On this auspicious Buddhist holiday of Saka Dawa, which commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana of Buddha Shakyamuni, I am deeply grateful and elated to finally share the public launch of the new Beyond the Cushion project website.

Although the website has technically existed for some time, I have kept it fairly quiet, using it mainly as a working space to organize themes, gather stories, and invite people to participate in the project. Over the past six months, I have had the good fortune to work with an art director to make the project more approachable—both in its visual presentation and in the way the content is structured.

The site is certainly not finished. In many ways, I feel like it is only beginning. But today felt like an auspicious day to open the doors more fully, especially with the blessings of Khenpo Chophel.

With this public launch, I will also begin a more intentional social media campaign over the next few months to build out the project platform. My hope is that, when the time comes to approach a book publisher, the conversation will be grounded not only in the strength of the stories, but also in a growing community of people who see value in this work.

I believe the documentary nature of Beyond the Cushion—rooted in the real-life stories of diverse Buddhist practitioners—is unique in its own right. At the same time, I understand that being an unknown author and photographer presents real obstacles in the traditional publishing world. This next phase is about helping the project find its audience and allowing the work to stand on stronger ground.

You can read more about the ultimate vision for the project on the website. At a later point, I will ask for more direct feedback. But for now, on this sacred day, may whatever merit arises from this offering be multiplied for the benefit of all beings.

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I clearly don`t contemplate enough on the love of mothers. The double-edged sword of self-reliance has inhibited this critical foundation of practice. Homage to all beings who have been my mother. ...

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