I’ve been reading The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and what caught my attention is the way he talks about challenging situations. In particular, Tolle writes that “the best indicator of your level of consciousness is how you deal with life’s challenges when they come,” and then he adds, “Through those challenges, an … Read more
Last month, I wrote about mindfulness of bodily postures – a simple Buddhist practice for developing mental clarity. Today, I turn to an extension of that practice called mindfulness of bodily activities. Although they both sound similar, their actual instructions are slightly different. Once mindfulness of the four postures has led to awareness of … Read more
It’s hard to be human and be unmoved by tragedies reported in international news. But they’re not confined to faraway countries afflicted by poverty, disease, and military conflict. Today, many people are wading through vast, unseen fields of mental suffering caused by a lack of values and meaning in their lives. How do we … Read more
This classic hit may be considered the greatest Buddhist song of all time, but in my music collection the accolade belongs to “Dust in the Wind.” Because to contemplate its meaning is to realize the impermanent nature of things, to see life through the lens of death and by doing so approach the condition … Read more
What is the purpose of meditation? Have nothing on our mind? Think of something specific? Find a pleasant feeling to hold on to? Be blank and see what comes next? We can’t help but feel utterly lost in all these questions at the very start of our meditation practice. If we’re to make progress and … Read more