The aim of far too many teachings these days is to make people “feel good,” and even some Buddhist masters are beginning to sound like New Age apostles. Their talks are entirely devoted to validating the manifestation of ego and endorsing the “rightness” of our feelings, neither of which have anything to do with the... Continue Reading →
In order to receive any genuine transformation we have to transform everything we do, everything we say, everything we think, to the utmost of our ability, into a Dharma practice.If we use every action of body, speech and mind as our practice, by cultivating awareness, being present in the moment, seeing things with clarity and... Continue Reading →
“So keep it short. And keep your aspiration—that our whole day will be our dharma practice, that it’s not just sitting on your cushion. Your cushion, yes, is to get your mind settled, get the awareness clear, set up good motivation, but then we have to use our daily life, everyone we encounter, everything we... Continue Reading →
We talk about the Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha, and all these instructions and methods of practise we can do and benefit from. But in essence, to find Dharma one has to look inward, not outward. One has to constantly exert effort in examining oneself and one’s own mind. Of course, there are methods... Continue Reading →
If you want to be really, really happy, it isn’t enough just to space out in meditation. Many people who have spent years alone in meditation have finished up the worse for it. Coming back into society, they have freaked out. They haven’t been able to take contact with other people again, because the peaceful... Continue Reading →
To work on the mind is a very vast subject; in fact it is the subject of the entire Buddha Dharma. In essence the main reason the mind generates it’s confusing passions and intense emotions is the strong clinging to I, me, and mine. Because of that clinging, we suffer when do not obtain all... Continue Reading →
Pain can be a better revealer of your own mind than any other state. Sometimes pain is really a great ally for you to discover certain defects in your mind. Pain sometimes can serve as an illuminator. People think, “Oh, I’m not very arrogant; I don’t feel so arrogant; I don’t think I see myself... Continue Reading →
Even if we know a lot about Dharma, we still need to integrate our knowledge with our experience or we won’t be able to reduce our habit of me and mine. Wisdom must serve as medicine; it’s ineffective if it never counteracts our poison or illness. An intellectual knowledge of Dharma is not enough; we... Continue Reading →
But sharing does not mean wanting others to abandon their own spiritual roots and embrace your faith. That would be cruel. People are stable and happy only when they are firmly rooted in their own tradition and culture. To uproot them would make them suffer. There are already enough people uprooted from their tradition today,... Continue Reading →
"It may sound as if you must have devotion first in order to have an understanding of the view, that devotion ignites the practice of the Dharma. But as you become more seasoned in practicing the Dharma, especially the Vajrayana, the gap between devotion and the goal of devotion becomes very small. As you become... Continue Reading →
Attachment and love are similar in that both of them draw us to the other person. But in fact, these two emotions are quite different. When we're attached, we're drawn to someone because he or she meets our needs. In addition, there are lots of strings attached to our affection that we may or may... Continue Reading →
All of the external circumstances and the rude and difficult people we meet, instead of getting angry, upset, or frustrated, we see that we can take them all and use them on the path in a way that actually invigorates and strengthens us, rather than defeats us. It's all very practical advice, and that's why... Continue Reading →
The real dharma practice does not happen while meditating on the yoga mat, rather once you get off the yoga mat & go about in your day to day life - in everyday struggles. The essence of teaching is to stop yourself from closing down every time something goes against your wishes & expectations -... Continue Reading →
Most people feel cozy enough in samsara. They do not really have the genuine aspiration to go beyond samsara; they just want samsara to be a little bit better. It is quite interesting that “samsara” became the name of a perfume. And it is like that. It seduces us into thinking that it is okay:... Continue Reading →
We talk about the Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha, and all these instructions and methods of practice we can do and benefit from. But in essence, to find Dharma one has to look inward, not outward. One has to constantly exert effort in examining oneself and one’s own mind. Of course, there are methods... Continue Reading →
Fundamentally, every one of us feels extremely insecure. You could have lots of money, lots of background, education, friends, resources, skills, but none of that is going to make any difference to your security. The more we seek security, the more insecurity that creates. It constantly happens that way.There’s something fundamentally threatening and insecure taking... Continue Reading →
Many of us are now settling into a different rhythm of life and getting used to words like quarantine, lockdown, curfew, shutdown, isolation, social distancing and so on. We have also been seeing people everywhere feeling the effects of these words whilst also being fearful of catching the virus.The term "social distancing" is such an... Continue Reading →
To begin with, what is Dharma? Generally, when most people try to practice Dharma, or say that they practice Dharma, they sometimes understand it as a ritual, something that you do with your body, your speech, or through special actions or activities. And if that is the case, then you need to devote special time... Continue Reading →
To begin with, what is Dharma? Generally, when most people try to practice Dharma, or say that they practice Dharma, they sometimes understand it as a ritual, something that you do with your body, your speech, or through special actions or activities. And if that is the case, then you need to devote special time... Continue Reading →
Everybody is in a box. You think you’re a man, you think you’re American, Australian whatever. You think I used to be like this I come from this family my father is like that my mother is like this I am so and so I’ve done this I’ve done that, In my opinion green is... Continue Reading →
