Exploring the interface between Buddhist teachings, meditation techniques, academic Buddhist Studies, and the practical application of them into our lives as lay Buddhists
When we commit ourselves to a practice sometimes it can be easy to forget that what we are ultimately aiming for is some kind of happiness. We can get so caught up in mastering particular techniques or work so hard on our mindfulness and ethical behaviour that we end up perpetually earnest, feeling like we … Continue reading Non-Desire and Strategies for Happiness
Living as lay people can sometimes feel like we are trapped or hampered by the constraints of the conventional world – the need to work, to follow rules and customs that have no bearing outside of that situation, and the need to do things that appear to have no relationship to our practice. The menial … Continue reading The Meaningful Grind
Last week I touched on the subject of techniques that help us to develop equanimity and there are many techniques of a similar kind that help us to loosen the grip of self-view, to see through our mistaken sense of permanence, and to understand dukkha. The Thai Forest lineage of Ajahn Chah is particularly rich … Continue reading Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps
Awareness is a very common word in meditation, but if you read my blog often then you’ll have noticed that I rarely use some of the more common phrases attached to modern meditation practice, like rest in awareness, non-judgemental awareness, and others of this sort. Some people prefer this kind of language, finding the Pāli … Continue reading Trust in Awareness
Kalyana Mitta 