Welcome to my site.  A few years ago I began to investigate the concept of living with an undefended heart. I believe this is the root of what the Buddha asks us to do in his teachings and it is now the lens through which I see the world. How do we defend ourselves and how do we free ourselves? This has been a rich journey that continues with ever unfolding subtlety. I look forward to joining with you on this path towards freedom.

What is Undefended Dharma?

The dharma can be seen as either the teachings of the Buddha or, more fully, the way it is. I love the phrase, “Right now, it’s like this” which embodies the idea that the dharma is front and center all the time. However, we have spent a lifetime protecting ourselves from reality especially if we think it will hurt us. We don’t want to relive past harms or we want to prevent the possibility of future pain. We live a defended life and unless we take the time to look at our defenses, we will continue to be trapped by our habitual patterns of thinking and acting. As I have investigated and framed my practice around the idea of living with an undefended heart, it implies that the dharma is undefended. We become willing to turn toward whatever our experience is, without preference and with equanimity. This is quite a task and one that can take years (it certainly has in my case and I’m definitely not done yet). I hope you will join me in practicing undefended dharma as we move towards living with an undefended heart.