Find Inner Peace and Relaxation with Calm Minds Meditation
One major emotional trigger for cruel and unkind behavior is resentment. Resentment occurs when we hold onto past hurt, trapping ourselves in a cycle of blame. Unable to move on, ... Read MoreRead More
The idea of “free will” is challenging to reconcile with Buddhism. Generally, the concept is considered significant because, in some belief systems, God rewards or punishes us based on our ... Read MoreRead More
The Second Noble Truth explains the main cause of our suffering: clinging to anything and everything. The bad news is that suffering is part of our lives. The good news ... Read MoreRead More
Recently, a member of Wildmind’s community reminded me of an article titled “The Surprising Downsides of Empathy” from the BBC website, which was published about two and a half years ... Read MoreRead More
The Buddha taught that we can replace unhelpful thoughts, which cause unnecessary suffering, with more positive ones. It’s similar to how a carpenter uses a smaller peg to push out ... Read MoreRead More
This extract is taken from the introduction to my current course on Mudita, which is part of a broader series on the brahma-viharas, also known as the “immeasurables.” Mudita, the ... Read MoreRead More
On his journey to enlightenment, the Buddha-to-be spent many years avoiding pleasure and building his tolerance for discomfort. During this time, he practiced austerities, or ‘tapas’, which literally means “heat.” ... Read MoreRead More
In the tradition I follow, both lovingkindness (metta bhavana) and mindfulness meditation are seen as equally important. However, my informal surveys indicate that about a third of long-term practitioners have ... Read MoreRead More
Many people find it challenging to grasp the Buddhist concept of anatta, or non-self, which is understandable due to its complexity. The idea that no single “self” controls our thoughts ... Read MoreRead More
A common struggle people face in meditation is that their thoughts are more vivid than their direct experience of their body. This often results in an internal tug-of-war where attention ... Read MoreRead More
If you know my meditation teaching style, you’re likely aware that I’ve focused on the concept of having “soft eyes” for years. “Soft eyes” encapsulates three ideas: keeping the eye ... Read MoreRead More
We all tend to be hard on ourselves for things we did wrong in the past or think we did wrong. It’s important to forgive ourselves. When we don’t, we ... Read MoreRead More
Embracing Our Flaws Some people can accept their less attractive traits without much distress. Others develop ways to hide these imperfections, while some convince themselves that their shortcomings justify harmful ... Read MoreRead More
In a series of six posts, I’m breaking down how we can overcome our addiction to social media using teachings from early Buddhist scriptures, specifically the Vitakkasanthana Sutta. This text ... Read MoreRead More
In a series of six posts, I’ll explain, using early Buddhist teachings, how we can free ourselves from our addiction to social media. These teachings are found in the Vitakkasanthana ... Read MoreRead More
I’m making dinner for my kids while they tackle their homework in another room. I’m chopping vegetables, whipping up a peanut butter sauce, frying tofu, and stirring rice. Multitasking isn’t ... Read MoreRead More
The Buddha taught that we can replace unhelpful thoughts, which cause us unnecessary suffering, with more beneficial ones. He likened this to how a carpenter dislodges a wooden peg from ... Read MoreRead More
Life as a battle is a common metaphor—even in Buddhist teachings. Bodhipaksa shows how the Buddha turned the language of violence around to show that true heroism is practicing love. ... Read MoreRead More
It’s funny—I’ve known since I was 13 that January is named after the god Janus, who has two faces: one looking forward and one backward. Now, it strikes me how ... Read MoreRead More
Free will is the ability to choose among different actions without any obstacles. Most people think everyone always has free will, except in specific situations like hypnosis or mental illness. ... Read MoreRead More
If you’ve ever meditated, you know how often we have to steer our minds back to our breathing, nurturing kindness, or another point of focus. Yet, we continuously get sidetracked ... Read MoreRead More