Roshi Bernie Glassman spoke often of his close spiritual friendship with Rabbi Zalman Schachter Shalomi, founder of the Jewish Renewal movement. Tikkun olam, Hebrew for ‘repairing the world’ could also be understood, according to Bernie, as ‘healing’ or ‘peacemaking.’ God had sent his light into the world in vessels which shattered as they went from refined realms to the grosser, earthier ones. Sparks of light were scattered, trapped in a universe of suffering. According to t

If only we could hear that voice. Call it the voice of the Universe, if you like. Call it “the voice of God.” Are we listening? That’s the question. On a Street Retreat with Roshi Bernie, we had dinner one night with the homeless at the Bowery Mission. We met one of the senior staff there and he told us his story. He himself had been homeless. He slept on the subways in the days before the city put the arm rests between seats to keep the homeless from lying down. Nobody bot

I like to be able to fit things together in a neat, logical way. When I think about Karma, I find myself in a tangle. Karma is the law of cause and effect. I love it. We all face challenges every day, hard challenges. It’s easy for me to get stuck on, “Why is this happening to me?” “I don’t deserve this.” At first glance, Karma seems to be telling me I’ve brought this on myself. But there’s a way out of that gloom. Maybe, the cause of today’s trouble doesn’t lie in this lif