Smashing States of Consciousness
This is what all the great teachers show: Zen is the practice of anarchy (an-arche) in the strictest and most super-orthodox sense. It rejects all
Category: Meditation
What Are the Five Hindrances?
The five hindrances are negative states of mind that are impediments to Buddhist practice. They are often most clearly seen, and arise as obstacles, in
How to Have True Peace and Happiness
This restless mind is indeed a source of great suffering. Our mind is at all times craving for satisfaction from external objects: beautiful sights, music,
SIMILE: The Six Animals
“Suppose that a man, wounded and festering, were to go into a swampy jungle. Its sharp-bladed grasses would pierce his feet; its thorns would scratch
An Effective Way to Work With Our Mind
This thing we call mind is very wild. The human experience is full of unpredictability and paradox, joys and sorrows, successes and failures. We can’t
Understanding the Path
If you really want to contemplate down to the true elemental nature of things in a subtle way, you have to develop the path that
The Kind of People We Are
We all are extremely fortunate. We should make ourselves happy and glad that we have the opportunity to practice, to train ourselves. This is something
The 5 Precepts
The five precepts are a set of training rules that the Buddha laid out for his followers. Buddhist monks follow over 200 training rules, but
Effort
Time and again the Buddha has stressed the need for effort, for diligence, exertion, and unflagging perseverance. The reason why effort is so crucial is
The Road to Nirvana
There’s an old saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, but that’s not really the case. The road to hell is