I was still a child when I first felt the tug toward renunciation—though I didn’t have the full language for it then. I had already encountered Buddhism, just enough to sense that life is shaped by causes and conditions, by samsara’s looping patterns, and by the quiet power of choosing differently. Something in me understood—instinctively—thatContinue reading “My Renunciation at Christmas Time”
Category Archives: REFLECTIONS
Giving Thanks to a Departure Marked by Quiet Gratitude
The Pause Before a Threshold There are mornings when the world seems to pause just long enough to remind us what matters. The air is quiet, the light soft, and even familiar paths feel charged with possibility. My last day at Gyuto Monastery was one of those mornings. It was not an ending, but aContinue reading “Giving Thanks to a Departure Marked by Quiet Gratitude”
How to Find Warmth in the First Snow
Outside, snow falls steadily, folding the world into white. Sound softens, muffled by trees and rooftops. Frost gathers on branches and windowsills, bending the light into subtle patterns. Each breath carries a quiet stillness, a gentle weight in the chest that draws attention inward. The first snow offers a pause, a threshold between what hasContinue reading “How to Find Warmth in the First Snow”
The Play of Illusions in Global Leadership and Our Collective Life
We live in a moment when our world is not only asking to survive, but quietly—and sometimes urgently—hoping to flourish. In such times, the subtle play of illusion that moves through our collective life becomes easier to notice. It is not as something “out there.” It does not belong to a particular group of leaders.Continue reading “The Play of Illusions in Global Leadership and Our Collective Life”
Mindful Living: The Way to Experiencing Wisdom in Your Daily Life
Seeing the Strength in Your Shortcomings Since deepening my practice, I’ve noticed certain qualities arise and recede within experience. Buddhism describes these through the five Buddha families. Anger, attachment, pride, confusion, and jealousy are not mistakes to be erased. They are signposts pointing toward clarity, openness, confidence, insight, and appreciation. The so-called “shortcomings” and hiddenContinue reading “Mindful Living: The Way to Experiencing Wisdom in Your Daily Life”
Expanding Our Circles of Loving-Kindness in a World of Cries
Loving-Kindness in a World That Feels Too Restricted Love is rarely as simple as we might want it to be. It arrives quietly, insistently, sometimes in forms we do not recognize. We celebrate romance, cherish those closest to us, and yet often glance past the vast, unfolding field of beings who share this world withContinue reading “Expanding Our Circles of Loving-Kindness in a World of Cries”
Brytningstid: Embracing Change and Letting Go with Autumn’s Grace
There’s a hush that arrives before the leaves surrender their green. A pause so small it’s almost imaginary—like the breath before someone speaks a truth they’ve kept hidden for too long. The sun’s angle grows tender, the shadows lengthen and hesitate. This threshold between seasons—what in Swedish we call brytningstid—is not a clean cut butContinue reading “Brytningstid: Embracing Change and Letting Go with Autumn’s Grace”
What does Buddhism Say About Love, Trust, and Partnership?
In Buddhism, love is not an object you stumble upon, clutch tightly, and fear losing. It is not a trophy for the fortunate, nor a prize for the deserving. Love is metta—loving kindness—an essence already present within every living being, though often buried beneath layers of fear, desire, and misunderstanding. When the Buddha spoke ofContinue reading “What does Buddhism Say About Love, Trust, and Partnership?”
Devotion to the Buddhist Path: Reflections from an X-Nun’s Life
To become a Buddhist nun—or monk—is to step into a life that unravels everything familiar. It is not a change of clothes but a vow that shapes every detail of existence. Before I was ordained, I sought the guidance of several masters. Two questions followed me everywhere: Where are you going to live? and HowContinue reading “Devotion to the Buddhist Path: Reflections from an X-Nun’s Life”
Three Gentle Shifts Toward a Buddhist-Inspired Lifestyle
I didn’t stumble into Buddhism after a crisis or dramatic life event.There was no breaking point, no overnight awakening. I was a teenager—already drawn to the philosophical and contemplative—and Buddhism felt like a language I somehow already understood. Not in its rituals or cultural expressions at first, but in its view of mind, of suffering,Continue reading “Three Gentle Shifts Toward a Buddhist-Inspired Lifestyle”
Lama Chimey 