Exploring the interface between Buddhist teachings, meditation techniques, academic Buddhist Studies, and the practical application of them into our lives as lay Buddhists
When you have access to Dhamma talks, sutta studies, essays, retreat recordings, guided meditations and books from some of the most well practiced people on the planet available to you 24/7 it can be easy to forget that our own ordinary lives are rich in sources of learning. I've always taken a fascination with the … Continue reading The Dhamma of the Everyday
The early days of practice can be an amazing time. You are full of enthusiasm, bursting to learn everything you can, champing at the bit to throw yourself into new challenges, and every day feels like a progression. Naturally this level of intensity wears off as your practice stops being something new and becomes part … Continue reading The Ruts That Lead to Better Places
The limitations of lockdown have given me, and many other practictioners, the opportunity to spend our now spare time doing some extra work that we don’t usually have the time or space to focus on. For me this has involved some gentle striving, a bit of finding my edges and seeing if I can go … Continue reading Finding The Middle Way
Watching a Dhamma Q&A this week I noticed there was something of a theme in the questions. Many of them revolved around asking about ways to alleviate fear, pain, grief, or anger. While it isn't unusual to ask these kinds of questions, even of ourselves, I wondered if this was part of a tendency we … Continue reading No Feelings? No Chance
On top of everything else that is going on, one issue that a lot of people are dealing with right now is trying to get along with each other. Lockdown has unexpectedly led to us spending more time than usual in the company of our loved ones. But just because you love someone it doesn’t … Continue reading Like Milk and Water
Life is always uncertain but at the moment that uncertainty seems more apparent than usual. At times like this naturally we take refuge in our practices, but while they can support us through testing times they often don't give us clear situation specific instructions to follow. We are never really told what to do. Instead … Continue reading Metta For Fear
How do you become a Buddhist? Is it complicated? Well no, actually, it can be very simple. In some traditions all you need to do is take the three refuges, these being the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha. The Buddha is of course the Buddha himself, the Dhamma is the teachings, and the Sangha … Continue reading The Three Refuges
If you know anything about Buddhism then the phrase ‘letting go’ is nothing new to you. We all know that letting go can be hard, but sometimes we don’t even realise that we haven’t let go because we can’t recognise that we are holding on to something. We might think that we have no problems … Continue reading Living Without Resistance
‘You don’t believe in God though, do you? Or reincarnation, I mean that’s just silly.’ For Westerners coming to Buddhism, often from a background of a theistic religion like Christianity or Judaism, the initial appeal of it is that you don’t need to believe in anything. Jaded by their experience of the dogma and the … Continue reading Love For All Beings
The five precepts are the most basic Buddhist practice and yet working with them can be anything but simple. These five directions - to not kill, not steal, not have inappropriate sexual relationships, not lie, and not drink or take drugs that cause carelessness - are the foundation of a Buddhist practice. When the Buddha … Continue reading Which Bus Are You Catching?
Kalyana Mitta 