Practice: Turning Toward Our Essence
“Develop a mind that is vast like space, where experiences both pleasant and unpleasant can appear and disappear without conflict, struggle or harm. Rest in…
Tag: Mindfulness
Turning Toward Our Essence (Part Two)
Read Part One: Turning Toward Our Essence As we have seen, when we turn to investigate who is being aware we may feel confused, like a…
The Two Dimensions of Consciousness
But this mirror is only one aspect of consciousness. Consciousness, like light, has two dimensions. Just as light can be described as both a wave…
Practice: Visualization
To work with a sacred image, choose someone who inspires you, St. Francis or Kwan Yin the goddess of infinite mercy, Jesus or Mary, Buddha…
The Storytelling Mind (Part Two)
(Read Part One of The Storytelling Mind) When we look at the constant and repetitive process of our own thinking, we see how habitually it…
The Storytelling Mind
When I first took robes and entered the monastic community of Ajahn Chah, I had already been practicing meditation for two years. Now, sitting…
Disentangling from the Story
It is a great relief to discover that our stories do not fully define who we are, or what is happening to us. Â One practitioner…
The Primary Feelings
Buddhist psychology helps us distinguish two critical aspects of feeling. The first and most essential quality is called the primary feeling. According to this perspective,…
Learning from the Precepts
Pick and refine one or more of the five basic training precepts as a way to cultivate and strengthen mindfulness. Work with a precept meticulously…
Establishing a Daily Meditation
First select a suitable place for your regular meditation. Place a meditation cushion or chair there for your use, and add any books or images…
Enacting Mindfully
The fifth skillful means for working with difficulties is called Enacting It Mindfully. Let’s face it, we act out most of our desires anyway. In…
Heart Wisdom – Ep. 16 – Factors of Enlightenment
Our fundamental wakefulness can be described by certain qualities of enlightenment that speak to our inherent nobility. It is in the remembering of these factors…
