Latest posts
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A Buddhist Mission Plan for Those on the Path
Key Takeaways 1. Introduction This is a mission plan for the path. It is written for you, the individual practitioner, whether you sit in meditation every morning or are just beginning to ask what Buddhism is about. It is a framework for aligning your life with the teachings of the Buddha, not as an abstract…
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Interconnectedness and Responsibility: A Buddhist Perspective on Climate Change
Key Takeaways 1. Introduction The modern world faces an unprecedented challenge in the form of climate change, a phenomenon that threatens the stability of ecosystems and the well-being of all inhabitants on Earth. The scientific consensus is unequivocal. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United Nations body responsible for assessing climate science, has found…
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The Need to Escape: Understanding the Buddhist Roots of Distraction
Key Takeaways 1. Introduction Distraction has become a defining feature of modern life. Many people find themselves reaching for their phones dozens of times each day, losing hours to scrolling through social media, or struggling to complete simple tasks without their attention wandering elsewhere. While technology has certainly made distraction more accessible, the underlying tendency…
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Understanding Impermanence: The Buddhist Path to Ending Suffering
Key Takeaways 1. Introduction Life is a river of constant change. From the moment we are born, we are moving, growing, and evolving. We can look at a photograph from our childhood and see a face that is no longer ours, a body that has changed, a mind that has learned and forgotten countless things.…
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Judgement, Non-Judgement, and Discernment in Buddhism: A Practical Guide for Modern Life
Key Takeaways 1. Introduction Few topics in Buddhist practice generate as much confusion as the relationship between judgement, non-judgement, and discernment. A practitioner may hear a teacher say to observe thoughts without judgement, then open a sutta to find the Buddha clearly evaluating some thoughts as wholesome and others as unwholesome. A meditator may be…
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Dealing with Difficult People: The Buddhist Approach
Key Takeaways 1. Introduction Difficult people are everywhere. They appear at work, in families, in communities, and sometimes in our own homes. They may be critical, manipulative, aggressive, passive-aggressive, or simply exhausting to be around. For many people, dealing with such individuals is one of the most persistent sources of stress, resentment, and unhappiness in…
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Buddhist Clear Seeing: Seeing Things as They Really Are
Key Takeaways 1. Introduction: What Does It Mean to See Clearly? We spend most of our lives seeing the world through a filter. We see what we expect to see, what we want to see, what we fear to see. We see through the lens of our habits, our preferences, our fears, and our desires.…
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Setting Intentions with the Buddhist Mindset
Key Takeaways 1. Introduction: Why Intention Matters Every morning, before we have even opened our eyes, the mind is already stirring with inclinations, tendencies, and impulses. Some are subtle, a vague sense of what the day might hold. Others are more pronounced – a specific plan, a worry, a hope. In Buddhist teaching, these movements…
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Pure Land Buddhism: An Introduction to the Tradition of Faith and Practice
Introduction Pure Land Buddhism is one of the most widely practiced traditions within Mahayana Buddhism, with a history spanning nearly two millennia and a global presence today. Centered on trust in the compassionate vow of the Buddha Amitābha and the aspiration for rebirth in his Pure Land of Sukhāvatī, this tradition offers a path to…