Insight and Energy

05/25/2026

I would like to share with you my appreciation of a William Carlos Williams poem, "The Red Wheelbarrow".

But I will also share a small glimpse into the life I sometimes live in the Zen world, which is actually everywhere, but which is my special focus when I am at the Zen Mountain Monastery in Mt. Tremper, near Woodstock, NY.

Here is the William Carlos Williams poem:

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens

******************

It requires a certain receptiveness to get what the poem is saying.

The simple imagery, and even the arrangement of the words and the white spaces between pairs of lines, all contributes to an experience that is the real poem behind the poem.

It is, for me, an American version of the Japanese haiku concept.

*** 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://insightandenergy.simplero.com/page/210705 ***

So much depends on this very moment. It is even true for not just a red wheelbarrow, but also for a gray-brown wheelbarrow, next to some freshly growing plants. It has been there for two weeks, sitting patiently.

When the mind slows down and stops worrying where the next distraction, pleasure, or worry will come from, the world is amazing, as it is. Can we appreciate these moments, hours, and days?

For the last eight years, I have spent many mornings and evenings at the Zen Mountain Monastery in Mt. Tremper, near Woodstock, meditating and sharing in the community. I go back to Long Island for long weekends, and then return upstate.

Before that, for 40 years I have been in other practice communities, mostly in New York City.

What does this add up to? There is a "peace that passes all understanding" infusing not only this harmonious place, but everywhere.

It is all in the Mind! It is a peace not from avoidance of stress, but a peace that is a fundamental aspect of our human nature, and it is always present.

And beyond that is a realization that even the idea of "peace" cannot be held onto.

The idea of "peace" limits the true and ultimate freedom of our mind which we know when the mind is not stuck on any one thing.

Let's talk about all this: Zen and most important, what life can be.

We will be meeting online on Saturday May 30th from 11am to 1pm ET, for Zen and Buddhism 101: Finding the Source. You can read more and register here: https://smpl.ro/zen-intro-fb.

05/09/2026

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙕𝙚𝙣, 𝙉𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙮 𝙔𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙋𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙏𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙈𝙚 𝘼𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙋𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 (𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡) 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙩

Many people in this country are struggling to pay bills let alone to thrive. In addition, the strong disagreement of belief systems in politics, science, and health issues creates a background of conflict that can make it harder to progress in solving our problems together, as a unified society. And the conflict adds to everyone’s stress.

So what to do? 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 (if you were going to do so), let’s talk.

Being positive in our perception and behavior towards other people makes life better. May I share with you how I see that applying, in quite a practical way, to things that are going on in the United States?

𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗿𝗲:
1) it is easy to find individuals or groups to blame for any problem.
2) attaching blame does not fix problems, while exploring to understand causes can be helpful.

What I see online, and hear occasionally from people around me, is that “the others” are idiots, or are ignorant, or are intentionally destructive or even evil. Seeing that kind of sentiment expressed makes me wish that we could all see a better way.

If you stop thinking about “the others” as idiots, crazy, or evil, you can start to realize that is 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻!

I offer a different way to perceive and understand what is going on that is more real, and more helpful.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲: https://www.insightandenergy.com/sosfasp

04/14/2026

How do you find peace of mind along with meaningful engagement? Join me in these interactive sessions (LINK IS IN THE COMMENTS) to explore communication, Zen, and understanding of today's society and how we shape the world we are in.

04/08/2026

Read more (and sign up): https://smpl.ro/nvc-intro-fb

How would you like all of your relationships and connections to be more joyful, more authentic, and less stressful?

Find out about the wonderful approach called Nonviolent Communication. On Saturday, May 2nd from 11am to 1pm ET, we will be having an interactive webinar that is both experiential and informative. You are very invited.

I am a licensed psychotherapist who has studied communication, especially Nonviolent Communication (NVC). I use that approach when helpful with couples, and want to share it with you. The fee for attending is $25 for a two-hour interactive online session.

11/04/2025

We voted. Recommended for everyone.

05/17/2025

You can still join this event (11am ET) if you are you interested in developing more peace, clarity, and energy in your life. Or have you ever been curious about what Zen REALLY is? Read more and sign up here: https://smpl.ro/zenintrofb. The webinar is free and interactive.

Zen and Buddhism are the study of our human nature, and not concerned with mysteries or forces outside of ourselves. Find out more, if you are interested. I would love to see you in our meeting!

04/01/2025

See the free online events that are coming up: http://smpl.ro/offersfb

The current announced offerings are:
* Modern Zen and Buddhism 101
* Karma and Finding Your Liberated Mind

Join our events and check out our other offers. Get access to resources that will give you insight and energy to experience a better life.

03/24/2025

When feeling joyful, practice gratitude. When feeling pain, practice compassion.

This will help each of us expand beyond the limitations of the small mind. Finally we can realize that the small mind is the expression in this moment of our immense capacity as human beings, like beautiful waves on the ocean.

02/20/2025

The world is struggling to find peace and meaning. That has been going on since humanity appeared, and maybe even before that. Sometimes that struggle for peace and meaning is expressed by aggression, or withdrawal, or addictive behavior, or other unhelpful approaches.

These negative behaviors are intended to achieve a goal i.e. to make life better: 𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 often wants to force what is “right” and protect one's interests, but cannot achieve that because others will resent and resist; 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗹 is usually intended to accomplish being free of conflict, but cannot fully achieve that because the conflict has its root in our own minds; 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘀 (substance abuse, workaholism, gambling, sexual or eating excesses, and so on) are intended to distract from painful isolation and confusion, but the distraction can only last relatively briefly and often in the end makes the isolation and confusion worse.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲?

So, where can we find peace, meaning, and rewarding connection with others? I believe that what we refer to as “home” is really pointing to some positive experience, not to a physical structure such as a house or apartment. Our true home is compassion, kindness, joyfulness, and peace. And these are aspects of a truly liberated mind and body.

A house or any place of residence can act as a home, but what that really depends on is the heartfelt connections of the people in that place, and the caring and wise life that those people are living. Every residence is not necessarily a home, and some people never find a home where they can experience the joys of a peaceful and truly meaningful life.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE: https://smpl.ro/articlefb

01/19/2025

In this video, briefly introduced by Ethical Humanist Society of LI Leader Richard Koral, I speak on 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁, 𝗔 𝗡𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵. Whatever is going on around us, we can ideally stay centered and not get triggered by the attitudes, words, and actions of others. Even though that is hard to do at times, as we practice this our capacity becomes bigger and stronger. To find out more, join online interactive events here: https://smpl.ro/offersfb