Letting Go and Picking Up in Buddhism (with music of Chris Smither)

The following excerpt if from Living Meditation, Living Insight: The Path of Mindfulness in Daily Life by Dr. Thynn Thynn. Dr. Thynn Thynn is a Burmese born retired physician and Dhamma teacher. She is mother of two and is the resident yogi at the Sae Taw Win II Dhamma Center in Northern California. She is […]

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The Buddha on Attachment to Views and Disputations

In Buddhism, Right View is part of the Noble Eightfold Path.  But attachment to views, even right views, is always a hindrance. In The Mind Like Fire Unbound, Thanissaro Bhikkhu comments: “Attachment to views can block an experience of Unbinding in any of three major ways. First, the content of the view itself may not […]

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Life Isn’t Just Suffering-but Clinging Always Is

Here is another great teaching from Thanissaro Bhikkhu.  I have to admit that in my pre-dharma days, I too had the impression that Buddhism was “negative” or “pessimistic.”  Looking into Buddhism for myself and breaking free of the dogmatic beliefs of my religious upbringing, I found the way of the Buddha to be the happiest […]

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Do we really believe in impermanence?

In my own practice, I’ve really been wrestling with the Buddha’s teaching of anicca—the truth that all conditioned, fabricated, created things are impermanent and constantly change. It’s one thing to accept anicca as a truism—after all, it’s obvious that all things change and are transient. And it’s another to see something of the truth of […]

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Transforming the Three Poisons: Greed, Hatred, and Delusion

Today post is a study of the Buddha’s treatment of what the Buddha defined as the three major hindrances to happiness and freedom from suffering. These three hindrances have been variously called the Three Poisons or Three Stains. They are usually identified as greed (or hungry grasping), aversion (ill will or hatred), and delusion.  These […]

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We Are All on Fire-But There’s a Way to Put Out the Flames

The Buddha’s insight into the human condition is both immensely hopeful and immensely sobering.  Hopeful, because he sees the potential of every human being to be set free by skillful means that can liberate one from all suffering and bring true freedom and happiness.  And sobering, because as a good doctor, the compassionate Buddha understood […]

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The Breath-Our Friend When Dealing With Suffering

The Breath-Our Friend When Dealing With Suffering Excerpt from “The Bright Tunnel” by Thanissaro Bhikkhu “Those who don’t discern suffering.” It sounds strange. We all know that there’s suffering in life. The problem is that we don’t really look at it. We try to run away, we try to cover it up—anything not to have […]

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Now-and-Zen-Are you still carrying her?

Tanzan and the Girl on the Road (This the first in a series of occasional posts I’m calling “Now and Zen.”  These will be short Zen sayings and koans for your enjoyment and enlightenment—and sometimes, puzzlement!) Tanzan and Ekido were once traveling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was still falling. Coming around […]

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