On the Cushion
Our practice is to meet life exactly as it is and to notice whatever fear, anger, or doubt gets in the way of direct intimate contact with this moment, bringing attention to that as well. Rather than changing something or…
Category Buddhism
On Not Being Stingy
The One, or Oneness, as we might say in Zen, never tries to turn a profit from anything at all. It wouldn’t even make sense. We, on the other hand, are always trying to turn a profit from every human…
On Mind Control
To use your mind in a natural way means to avoid trying to control it. The more you try to control your mind, the more stray thoughts will come up to bother you. —Master Sheng-Yen, “Being Natural”
On Love and Attachment
Attachment is the very opposite of love. Love says, “I want you to be happy.” Attachment says, “I want you to make me happy.” —Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, “No Excuses”
On Love
If we want to be loved, we are looking for a support system. If we want to love, we are looking for spiritual growth. – Ayya Khema, “What Love Is”
On Generosity
If we keep our own light selfishly hidden, it will only provide a limited amount of illumination. But when we share our light with others, we do not diminish our own light. Rather, we increase the amount of light available…
Observe the Breath
When we truly observe the breath, we are automatically placed in the present. We are pulled out of the morass of mental images and into a bare experience of the here-and-now. —Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, “Breathing”
Now is the Time
Now is the time to free ourselves from samsara. Unless we do it in this lifetime, it is not going to happen all by itself. We have to take care of ourselves. Right now we have the ability to receive…
Nothing to Protect
Our fundamental problems are our ignorance and ego-grasping. We grasp at our identity as being our personality, memories, opinions, judgments, hopes, fears, chattering away—all revolving around this me me me me. This creates the idea of an unchanging permanent self…
Nothing to Get, Everything to Give
On the spiritual path, there’s nothing to get, and everything to get rid of. Obviously, the first thing to let go of is trying to ‘get’ love, and instead to give it. That’s the secret of the spiritual path. How…