Got Milk?

A lyric comes to mind this morning from my late friend Malcolm Holcombe: “Givin’ is the gift of life.” Every day we have the opportunity to practice the perfection of giving, helping other living beings while improving our own good qualities.

So many distractions impede the natural stillness of our mind. Before checking your phone in the morning, check your mind. If we take the time to put aside distractions, we can experience deeper love and wisdom. More happiness. Kadam Adam Starr discusses. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/l...

Patience is a mental virtue, but it’s not a substitute for action. If we can fulfill our wishes, then there’s no reason for an unhappy mind to arise. And if there’s absolutely no way we can fulfill our wishes, then there’s no reason to be unhappy.

A new discovery for me, an ode to mindfulness and acceptance: Pearl Jam’s “Present Tense.” Hope you enjoy.

From EDM to an exhibition hall with more than 400 booths: The Seoul International Buddhism Expo drew 250,000 visitors over four days. What’s your take?

In our fraught times, focusing on how I can make a difference cherishing others through the practice of the Four Givings: giving material things, giving fearlessness/protection, giving Dharma, and giving love.

How do we relate to the monkey mind? Is it dominating our consciousness or do we have the wherewithal to quiet it? Our minds may wander, but we can subdue the endless river of thoughts. JoAnn Fox investigates on her podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...

We should not have expectations about our meditation practice or grasp at results. Every time we meditate we are engaging in a virtuous action that will increase the peacefulness of our mind and our potential to benefit others.

“What makes karma unique is that it involves intentional action…In order for a causal process to be a karmic one, it must involve an individual whose intention would lead to a particular action. It is this specific type of causal mechanism which is known as karma.” - 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso

The glass is empty; it’s merely a matter of what we impute.

Attaining a clear mind is not as difficult as you may think! Enjoy a guided meditation with Kadam Lucy James.

Matthieu Ricard, a Buddhist monk trained as a molecular biologist, and Wolf Singer, a distinguished neuroscientist, offer their perspectives on the unconscious and the role of meditation in resolving conflicts that arise at levels inaccessible to conscious processing.

“Acknowledging fear is not a cause for depression or discouragement. Because we possess such fear, we are also potentially entitled to experience fearlessness. True fearlessness is not the reduction of fear, but going beyond fear.”   - Chögyam Trungpa

Tonglen, also known as taking and giving, combines meditating on loving-kindness with meditating on compassion to release pain and suffering – for us and other living beings.

Wishing you a happy one...

May I be peaceful and light in my body and in my mind. May I be safe and free from accidents. May I be free from anger, unwholesome states of mind, fear and worries. May I know how to look at myself with the eyes of understanding and compassion.

Samsara Sucks

What kinds of minds produce the political and societal choices that lead to suffering and division – and how can we resist injustice while not letting our mind be deluded by anger. This thoughtful piece probes the Buddhist view on power and compassion in our times.

‘When we practise Buddhism, we are doing what the Buddha did." - Geshe Tashi Tsering

There’s no denying how our mind is caught up in the past and future, with the present moment eluding us. We dwell on memories, interpretations, goals, ideals, etc. Zenki Roshi discusses how to be complete today.

Mindfulness isn’t free. You have to pay attention.

If stats are your thing: The Pew Research Center has released five facts about Buddhists in the U.S. Interesting, but don’t think there were any great surprises.

I try to subdue my monkey mind – with varying levels of success. Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche provides advice on relating to the monkey mind so you can make your mind calmer, kinder, wise.

The self we ordinarily “see” and think about is merely an imputation, a projection of our mind – not unlike images being projected on a screen by a projector. So by cultivating a happy, free mind we can identify with that “person” instead of a negative version. How liberating!

In this powerful podcast, Shelley discusses how she uses Buddhist principles in her role as a CEO and how her practice was essential in her personal struggle with cancer. It illustrates how challenges can fuel our spiritual growth and help us throughout daily life.

For this Sunday, a beautiful musical piece, “Praising the Buddha,” from the Thich Nhat Hanh memorial ceremonies. Wishing all a peaceful day.

Creative imagination can bring a new dimension to breathing meditation – in this case a visualization to free us of negativity and fill us with inspiration & peacefulness. Known to some as black and white breathing, it’s a great practice to relax & let go of stress. Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Experiencing a peaceful mind that we generate gives us the confidence to subdue negative minds, such as anger or attachment. For instance, the spaciousness and calm we experience from breathing meditation shows us that we have the potential to strengthen our minds of love, compassion, joy…

“To be genuine, compassion must be based on respect for the other, and on the realization that others have the right to be happy and overcome suffering just as much as you do.” - 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso

Meet Buddharoid: Japan’s AI-powered robot monk trained in centuries of Buddhist scripture.

Without inner peace, outer peace is impossible.

Lately, I’ve been studying and meditating on different aspects of karma, which is so misunderstood in our society. It’s often used to judge and/or demean others when it should be used as a mirror for our own actions of body, speech and mind. Here’s a good primer on karma.

While we seek to reduce attachment, we can still appreciate joy from external sources. It’s matter of striking a balance (the middle way) as we continue to grow our genuine happiness and well-being from within.

Equanimity is a beautiful mind that holds a warm and friendly attitude toward all beings, thereby strengthening our love and compassion.

Another scientific study confirms what practitioners have experienced for thousands of years: Meditation is a state of heightened cerebral activity that profoundly alters brain dynamics. Scientists analyzed the brain activity of meditating monks using magnetoencephalography.

The mind has a way of interpreting our external world...different minds, different realities...