The Buddha’s Second Noble Truth is that craving—desire, attachment, clinging—is the cause of suffering, unsatisfactoriness, stress. Anyone who has looked into the cause of suffering can affirm this great truth for oneself. From this insight, one might conclude that the way to end suffering and find lasting happiness is to kill all desires. From that […]
Continue reading
Tag Archives: maitri
Am I Pleasing Others to Make Myself Feel Loved and Good?
2011/02/19 
5 Comments
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 […]
Continue reading A Buddhist Grace for Thanksgiving
2010/11/23 10 Comments
A Timeless Thanksgiving Message from Thich Nhat Hanh “We like the idea of being thankful to the cosmos, to everything that offers itself to us as food. That is why in Plum Village we organize a Thanksgiving Day, and we address our thanks to four objects: first of all to our father and our mother, […]
Continue reading Metta-the Healing Power of Visualizing and Radiating Love Toward Others
2010/11/23 4 Comments
Here is a unique teaching on metta, or loving-kindness meditation, by Acharya Buddharakkhita from “Mettá: The Philosophy and Practice of Universal Love.” In this teaching, Buddharakkhita focuses specifically on how to use visualization and thought-radiation to embrace others in universal love and goodwill. This teaching presents the classic sequence of beginning with loving oneself, and […]
Continue reading Prayer and Metta for all beings affected by the BP Gulf oil disaster
2010/07/14 10 Comments
Like millions of others in the United States, and around the world, I’ve been keeping a close watch on the tragic situation with the BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster. I don’t live in the Gulf area, but I’ve tried to help by various forms of advocacy and by getting good, solid scientific and technical information […]
Continue reading Transforming the Three Poisons: Greed, Hatred, and Delusion
2010/06/16 4 Comments
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 […]
Continue reading Bringing Metta to Daily Life-A Talk by Bhante Vimalaramsi
2010/04/24 7 Comments
You will find no finer or deeper teaching on Loving-Kindness than that of Ven. Bhante Vimalaramsi. I hope this short excerpt from a talk he gave on bringing loving-kindness to daily life will send you to his website to read the whole article. (Link below) Metta in Daily Life Ven.Bhante Vimalaramsi What we need to […]
Continue reading There’s More to Dying Than Death-A Buddhist Perspective
2010/04/23 5 Comments
“It is understandable that those who do not believe there is any reality deeper than this life, and the death that ends it, do not want to dwell on the fact of death. But if you suspect there is a way to awaken to a deeper, timeless reality that lies beyond birth and death, there […]
Continue reading Audio Dharma-An Introduction to Metta by Gil Fronsdal
2010/04/01 1 Comment
One of the reasons I upgraded my blog for audio capability was so that I could include talks by Gil Fronsdal. Along with Thanissaro Bhikkhu, he was one of the very first dharma teachers I listened to, and he had a huge impact on my understanding and practice of Buddhism. I’ll always be grateful to […]
Continue readingAn apology-dharma practice not dharma debate
2010/03/10 3 Comments
This is a public apology to friends and blog visitors for a couple of recent posts of mine, “No, you are not enlightened!” and “You’re not enlightened; you’re besparkled!” In these posts I tried to throw some light on some important but often misrepresented aspects of the Buddha’s teaching about what enlightenment is, but in retrospect, […]
Continue reading Breathing in Peace-Breathing out Love (music)
2010/01/15 4 Comments
With so much pain and suffering in the news, I wanted to share this guided metta meditation that I’ve used for years. It’s from the book Who is My Self: A Guide to Buddhist Meditation by Ayya Khema, a wonderfully skillful nun in the Theravada tradition. This particular guided meditation has been especially helpful in […]
Continue reading Buddhist Forgiveness-When We Have Hurt Another-Part 3
2010/01/14 17 Comments
When we hurt others, and our conscience is awake, we suffer. While having a conscience is good, the Buddha is all about the ending of suffering, right? So, what do we do? Bhante Bodhidhamma is a vipassana (insight meditation) teacher of over 20 years experience. He offers some very helpful insight practices to help us […]
Continue reading All-Embracing Compassion-The Heart-Practice of Tonglen
2010/01/13 5 Comments
The devastating earthquake in Haiti is a terrible blow to good hearts everywhere. Already there has been a huge outpouring of physical aid and spiritual support to the suffering people of Haiti. In the days and months ahead, this support will need to grow and continue to help bring recovery and healing to Haiti. As […]
Continue reading Ajahn Brahmavamso teaches Loving-kindness Meditation
2010/01/08 21 Comments
Ajahn Brahmavamso is a wonderful Theravadan monk whose wit and humor help bring the dharma alive. Because of his courageous stand on the ordination of women as Buddhist nuns, I thought it would be good to give people who are not familiar with him a feel for Ajahn Brahm’s skill as a teacher. I think […]
Continue readingBrave Hearts-Ajahn Brahmavamso Ordains Women Monks
2010/01/07 6 Comments
From time to time, I’m going to highlight some individual or group that shows remarkable courage in the face of adversity or in standing up against injustice. I call them brave hearts. Today I want to call attention to the courage of Ajahn Brahmavamso, or Ajahn Brahm (as he is affectionately known) for taking the […]
Continue reading Tara Brach and Radical Acceptance
2009/12/15 10 Comments
Tara Brach is a highly skillful meditation teacher who brings 35 years of insight meditation practice to her background as a clinical psychologist. Her book, Radical Acceptance, brought a huge amount of emotional and spiritual healing into my life, and I can’t recommend her enough. At her website you can find wonderful talks and teachings—both […]
Continue readingThe Virtue of Friendliness
2009/12/11 7 Comments
The Virtue of Friendliness “A monk is expected to be mindful of the feelings of friendliness towards all living things. He is expected to cultivate assiduously this all embracing virtue of friendliness for the whole world, starting in the morning and continuing throughout the day. “Staying, walking or sitting, or lying down, till he falls […]
Continue readingMetta-care: saving our coral reefs
2009/12/10 3 Comments
Our oceans are in big trouble. Not only are they increasingly polluted with chemicals and dangerous trash, such as plastics, their very nature is being changed by increasing CO2 levels and warming of the water. Few places are more sensitive to this increase in water temperature and decrease in pH (popularly called ocean acidification) than […]
Continue reading Loving others-a skillful means, not a principle
2009/12/02 3 Comments
When the heart awakens No matter what one’s spiritual path, I believe there comes a time when when one’s heart so expands in love and compassion that helping alleviate the suffering of others becomes just as much an aspiration as the alleviation of one’s own suffering. Of course, sometimes we may need a lot of […]
Continue reading Rumi -This Being Human is a Guest House
2009/11/30 4 Comments
This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and attend them all! Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be […]
Continue readingMay All Beings Be Happy
- Looking at the Ninth Zen Precept-I Do Not Indulge In Anger
- True God, True Buddha
- The Difference Between Compassion and “Idiot Compassion”
- Ajahn Brahmavamso teaches Loving-kindness Meditation
- Now-and-Zen-Are you still carrying her?
- A Buddhist Mantra based on the Prayer of St. Francis
- Mindfulness of Breathing-The Anapanasati Sutta
- Buddhist Forgiveness-When We Have Hurt Another-Part 3
- Practicing the Middle Way-not too much, not too little
- Healing the Body with Mindfulness of Breathing
- Look at the Three Characteristics in Terms of Actions
- Thich Nhat Hanh – Healing Through Resting in the Breath
- How Metta Can Help You When Meditation is Hindered by Overwhelming Feelings
- The Importance of Taking the “Should” out of Spiritual Practice
- Can We “Choose” to Be Happy? No—and Yes!
- Ken Mcleod on how to use Thich Nhat Hanh’s Five-Step Method of Emotional Releasing
- Non-resistance and the Art of Resisting without Resisting!
- Don’t be fooled! There is a Way and We Can Walk It!
- The Importance of Compassion in Assessing Our Dharma Progress
- Jesus and the Buddha on Good Friday
Metta Refuge 