Exploring the interface between Buddhist teachings, meditation techniques, academic Buddhist Studies, and the practical application of them into our lives as lay Buddhists
Conditionality is one of my favourite subjects for investigation and I have learned a lot over the years by teasing apart the role that conditions play in much of our lives and activities from the things that we feel we are responsible for. This post has been inspired by my real life practice, in this … Continue reading Conditions, Conditions, Conditions
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
In last week’s blog I was exploring how our hopes and wishes make no difference if the right conditions aren’t in place, with conditions changing so much at the moment it was no surprise that I quickly found myself with a change of conditions that gave me an opportunity to examine the many different aspects … Continue reading On The Run
Let me start with a story. Six weeks ago I was released from hospital. I went in for a planned operation on the Monday and was out by the Wednesday. The operation itself wasn't complicated but it required an abdominal incision so I knew in advance that the healing process was going to be a … Continue reading Not the Storm and Not the Boat
Life has been somewhat up and down for me recently, I have been taken away from my usual routines to deal with the sharp end of being alive - namely sickness, old age, and death. But at the same time I found myself in a curious juxtaposition: in the same week I both attended the … Continue reading Three Wedding Days and a Funeral
There’s a song that goes “Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug”. Sometimes things go for you and sometimes things go against you, we have all experienced being on the receiving end of both sides of life. We all know that these ups and downs are part and parcel of life. The Buddha knew … Continue reading The Worldly Winds Will Always Blow
Kalyana Mitta 