Karma—It’s About What We Can Do Now An excerpt about karma from “Noble Strategy” by Thanissaro Bhikkhu Karma is one of those words we don’t translate. Its basic meaning is simple enough—action—but because of the weight the Buddha’s teachings give to the role of action, the Sanskrit word karma packs in so many implications that […]
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Am I Pleasing Others to Make Myself Feel Loved and Good?
The path of awakening, of liberation, always includes self-observation and self-inquiry. Without them, we tend to repeat the same unskillful ways of thinking and acting over and over again. That’s what is called samsara in Buddhism. In this essay I’m sharing my thoughts and observations on something I’ve struggled with much of my life: a […]
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Choose life! Choose love! Choose to live!
“Most people can look back over the years and identify a time and place at which their lives changed significantly. Whether by accident or design, these are the moments when, because of a readiness within us and a collaboration with events occurring around us, we are forced to seriously reappraise ourselves and the conditions under […]
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The Three Poisons-How Greed, Ill Will, and Delusion Corrupt our Institutions
This is a companion post to Transforming the Three Poisons: Greed, Hatred, and Delusion. The Three Poisons are not just an individual problem. They affect every aspect of society and all our institutions. This brilliant article by Zen teacher Dr. David Loy explores how we can skillfully deal with the collective manifestations of greed, ill […]
Continue readingIs the Buddhist Path at Odds with Our Humanity?
The Roots of Suffering in Biology and Human Nature What could be more natural than to desire pleasure and avoid pain in our life? We all desire what is pleasurable, and we all seek to avoid what is not. That’s just human nature, right? Well, it’s more than just human nature; it’s our biological nature. […]
Continue readingFreedom from Buddha Nature
Concluding this week’s theme of iconoclasm and “outside the Buddha-box” insight, I offer this essay by one of my favorite dharma teachers, Thanissaro Bhikkhu. The provocative title says it all: Freedom from Buddha Nature. What? A Buddhist teacher who says that there is no innate, inherent Buddha nature? Isn’t that a cornerstone of Buddhist teaching? […]
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Karma-no big deal, just the way things work
Karma-just the way things work In Buddhism, dharma has many meanings but at its simplest level, dharma is just the way things work. When through experience, suffering, and observation, you gain genuine insight into how the world really works, in that moment you are an awakened one. Why we are fooled about life The problem […]
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