"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 →
In Buddhism there are ‘the Seven Limbs’. One of the seven points is the confession of what we have done wrong: we remind ourselves of all the big mistakes we have. But straight after that comes the rejoicing in the goodness. It’s as if our garden is full of weeds; we definitely need to pull... Continue Reading →
“We have to forgive ourselves. We have all made mistakes and acted stupidly. So what? We're human beings. If we were perfect then we wouldn't need a path, since we would already have arrived! It is because we have problems, because we have faults, because we've made stupid mistakes that we need a path. So... Continue Reading →
Sometimes in our sleep or unexpected moments we get back in touch with the 'happiest' version within or as some people call 'child within' - this point of reference lies deep within, often covered with layers of anger, resentment, grudges and buried away to avoid hurt and disappointments. Sometimes buried so deep away that we... Continue Reading →
Through the practice of meditation, we gradually begin to relate with our world, our friends, and other situations. And slowly we begin to trust the world as well. We begin to feel that the world is not as bad as we thought— there might be something worth learning. However, we cannot just go out and... Continue Reading →
You are bigger than your wounds. Even though we all want to be happy, often we don’t know how. You are born radiant, a child of the earth, innocent, open, and filled with wonder. As Wordsworth describes, we arrive “trailing clouds of glory.” Then as you grow, you find yourself vulnerable and, inevitably, you experience... Continue Reading →
Rather than reinforcing our "me-ness" and justifying ourselves constantly, we should base our lives on something more powerful and trustworthy. If we develop real trust in ourselves, constant self-defense is no longer required. That may sound good, but what we are going to trust in ourselves? To begin with, we need to conduct another examination.... Continue Reading →
When fear arises, name it softly and experience what it does to the breath, to the body, how it affects the heart. Notice the sensations and ideas that accompany it, the scary stories it tells. When we work with the fearful mind, we will initially become afraid. However, at some point, if we open our... Continue Reading →
In a world where everyone wants you to be someone else, staying true to your call is almost an act of rebellion. Walking the path of authenticity, of what is true to your heart is by no means an easy task. Daily responsibilities and chores begin gnawing at us the moment we open our eyes... Continue Reading →
Stop walking through the world looking for confirmation that you don’t belong. You will always find it because you’ve made that your mission. Stop scouring people’s faces for evidence that you’re not enough. You will always find it because you’ve made that your goal. True belonging and self-worth are not goods; we don’t negotiate their... Continue Reading →
The key point of meditation is to develop sympathy for yourself. You could enjoy being yourself. You don’t have to borrow anything or bring any foreign influences into your life. You are self-sufficient therefore you can make yourself comfortable. In meditation, you create a very natural situation for yourself … Meditation practice is based on... Continue Reading →
As far as the Shambhala principles are concerned, we don’t believe in original sin. You are not fundamentally condemned. In fact, quite the opposite. Fundamentally, you are good. In spite of your hypocrisy, you are capable of being good, and what you express will be good as well. It will work out fine." - Chögyam... Continue Reading →
“The essence of Buddhist practice is not so much an effort at changing your thoughts or your behavior so that you can become a better person, but in realizing that no matter what you might think about the circumstances that define your life, you’re already good, whole, and complete. It’s about recognizing the inherent potential... Continue Reading →
Many voices ask for our attention. There is a voice that says, 'Prove that you are a good person.' Another voice says, 'You’d better be ashamed of yourself.' There also is a voice that says, 'Nobody really cares about you,' and one that says, 'Be sure to become successful, popular, and powerful.' But underneath all... Continue Reading →
Over the years, I have come to realize that the greatest trap in our life is not success, popularity, or power, but self-rejection. Success, popularity, and power can indeed present a great temptation, but their seductive quality often comes from the way they are part of the much larger temptation to self-rejection. When we have... Continue Reading →
To ease loneliness we first need to find friends within ourselves. We can start by connecting with our own positive qualities, such as love and compassion. We can learn to treasure and value these inner qualities and draw our strength from them first and foremost.These qualities are our inner conditions for interdependence and are our... Continue Reading →
Perhaps the deepest reason why we are afraid of death is because we don't know who we are. We believe in a personal, unique and separate identity but if we dare to examine it, we find that this identity depends entirely on an endless collection of things to prop it up our name, our biography,... Continue Reading →
