Find Inner Peace and Relaxation with Calm Minds Meditation
Category: Health and Wellness
The Intricacies of “Skillful” and “Unskillful” in Ethical Discourse
When I first came across Buddha’s teachings, the terms he used for living ethically or morally—“skillful” (kusala) and “unskillful” (akusala)—seemed a bit unusual to me. These words might be new ... Read MoreRead More
The Ripple Effect of Gratitude (Day 63)
When you practice joyful appreciation (mudita) or similar attitudes like kindness (metta) or compassion (karuna), it makes you happier. This happiness has a ripple effect on your social circle. Your ... Read MoreRead More
Embrace Your Struggles (The Social Media Sutra, Chapter 4)
I’ve been explaining how we can break free from our social media addiction using teachings from early Buddhist scriptures. These teachings are found in the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, which outlines five ... Read MoreRead More
Effective Strategies for Conquering Social Media Dependence (The Social Media Sutra, Prelude)
In late 2019, I recorded a series of talks for “Tricycle” magazine about using Buddhist teachings to combat social media and internet addiction. The talks went online in January the ... Read MoreRead More
“Embrace Mastery: The Social Media Sutra, Chapter One”
I’ve written a series of six posts explaining how teachings from early Buddhist scriptures can help us break our addiction to social media. These insights come from the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, ... Read MoreRead More
Embracing Inner Liberation
When Suvarnaprabha started teaching prisoners to meditate, she found that they were often very open to change. There are specific procedures involved when entering prisons, mostly for security reasons, but ... Read MoreRead More
Non-self and Ethics: Exploring the Essence of Identity and Morality
There’s a fascinating article in The Atlantic discussing the theory that our sense of self isn’t just one single entity but rather a mix of multiple selves. Paul Bloom, a ... Read MoreRead More
The Five Pillars of Spiritual Wisdom: Embracing Liberation in Every Moment
Buddhism is known for its numerous lists: the three trainings, the four foundations of mindfulness, the five skandhas, the eightfold path, the twelve-fold dependent origination, the 37 limbs of awakening, ... Read MoreRead More
Embracing the Aging Journey Through Meditation
An elderly friend once told me, “Aging isn’t for the faint-hearted.” She was mostly referring to the physical challenges like aches, pains, and the difficulty in doing things that used ... Read MoreRead More
“A Sanctuary of Serenity: Where Peace Resides”
When you meditate, you often try to focus your mind on your breathing, cultivating kindness, or another meditation object. However, you frequently find yourself distracted by random thoughts. These thoughts ... Read MoreRead More
Mudita: Beyond Simple Sympathy and Joy
This is part of an introduction to my current course on Mudita, which is one of the teachings on the brahma-viharas, often referred to as the “immeasurables.” Mudita, the third ... Read MoreRead More
Mastering the Battle Over Social Media Dependency (The Social Media Sutra, Part 5)
In a series of six posts, I explain how teachings from early Buddhist scriptures can help us break free from our addiction to social media. These teachings are found in ... Read MoreRead More
The Candy Crush Chronicles
This is a follow-up post to yesterday’s interview with ChatGPT about meditation. This time, I gave the AI a unique prompt: “Write a Buddhist sutta, in the style of the ... Read MoreRead More
The Dalai Lama, Reefer Frenzy, Giant Monsters, and Beyond!
What does the Dalai Lama have to do with panic over “marihuana,” a backwoodsman political hero, wartime San Francisco noir, Ronald Reagan, an Egyptian mummy, President Taft’s bathtub, and a ... Read MoreRead More
Embracing Proficiency: The Social Media Sutra, Part 1
In a series of six posts, I delve into teachings from early Buddhist scriptures to help us break free from our social media addiction. These teachings come from the Vitakkasanthana ... Read MoreRead More
Conquering the Shadows of Self-Doubt
Someone recently reached out to me, seeking advice on dealing with overwhelming self-doubt. This person had been meditating regularly for about a month but suddenly felt consumed by deep self-resentment. ... Read MoreRead More
Contemplating Mortality: A Surprising Path to Enriched Living
Most people think reflecting on their own death would be depressing. Why focus on something so bleak? Surprisingly, thinking about death can actually make you happier and a better person. ... Read MoreRead More
The Seven Common Challenges New Meditators Face (and Ways to Conquer Them)
I was recently invited to write a couple of paragraphs on the main frustrations beginners face when starting meditation and ways to overcome them. Although a couple of paragraphs weren’t ... Read MoreRead More
The Dalai Lama, Cannabis Craze, Giant Monsters, and Beyond!
What does the Dalai Lama have to do with various bizarre and intriguing cultural references like moral panics over marijuana, a backwoodsman-turned-politician, noir intrigues in wartime San Francisco, Ronald Reagan, ... Read MoreRead More
The Third Noble Truth – The Path to Liberation from Suffering
The Third Noble Truth flows directly from the Second one: the end of suffering occurs when you stop clinging. In simpler terms, letting go leads to happiness. If you let ... Read MoreRead More