Some days it takes effort to believe in humanity. Every time I read the news, I am confronted with abuse of power, corruption, cruelty, disrespect, and people boasting about their loss of moral compass. It can feel as if the worst voices are the loudest. As if the world is spinning out of control and sending us into darkness. Like playing chess without a board, with no idea what the rules are and anything can happen. And yet. When I watch a father cradling his sleepy child in

The new year is about a beginning. A fresh start and a new chance to renew old and failed resolutions. Will we be able to do things differently this year? Can we keep our New Year’s resolution and lose those kilos, quit smoking, eat healthier, exercise more, stress less, meditate more? Just thinking about another New Year’s resolution feels disheartening to me. There seems to be no kindness or flexibility in a resolution. It is too resolute. It is more like a demand to myself

The autumn light was fading as I walked behind a row of apartment blocks. The air was cool and quiet, only the sound of my own footsteps. An older man approached from the other side with clothes worn, face tired, hair and beard unkempt. My first thought was: “Am I safe?” My body tightened. I quickened my pace and avoided eye-contact. As he passed, something in me softened. The fear dissolved and a different thought surfaced: “Is he lonely? Is he okay? Does anyone care for him

Last night there was frost in parts of the Netherlands. Very unusual for August, and a clear reminder that nature does not care about our...

The other day, we were driving from our group retreat in the mountains of Spain to our apartment at the beach. It was a winding road on a...

On a walk in the park the other day, I noticed a duck floating on its back in the water, lifeless. I stopped in wonder. What had...

As we try to navigate the ups and downs in life, the world around us is constantly changing. Taking a moment to reflect on political and...

Acceptance is like that doctor’s advice to “get more exercise”, it sounds healthy and sensible, but it's in the actual doing that the...

There’s an image my old Buddhist teacher once shared that has stayed with me. He compared the wandering mind in meditation to a dove...