Author Archives: admin

Buddhas in the Furniture Shop

SnapShot I see them near the wall that holds the potpourri, the candles. The really nice upholstered pillows, plus a nice tall wooden giraffe. Two Buddhas, meditating on the ineffability of how they are here, for sale at Pier 1 … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

What is invisible to humans

If you have developed great capacity and cutting insight, you can undertake Zen right where you are. Without getting it from another, you understand it on your own. The penetrating spiritual light and vast open tranquility have never been interrupted … Continue reading

Posted in Quotes | Tagged , | Comments Off on What is invisible to humans

The dharma can’t fit in with our life

“Now we have the attitude of, ‘Well, how does the dharma fit in with my life?’ The dharma can’t fit in with our life. The dharma is our life, and it’s not about convenience.” ~  Natalie Goldberg from “Face-to-Face with … Continue reading

Posted in Quotes | Tagged | Comments Off on The dharma can’t fit in with our life

Not because the Buddha Said So

“When you admit to yourself, ‘I must make this change to be more happy’—not because the Buddha said so, but because your heart recognized a deep truth—you must devote all your energy to making the change. You need strong determination … Continue reading

Posted in Quotes | Tagged | Comments Off on Not because the Buddha Said So

When pain happens to us, how do we react?

Serendipity landed two e-mails from very different sources in my e-mail box this morning, but addressing the exact same subject:  dealing with the challenge of pain. As you can see from the quotes, the  ‘pain’ referred to is not just … Continue reading

Posted in Quotes | Tagged | Comments Off on When pain happens to us, how do we react?

Area Retreats: Lama Kathy at Saranam near Elkins, W.Va.

Retreats WHO: Lama Kathy Wesley (Gyurme Chötsö) WHAT: “Guidebook to Compassion: The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva” WHEN: Nov. 3-4, 2012 WHERE: Saranam, a secluded retreat house on a hilltop just north of Elkins, W.Va. DETAILS: The Thirty-Seven Practices of … Continue reading

Posted in Events | Tagged | Comments Off on Area Retreats: Lama Kathy at Saranam near Elkins, W.Va.

Awareness itself is our primary human currency

“Awareness itself is the primary currency of the human condition, and as such it deserves to be spent carefully. Sitting quietly in a serene environment, letting go of the various petty disturbances that roil and diminish consciousness, and experiencing as … Continue reading

Posted in Quotes | Tagged | Comments Off on Awareness itself is our primary human currency

Don’t feel disturbed by the thinking mind

Sayadaw U Tejaniya gives essential tips for observing the moment in mindfulness meditation From Tricycle.com. BEFORE WE START practicing mindfulness meditation, we must know how to practice. We need to have the right information and a clear understanding of the … Continue reading

Posted in Meditation, Quotes | Comments Off on Don’t feel disturbed by the thinking mind

Handling Thoughts With Care

“People are often careless about the thoughts they give rise to, assuming that once they forget about a thought, that thought is finished. This is not true. Once you give rise to a thought, it keeps functioning, and eventually its … Continue reading

Posted in Quotes | Tagged | Comments Off on Handling Thoughts With Care

When the Eight Worldy Winds blow

“Equanimity is a protection from what are called the Eight Worldly Winds: praise and blame, success and failure, pleasure and pain, fame and disrepute. Becoming attached to or excessively elated with success, praise, fame, or pleasure can be a setup … Continue reading

Posted in Quotes | Tagged | Comments Off on When the Eight Worldy Winds blow

Three phrases worth recalling

‘No matter what comes up, we can learn new ways of being with it.’ ‘We have a capacity to meet any thought or emotion with mindfulness and balance.’ ‘Whatever disagreeable emotion is coursing through us, we can let it go.’ … Continue reading

Posted in Quotes | Tagged | Comments Off on Three phrases worth recalling

A few words on the ancient masters

“The ancient masters slept without dreams and woke up without worries. Their food was plain. Their breath came from deep inside them. They didn’t cling to life, weren’t anxious about death. They emerged without desire and reentered without resistance. They … Continue reading

Posted in Quotes | Comments Off on A few words on the ancient masters

The Inexhaustible Treasure of Potential

image source There is a vast potential, latent within human beings that remains undiscovered because of the limitations placed on consciousness by habitual preoccupations. The recommendation that all cravings be relinquished does not mean that detachment itself is the goal; … Continue reading

Posted in Quotes | Tagged | Comments Off on The Inexhaustible Treasure of Potential

Meditation will not carry you to another world

“Meditation will not carry you to another world, but it will reveal the most profound and awesome dimensions of the world in which you already live. Calmly contemplating these dimensions and bringing them into the service of compassion and kindness … Continue reading

Posted in Meditation, Quotes | Tagged , | Comments Off on Meditation will not carry you to another world

Why love and compassion make us feel safe

Excerpt of image of “Buddha’s Blue Meditation” by Paul Heussenstamm from mandalas.com What is anger? As Tulku Urgyen taught, a deluded emotion like anger is a movement of the mind not knowing its own nature. Anger is a strong aversion … Continue reading

Posted in Quotes | Tagged | Comments Off on Why love and compassion make us feel safe