When Bankei was preaching at Ryumon temple, a Shinshu priest, who believed in salvation through the repetition of the name of the Buddha of Love, was jealous of his large audience and wanted to debate with him. Bankei was in the midst of talk when the priest appeared, but the fellow made such a disturbance […]
New Mind for the New Year: Reclaiming Our Scattered Attention Read More »
Mindfulness has enjoyed a stellar career in the last 30 years. Rooted in Buddhist meditation, mindfulness is now widely practiced in schools, hospitals, companies, and therapy offices across North America. This blooming popularity stems from its reputation as a portal to inner stillness, a balm that soothes the stress of modern life. Scientists have gathered compelling evidence that
The Misuses of Mindfulness Read More »
People come to counselling because they are hurting. Something has gone awry. A relationship ends, a career stalls, health declines. Clients come in search of healing and repair in the throes of adversity. Counselling therapy can be helpful as we navigate the difficult passages of life. However, if therapy is only for times when things
Living a Beautiful Life: Habits for Mental Health Read More »
I am standing by the harbour, peering past the sailboats and skycrapers into the mountains in the distance. A bar of sunlight lifts the hillside, cold and deep. Clouds curl into flakes and break over waters glistening with the starkness of light. The nip of winter air, sharp and bristling. Black mountaintops dotted with snow. The city
Nature and Mental Health: The Call to Come Home Read More »
Every meditator experiences ebbs and flows in practice. There are times when awareness arrests us, engulfing us in crystalline stillness. Other times we brace against squalls of the anxiety. Sometimes our discipline is sharp and square; we practice without waver. Other times we are reluctant to drag ourselves to the sitting cushion, depleted by the
Can’t Sit Still? What To Do With Restlessness in Meditation Read More »
Through his analysis of personality and psychic development, honed over many years of practice, Alfred Adler proposed the notion of the fictive final goal as the organizing principle at the core of personhood. The fictive final goal is a vision of completion, the ultimate end that holds the aim of all striving; it is the
Meditation and the Fictive Final Goal Read More »
“I am human, and therefore nothing human can be foreign to me.” This quote from Terence, ancient Roman poet and playwright, crystalizes the unity of human experience. In a world of diversity and intersectionality, to ponder universality is to tread on dangerous ground. One cannot easily generalize personal experience, and there are many lived
When I Practice, I Practice for All Read More »
Aristotle once made a distinction between five forms of knowing: Phronesis (practical knowledge), episteme(knowledge), sophia (wisdom), techne (skill), and logos (reason). Phronesis is expertise forged by experience, the authority of a subject earned through practice. Episteme, on the other hand, is declarative knowledge generated through research and study. The challenge of shaping a life lies
The Hardest Part of Practice: Practicing! Read More »
The mindfulness movement has gained significant momentum in recent decades. There is now widespread interest in mindfulness techniques and practices in the promotion of mental health. Many educators and health-care professionals see mindfulness—a suite of techniques that harness attention and awareness—as a way to manage stress and anxiety. The utilization of this technique as a
Three Analogies for Mindfulness Read More »
Today, my doctoral supervisor asked me: “what is the purpose of contemplative practice in the midst of this pandemic?” I answered: “To help us remain upright amidst great disruption.” Later, I reviewed this extemporaneous reply and decided that it could use some elaboration. In this blog post, I consider what contemplative practice offers in trying times, how awareness
Contemplation. . . Tonic or Placebo? Read More »
David Chang Counselling is gratefully located on the territories of the the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. David supports and celebrates diversity in race, gender, sexual orientation, language, culture, and neurological composition.
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