Latest posts
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What Buddhism Is (and Isn’t): A Clear Beginner Orientation
Category: Core Teachings | Level: Introductory | Reading Time: approx. 18 minutes Key Takeaways Introduction Most people who encounter Buddhism for the first time arrive with impressions formed elsewhere — from a passing reference in a self-help book, an image of a meditating figure, a phrase about “living in the moment,” or a cultural association…
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How to Meditate: A Beginner’s Guide to Buddhist Meditation
Key Takeaways Introduction You have heard that meditation reduces stress, sharpens focus, and makes people kinder. You may have tried it once or twice, sat down, closed your eyes, and immediately met a storm of thoughts. Perhaps you concluded, “I can’t meditate,” or “My mind is too busy.” The truth is that a busy mind…
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How to Start a Buddhist Practice: A Simple 30‑Minute Routine
Key Takeaways Introduction You started with a ten‑minute daily meditation. It was manageable, a tiny oasis in a busy schedule. The mind settled a little, the timer rang, and you stepped back into the day. But now, a quiet voice asks: “What would happen if I gave this more time?” Perhaps you feel the practice…
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Buddhist Glossary
Alphabetical Link Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A Abandonment See pahāna Abhidhamma Pali / Skt: abhidharma The third ‘basket’ of the Pali Canon; a systematic philosophical analysis of mind, mental factors, matter, and…
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The Sand Mandala: A Philosophical Education in Ritual and Impermanence
From the tantric monasteries of the Pala Dynasty to the museums of the contemporary West, the Tibetan sand mandala remains one of Buddhism’s most demanding and doctrinally complete ritual forms. Glossary Key Takeaways Introduction At first glance, a Tibetan Buddhist sand mandala appears to be a painting of extraordinary intricacy and chromatic intensity. But to…
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Sand Mandala – Glossary
A – Article Term Language / category Definition AbhiṣekaSkt. Vajrayāna practice Tantric empowerment or ‘ripening initiation’ for a specific deity, authorising the practitioner to engage with that deity’s mandala. Four levels exist in the Anuttarayoga system: vase, secret, wisdom, and word. AdhiṣṭhānaSkt. General doctrine Blessings; the positive karmic energy and auspicious influence transmitted through a…
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108 Misunderstandings About Buddhism
Section I: The Nature of the Buddha and Enlightenment 1. The Buddha is a god. 2. Buddhism is a pessimistic religion obsessed with suffering. 3. There is no self, so nothing exists. 4. Karma is fate or predestination. 5. Rebirth means a soul transmigrates. 6. Buddhism teaches that desire should be completely suppressed. 7. Nirvana…
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The Five Factors of Striving: A Guide to the Padhāniyaṅga Sutta (AN 5.53)
Key Takeaways Introduction: The Five Factors of Striving If you have ever sat down to meditate and found your mind wandering, your body aching, or your motivation collapsing, you have touched upon a fundamental truth of the Buddhist path. Meditation does not happen in a vacuum. The mind that rests on the cushion is the…
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Why We Defend a Self That Keeps Changing
Key Points 1. The Great Paradox: Defending a Moving Target We spend a staggering amount of our psychological energy defending a “self” that does not exist in the way we think it does. Every day, we curate our online personas, protect our reputations, rehearse justifications for our past actions, and nurse wounded egos after perceived…
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Emptiness, Dependent Origination, and Not‑self
A Practical Guide to Seeing Reality Clearly Key Takeaways 1. Introduction: Three Doors to the Same Truth The Buddha taught many things, but some teachings sit at the very heart of the path. Emptiness, Dependent Origination, and Not‑self are three of these core insights. They are not abstract philosophy. They are practical tools for understanding…