone we can trust. Listen to find out.