Our search for happiness drives us, but this search leaves us in a state of “suspended happiness”—not quite happy yet, hoping someday I might be. This story of happiness is always about an imaginary future, dependent on conditions being met. That's a pretty tough task... to get everything to fall into place, someday. This plan reinforces the view that “I am not there yet.” We all want peace, but we think it lies at the end of the rainbow. We think that it takes time. We don't realize that there is no salvation in time. Peace is in you now as your natural state when you are not waiting for it, not postponing it.
Howard Cohn
Spirit Rock Residential Teacher
Howard Cohn has practiced meditation since 1972, and has led vipassana retreats since 1985. He leads a weekly ongoing class in San Francisco. Howard has studied with many Asian and western teachers of several traditions, including Theravada, Zen, Dzogchen and Advaita Vedanta, and has been strongly influenced by contact with the Indian master H.W.L. Poonja. He has done postgraduate work in East/West Psychology and has a private counseling practice.