What does it really mean to be humble?Many of us confuse humility with low self-esteem, making ourselves smaller, or putting everyone else first. But perhaps true humility is something entirely…
As human beings living in samsara, we have all experienced abandonment, betrayal, injustice, pain, disappointment, hurt, frustration... the list goes on. Our first response is often to protest. We blame,…
For much of our lives, we feel that life is happening to us. We struggle against what we don't want, chase what we think we need, and search for meaning in everything…
I still remember meeting my first Sangha. It was a very small group, and I imagined everyone there was far more advanced than I was—perhaps even close to enlightenment. Then…
What makes a spiritual friendship different from an ordinary friendship?In this episode of The Empty Cup, we explore the rare and precious companions who walk beside us on the path. The…
We often imagine exile as being far away from home. A foreign country. A distant shore. A place where we do not belong. But perhaps the most common exile is…
When you think, there is distance. You stand slightly apart from life, observing it from the safety of the shore. You touch things through the fabric of ideas. You analyse,…
A friend of mine, a Franciscan monk, once told me that he did not believe anyone could be inspired to follow a spiritual path through a book alone. According to…
This new episode of The Empty Cup explores the definition that has been very helpful to me over the years. I once heard Mindrolling Khandro Rinpoche define devotion as "gratitude…
True spiritual friends are rare. The ones who support you without taking sides — even yours. The ones who can see your vulnerabilities without turning them into weapons when things…