Recently I have had a number of conversations with people who have described how their practice has turned a corner and how they’ve discovered a new approach to meditation. Almost certainly all of these individuals had already heard teachings on how trying too hard to overcome obstructions didn’t help; how what was needed was a willingness to receive all they encountered along the way and to under…

The Buddha shows us the path to the Deathless. But how does that relate to my daily life in the kitchen with my kids and my dog? Well, check out the mind when it’s not clinging: when you are relaxed, not wanting anything, not going anywhere, not wanting to become something, in a moment of profound relaxation, in the now. How does it feel to be in the moment? Check out the peace that is there when…

To reach a deeper understanding of anatta we simplify our perspective on life’s events by observing our experiences as bodily sensations, feelings, perceptions, mental constructs, sensory phenomena. In other words we observe the changing nature of the khandhas. If this objective perspective is missing we easily get caught up with the narrative or story line that each life situation generates. For…

The worldly, mundane aspect of Right View involves a clear understanding of cause and effect: whatever causes we put in, results will follow. It states that there are results of good or wholesome causes and of bad and unwholesome ones, that there’s this life and rebirth into another life, and that this life is not a one-shot deal where we are born, die, and are annihilated without rhyme or reason…

Some people also fall into what I call the tranquillity trap. They think that meditation is all about tranquillity, so they do lots of sitting meditation and follow a quiet, peaceful lifestyle. They may even eat less and be less active. They notice that when the body calms down the mind calms down, and when they see some results, they adopt this as a habit. However, often the mind calms down not b…

It is possible to have freedom from a mind that seems compulsively locked into habits and mind movements. We have the ability to completely put aside those habits and rest in a silent, quiet, spacious, aware, calm, and devotional place. The path that leads to this place is the path laid out by the Buddha—a transformative path releasing us from the habits of mind that cause us suffering. As far as…

So here we are with our breath. Sometimes we’ve also got pain and at other times distractions — sometimes both together — and we tend to regard them as mosquitoes swarming around as we meditate. We’d like to swat them and get rid of them so we can actually get down to the real business of meditating. But dealing with the distractions, dealing with the pain is the real business of the meditation. W…

The qualities of great heart are warm-heartedness, compassion, joyfulness, love and warmth for other people. Anukampati means ‘to resonate with’. It’s often translated as compassion, but it also means that you share the happiness of others. You feel gladdened by other people’s good fortune. You see the good in others and that lifts you. You see the good deeds and the lovable qualities of other peo…

Better than if there were thousands of meaningless words is one meaningful word that on hearing brings peace. Better than if there were thousands of meaningless verses is one meaningful line of verse that on hearing brings peace. And better than chanting hundreds of meaningless verses is one Dhamma-saying that on hearing brings peace. This reflection from the Pāli Canon is from Thousands, Dhammap…

We take suffering as a great misfortune. We take the things that stop us in our tracks as a great misfortune, but actually they can be blessings. While you’re getting ahead, succeeding and coming out on top, how much do you stop and listen? There is no need to, is there? When life is fun, who needs to be wise? When we contemplate dukkha (suffering) we begin to be aware of that. We get stopped in o…