Buddha Weekly Interview

In this frank interview with Buddha Weekly, Theodore discusses when meditation helps and when it can harm — with depression, psychosis, and cognitive decline — plus teacher-student ethics and what to do when a teacher breaches trust.

The Crossing

A classic Zen story in comic form: a monk carries a stranded woman across a river to help her, drawing his companion’s silent disapproval for hours afterward — until he’s asked why he’s still carrying something set down long ago.

The Star Thrower

An illustrated adaptation of Loren Eiseley’s classic story: a man walks a beach littered with stranded starfish, throwing them back one at a time. Challenged that it can’t matter, his answer is simple — ‘It made a difference for that one.’

Tools of Practice

Why we practice together at SLMC, and the three tools that support the journey: meditation itself, study to build understanding, and faith to carry us through the moments when nothing quite makes sense.

Compassion: Being Kind to Ourselves

Being kind to ourselves isn’t optional — it’s the foundation for kindness to everyone else. Theodore explores both the gentle and the tough sides of self-compassion, and why simply acknowledging our experience, without judgment, is where real kindness begins.