Author Archives: Tom

Some of us need to be backed up against the wall by one of life’s painful situations before we remember the Twelve Steps. But too often, when we are in pain, we may leap into the inventory process, writing furiously and hoping for promised relie… Continue reading →

These two words can be recalled by most; we’ve been hearing them from the time we could understand language. Reflecting back to early childhood and throughout schooldays, this spoken phrase stands out, and is also a favorite of the military, the … Continue reading →

Like the pursuit of education in any other sphere, my spiritual education has included many different classes and teachers. The apparent difference is that there will be no graduation day; the call for continuing education credits is ceaseless.
The way… Continue reading →

We experience thousands of uninvited thoughts per minute, accompanied by their sidekicks: emotions. Many people move through life in a state of feeling overwhelmed by these emotions, as if it’s an avalanche that is pouring over them. They beco… Continue reading →

Each morning, sitting upon my meditation cushion, I’m greeted by a sign that reads: Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God. The quest for joy and happiness is natural; we have just looked in all the wrong places.
My book The Mind… Continue reading →

A commonly asked question from people who are beginning meditation is, “how do I stop my thoughts?” My answer is you don’t, just simply observe and don’t ”attach.” The purpose of meditation is to bring us t… Continue reading →

Television shows are inundated with advertisements promoting some new drug or other to combat an illness of the body or mind, showing people waltzing through green fields with their new lease on life because of a magic pill. These ads are followed by t… Continue reading →

Metta means the practice of sending loving kindness to oneself and others. It teaches us a deep compassion for life. Being mindful of loving kindness can promote forgiveness to those it is directed towards. In the teachings of The Buddha, metta is a fo… Continue reading →

Just as entering the twelve-step arena can ruin the “enjoyment” of using, practicing mindfulness meditation can ruin living in the past or the future. The daily practice of Step Eleven can eventually become our most important … Continue reading →

Chop wood, carry water. What is the sound of one hand clapping? The sought-after experience of enlightenment among seekers is at times considered out of reach, privileged only to the sages of the far East.
In my early studies I assumed that only years … Continue reading →