We suffer because we don’t let go of ourselves. The habituated discriminatory mind is instrumental in continuing this suffering; meditation is the voluntary freeing of this life from suffering. There is no meditation without letting go of the discriminatory mind. Since suffering is the refusal to let go of selfish concern, the remedy […]
Everything to do with us Read More »
Loving Impermanence Impermanence is an inescapable feature of a compassionate reality. The ability to adapt, make, and use things, is a quality human beings possess. On the most basic level, manipulating stuff is essential for wellbeing and survival, and this is nothing but impermanence too. Obstructions appear when our creation and use of things (including
Loving Impermanence Read More »
Do Be Doing No amount of doing can produce a fulfilling life. Doing is either an expression of fulfilment, or it is contributing to creating an illusion of it. The manifesting of fulfilment is vastly different from actions that are chasing reward. Of necessity, the former is doing without need, so it is activity without
Sickness, old age and death Sickness, old age and death are not party poopers. If you fear there imminence and see these facets of existence as ruining the show, then you have a problem that is a self imposed problem. A problem that is being created through ignorance. Thankfully, awareness of a problem includes awareness
Sickness, old age and death Read More »
Views and Opinions We can all hold on to our views and opinions, nothing is stopping us or telling us it is wrong to do so. Everything is constantly and lovingly telling us that it is a mistake though. If we want to experience the liberating true nature of existence, we have to be willing
Views and Opinions Read More »
Desert Island Precepts Occasionally, I have taken experiences onto a deserted island thought experiment. There isn’t a problem that cannot be resolved on that island. I find myself on a deserted island without knowing how I got there. The island is large and fertile. The initial shock to my nervous system and psyche is deeply
Desert Island Precepts Read More »
In Praise of True Endeavour Spiritual awakening is not a fantasy, its activity is not conceptual. Awakening to the fullness in life, is realizing that there are no obstacles and no fundamental difficulties. Every day is an opportunity to study this in detail and to ease into the enjoyment of existence. With the slightest avoidance
In Praise of True Endeavour Read More »
Joy again Only it’s never— again. Joy-in-being doesn’t come and go, it is never in comparison to anything, including in time. And it’s never what I think it will be, there isn’t something that I can find to label joy. All the same, when I stop scratching around in habitual consciousness for a moment,
Space There is a quality of existence that doesn’t come, go, or stay. This quality has no shape, colour, or size. It manifests completely as the smallest things as much as the large. No location to this quality can be found. Space is a good likeness to this quality. If you are sitting
Kinds of Kindness In the 1990’s, in my mid – twenties and a new member of the monastic community at Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey, I was asked by the temple officers to phone a long standing supplier and give notice that that the monastery was ceasing our regular order of tea. The community and guest
