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We are capable of experiencing multiple realities in a human body—but always through the filter of our sensory apparatus, our minds, and our emotions. There is no objectively transparent apprehension of any of these multiple realities. Everyday reality, defined by the shaman/anthropologist Michael Harner as “ordinary reality,” is highly filtered because our sensory apparatus, minds, […]

In previous blogs I have discussed the differences between Tantra and orthodox Hindu and Buddhist meditation systems. Suffice to say here, that in general Tantra is a more creative and flexible than doctrinaire practices, to the extent that the adept is guided by the connection to energies beyond the little self rather than formulaic repetitions of technique […]

Our formal sitting practice consists of two basic elements: Resting in the spacious awareness of the Void Body Recognizing that we have dropped out of this awareness and returning to it Recognizing that we are lost in the conceptual mind and emotions—and no longer anchored in awareness—is mindfulness. We are no longer present to what […]

In this blog, I want to revisit and expand working with fear and anxiety, and any other variety of pain. This may be especially relevant given the present difficult circumstances many of you are experiencing now. Let’s begin with some definitions. Fear is usually triggered by a specific situation while anxiety often does not appear […]

With this blog on love, I’m revisiting a talk I gave about ten years ago to my Kundalini students then, and making some changes and additions. Needless to say, love is a vast subject in prose and poetry, so it is hard to know where to begin, but I think would be helpful to start […]

Imagined or real, inner or outer, demons are entities that cause emotional, physical and mental distress, as well as being obstacles to spiritual growth. However unpleasant, encounters with our demons can also be marvelous occasions for deep inner work. As you may have noticed during the current pandemic, demons are magnified in difficult times. Fear, anxiety, anger, sadness, […]

In the Shri Yantra diagram, once the Tantrika goes beyond the gates of the conceptual mind, he or she arrives at the lotus petals signifying the opening of the chakras. In our practice, this is accomplished with the single- or double -breathing method. Moving further into the Shri Yantra diagram, the Tantrika encounters the six interpenetrating […]

At Kaz Tanahashi’s workshop, Brush Mind, at Tassajara, I was asked to select, read and comment on a passage from theShobogenzo,the collected writings of the great 13thcentury Japanese Zen Master Dogen. Here is the passage: “Mazu was engaged in the continuous practice of zazen [formal sitting practice] for more than a decade. Ponder his sitting […]

No. 1 Try thinking of something that does not exist. This will stop thoughts, but only for a short while,  because you can’t stop your mind with your mind. To arrive at momentary flashes in the field of awareness, you have to go deeper into the physical, subtle and Void bodies before thoughts become attenuated and spaced out. […]

Shifting out of the conceptual mind/emotional channel in the initial stages of practice–whether in formal meditation, as part of daily mindfulness and relaxation practice, or even as way of getting to sleep–is the topic for the next several blogs. Before I introduce Method 1, I want to discuss the Shri Yantra diagram, my favorite illustration of the stages of Tantric work. […]