Seek a deeper understanding of the fundamental and enduring questions that have been raised by thoughtful human beings in the rich traditions of the East.
Theravada |
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Bad Meditation? No Such thing, says Ajahn Brahm
The mind can do wonderful and unexpected things. Meditators who are having a difficult time achieving a peaceful state of mind sometimes start thinking, “Here we go again, another hour of frustration.” But often something strange happens; although they are anticipating failure, they reach a very peaceful meditative state. My first meditation teacher told me that there is no such thing as a bad meditation. He was right. During the difficult meditations you build up your strength, which creates meditation for peace. - Ajahn Brahm, "Stepping Towards Enlightenment," Fall 2006 Click here to read the complete article. More » -
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An evening with Ven. Metteyya at New York Insight
From left: Bodhi (Ven. Metteyya's attendant), Sharon Salzberg, Ven. Metteyya Lumbini, Nepal, is the birthplace of the Buddha. It is also the birthplace of the Venerable Metteyya, an upper-caste Brahmin who chose to become a Buddhist monk in primarily Hindu Nepal. Metteyya, who recently appeared in the PBS program The Buddha, has committed his life to social work, serving as spiritual advisor to the Sakyadhita Nunnery, a "haven for Lumbini girls who would otherwise be married as young as 10 years and face a life of no education, poverty and labor," according to the organization's literature. More » -
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A happiness that can't be taken from you (and four reasons we fear death)
What was behind the Buddha's decision to go off into the forest? A desire to be happy, Thai forest monk Thanissaro Bhikkhu teaches in the talk below. In fact, he says, this desire underlay all of Buddha's efforts. More » -
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Knowing the story doesn't solve it
A few days ago I posted an interview with Jack Kornfield and said I'd post an earlier interview with him soon. Well, here it is. The interview was given in 2000, around the time Kornfield's After the Ecstasy, The Laundry appeared. Here are two excerpts that will give you an idea of some of the modes of practice Jack was thinking about and teaching nearly a decade before the later interview. More » -
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Less religion, more practice
The Los Angeles Times reports that Jack Kornfield is in Los Angeles this weekend to give a talk on CG Jung's journals at the Armand Hammer Museum and to lead a three-hour meditation retreat at InsightLA. Kornfield, a psychologist and former Thai monk, has written extensively about Western psychology and Buddhist mindfulness practice. Trudy Goodman, LAInsight's lead teacher, tells the Times, "I feel that Jack has changed Buddhism by being a pioneer for the inclusion of our emotional lives in the practice." "More and more, we're teaching meditation not as a religious activity but as a support for living a wise and healthy and compassionate inner life," Kornfield said recently. More » -
Paying Our Debts
The Buddha praised the practice of meditation as a way of paying homage to the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha that was better than offering material objects. The practice of training the heart to reach purity pleased the Buddha because it is the way by which a person can gain release from all suffering and stress. The Buddha taught us to meditate so that we can free our hearts from their slavery to the defilements of the world. We're still not released from suffering as long as our minds still have worries and concerns. Being a slave to our concerns is like being in debt to them. When we're in debt, we have no real freedom in our hearts. The more we pay off our debts, the more lighthearted we'll feel. In the same way, if we can let go of our various worries and cares, peace will arise in our hearts. This is why the Buddha taught us to center our hearts in concentration so as to give rise to stillness, peace, and the inner wealth with which we'll be able to pay off all of our debts. More »
