A lot of things have to be right for your daily sitting practice. Like choosing the right time, place, and ensuring that you’ll not be disturbed. Anyone who wants to focus would take these steps. But what should you do when you close your eyes and realize that random thoughts prevent you from observing your … Read more
A quick YouTube search will reveal dozens of meditation techniques you can try right now. But in Buddhism, there are only two main types of meditation. The first is aimed at achieving serenity (samatha), the other is aimed at gaining insight (vipassana). Achieving serenity leads to one-pointed concentration of the mind (samadhi). And gaining insight … Read more
“We only need to choose our words carefully, and we can make other people happy,” Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh wrote in his meditation on deep listening and loving speech. Thinking about this advice, reminded of a book titled “What Would Buddha Say?: 1,501 Right-Speech Teachings for Communicating Mindfully,” written by Barbara Ann Kipfer, a … Read more
The first thing people usually learn about Buddhism is that it’s aimed at ending human suffering. This is what newcomers like to discuss online when trying to deepen their understanding. And this is what one Redditor did when he asked, “If life has suffering, why not just try to numb yourself with goals (seeing beautiful … Read more