A Clear Mind presents a memoir of Robert Tosei Osterman's observations on individual existences, focusing on his thoughts and ongoing practice to purify and calm his mind. A pure mind is able to see all things in their beauty and wonder. A purified mind brings real freedom-freedom from clinging to life and freedom from the fear of death. For Osterman, this clarity only came to him when he sincerely applied himself to the practice of attentiveness. It is his belief that this is the most important thing that anyone can do in life.

He recorded his daily random observations, presented here...

"From Chicago to Spinoza" offers a biographical compilation of verse by author Robert Tosei Osterman, written from 1980 to 2010. It is a personal memoir, a collection of reminiscences describing people and places in his past.

"Chicago" illustrates the early years of Osterman's life during World War II. "Faces in the Past" is comprised of sonnets and other poems, depicting some of my coworkers at a school bus company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

"The Emotional Past" exemplifies his feelings during the summer of 2000, just prior to his divorce in September of that year. "Illusions in...