A Marine And An Army Veteran

An Orchid for Peace

This article is related to two previous articles. The first one is on Jon Kabat-Zinn‘s consultation with top leaders in the United Kingdom last week about cutting health care costs (see Mindfulness In Health Care) and yesterday’s article about US Marines getting mindfulness training and yoga (see Marines Learning Push Ups For The Brain). On April 8, [...]

The Next Buddha May Be A Sangha

Thich Nhat Hanh

The Weekly Words of Wisdom chosen by Lama Surya Das were spoken by my teacher, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. I have heard him say many times over the years of practice with him that the next Buddha may be a sangha – a community of practitioners working together to bring peace, love, and joy to [...]

The Sound Of The Bell

Mindfulness Bell, Upper Hamlet, March 19, 2006

The bell of mindfulness is one of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh‘s most remarkable teachings. He teaches us to stop and take three breaths whenever we hear the sound of the bell. The bell could be our doorbell, our cell phone, or the beautiful bell that you will find in all Buddhist monasteries and practice [...]

Non-Attachment to Views

17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje

This week’s Words of Wisdom from Lama Surya Das are from the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje. The 17th Karmapa is the leader of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. “When spiritual beliefs are used to build up walls between people, this is a total misunderstanding of the purpose of spirituality. Spirituality should mean coming [...]

Samsara And The Realms Of Existence

Taming the monkey mind

This video came to me courtesy of my friend, Bhikkhu Samahita. He lives as a monk in Sri Lanka and sends me emails everyday. This one is about samsara and the realms of existence. Samsara refers to the Buddhist concept of our ordinary life as humans in a world of various activities that keep our [...]

Getting Unstuck With Pema Chodron

Getting Unstuck with Pema Chodron

This video is about getting unstuck with Pema Chodron. The talk was sponsored by Sounds True and was titled, “Fear and Fearlessness.” Pema is an American born nun in the Shambhala Tibetan Buddhist tradition of Chogyam Trungpa Rimpoche. She is the abbess of Gampo Abbey on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Her life experience as a [...]

The Buddhist Teaching of Non-Self

Thich Nhat Hanh in Deer Park 2004

In a recent post on Best Meditation Videos, I asked the question, “Is there a self?” The post was inspired by a video featuring Dr. Thomas Metzinger, a philosophy professor and cognitive scientist. His answer to my questions is, “No!” The Buddhist teachings on non-self were outlined in that post. Here, we provide deeper look into the [...]

Is There A Self?

This video came to me from a good friend, Bhikku Samahita, a monk in Sri Lanka. Every day, he send me emails on Buddhist topics. The speaker in this Ted Talk is Dr. Thomas Metzinger, a German philosopher and cognitive scientist. He talks about the self-model theory of subjectivity and demonstrates that there is no self. [...]

Wishing Happiness for Others

Shantideva

Shantideva was an 8th century Buddhist scholar. The story goes that he was, like the Buddha, born into a princely life. And, like the Buddha, he gave up his kingdom to become a monk. He couldn’t be bothered with politics and court proceedings. As a student, he was known to avoid his fellow monks. He [...]

Christian Wisdom From Meister Eckhart

Meister Eckhart

Meister Eckhart was an influential fourteenth century Christian mystic. His given name was Eckhart von Hochheim. He lived in Germany and was a member of the  Dominican Order. He was kind of a revolutionary for his time, He was tried as a heretic by the inquisition led by Franciscan monks. No verdict seems to have [...]