Having been a Buddhist meditator for nearly 30 years, I have acquired a lot of what are called “skillful means”—techniques that can improve our lives—and resources for healing and growth.

The last of the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha’s fundamental teaching, is the Eightfold Path. It’s not a linear path we follow step by step, but rather a comprehensive, lifelong practice that can help us achieve liberation from suffering and bring us into joy, gratitude, peace, and ease.

Rebecca Hines shared the following parable in class this week: A Zen monk asked his students, If you’re carrying a cup of coffee and someone bumps into you, why did you spill the coffee? 

This is such a beautiful forgiveness practice!

A Hawaiian practice for forgiveness or reconciliation, it works outside the bounds of imagination or understanding, in a realm of love and illumination.

Why is forgiveness so hard? When it’s so important and so healing to forgive? 

This is another beautiful healing practice we can do daily, or as needed.