"Once I was giving a teaching on love. The theme of the talk was that everyone has love within them. No matter what the circumstance, who you are, or where you are in the world, you have love 24 hours a day — even when you are feeling anger or hatred. During this talk, it... Continue Reading →
So many people exist in their own bubble, focusing intently on getting food, homes, cars, insurance, securities. We are most afraid of something negative happening to our material world, such as our investments, home, health, and on a larger scale, global warming. But anger and being burned in the flames of anger doesn’t seem to... Continue Reading →
When we are young we have many vanities. We envy our friends; we want what they have and we want to do what they do. But as we age, we know time is limited. We can’t afford to live in vain. That is when many practice in earnest: with reason, motivation and a full heart.... Continue Reading →
We can quite safely say that hope, or a sense of promise, is a hindrance on the spiritual path. Creating this kind of hope is one of the most prominent features of spiritual materialism. There are all kinds of promises, all kinds of proofs. We find the same approach as that of a car salesman.... Continue Reading →
Though we're conditioned to identify with the thoughts that pass through our awareness rather than with awareness itself, the awareness that is our true nature is infinitely flexible. It is capable of any and every sort of experience - even misconceptions about itself as limited, trapped, ugly, anxious, lonely, or afraid. When we begin to... Continue Reading →
When your mind remains in pure awareness, with no thought of past or future, without being attracted by external objects or occupied by mental constructions, it will be in a state of primordial simplicity. In that state, there is no need for the iron hand of forced vigilance to immobilize your thoughts. As it is... Continue Reading →
In order to make yourself a person of the world, you have had to fight for every inch. Even when you are pressing your clothes or busy organizing a cocktail party, there is always an undercurrent of trying to prove something, trying to achieve something. Whatever you do involves some kind of chauvinism, which in... Continue Reading →
“It’s not how many millions of mantras we say, how many hundreds of thousands of prostrations we do. The point is, how do we do it, with what motivation? How are we dealing with things which happen to us moment to moment, day after day after day? This is the point. Our fundamental mind, what... Continue Reading →
We could all use more humor in our lives. Having a sense of humor doesn’t mean laughing and being cheerful all the time. It means seeing the illusory nature of things—and seeing how, in this illusory life, we are always bumping into the very things we meticulously try to avoid. Humor allows us to see... Continue Reading →
Utilizing those few seconds when you find yourself willing or even desiring just to take a break from the daily grind to observe your mind rather than drifting off into daydreams. Practicing like this, "one drip at a time," you’ll find yourself gradually becoming free of the mental and emotional limitations that are the source... Continue Reading →
One characteristic of a dharmic person, someone who practices meditation and the teachings of the Buddha, is to prevent too many activities, or you could say, reduce too many activities. According to tradition, that actually boils down to cutting nonfunctional talking, cutting the baby-sitter mentality, the entertainment mentality.You can get yourself into all kinds of... Continue Reading →
Ram Dass sometimes shared a story of a young woman who told him, “My family hates when I’m a Buddhist but loves when I’m a Buddha.” In other words, its not what religion we identify ourselves with that matters, but how freely we are able to love and keep our hearts open with others that... Continue Reading →
One day my teacher Ajahn Chah held up a beautiful Chinese tea cup, “To me this cup is already broken. Because I know its fate, I can enjoy it fully here and now. And when it’s gone, it’s gone.” When we understand the truth of uncertainty, we become free The broken cup helps us see... Continue Reading →
If you plant a seed in the ground and all the right conditions are present, such as perfect soil, water, and heat—every thing is together and there are no obstacles—then no matter how much you pray for the plant not to grow, it will grow. It will definitely grow because the seed planted in 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 →
What are the experiences that the teachings of the Buddha are founded on? They are sadness, love, and openness. Although they appear to be quite different, sadness and openness are in fact intimately connected. The profound sadness that overwhelms us when we understand the impermanent nature of all phenomena opens us up to the world... Continue Reading →
"What we call the gap refers to a fleeting moment of naked awareness, a split-second opening that introduces us to our original mind and provides a taste of freedom from confusion."Mingyur Rinpoche
Wonderment is a way of being. In wonderment we are interconnected with things as they are. It brings us to peace, openness and freedom. Through “not knowing” we access humility and awe Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel
The absence of grasping and fixation provides something extremely firm. It is not firm in the style of grasping or fixation but it is the firmness of pure ground. It is like flying in an airplane. When we take off and we fly up, and when we rise above the clouds, we begin to realize... Continue Reading →
Whenever the competitive mind and jealousy come up, then you need to do the work. Now, some people will think that this is very positive thinking: “We need to work with competitive companies and competitive people and we need to work harder to improve.” But my point is that our competitive and comparing mind is... Continue Reading →
