The Buddha was born with the name Siddhārtha Gautama sometime around 563 BC in the small kingdom of the Shakya republic in what is now known as the town of Lumbini in Napal. His father was Śuddhodana, King of the Shakya clan. His mother, Queen Maha Maya, died during childbirth and he was raised by […]
Foundations Of Buddhist Thought – The Eightfold Path
June 26, 2013 by
In the previous segment of the Foundations of Buddhist Thought, we learned about The Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path is the fourth noble truth of the Buddha. The elements of The Eightfold Path can be characterized in three groups, which serve as the cornerstones of Buddhist practice. The first group is […]
Foundations Of Buddhist Thought – The Four Noble Truths
June 25, 2013 by
The foundations of Buddhist thought begin with the Four Noble Truths. These truths came to the Buddha after six years of ascetic practice when he sat alone under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India. The first noble truth is known as the truth of suffering. Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh likes to refer to it […]
The Five Remembrances
June 24, 2013 by
The Five Remembrances help us to embrace the realities of life. We all will grow old, get sick, and die. There is no escape. When we contemplate them daily, we get a perspective on life that is skillful and wholesome. Many versions exist. This version is from the Plum Village Chanting Book by Zen Master […]
Practicing Right View – Thich Nhat Hanh
June 22, 2013 by
The following quote is from my teacher, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. He talks about practicing right view in order to relieve our suffering. Right View is one of the elements of the Eightfold path along with Right Speech, Right Thought, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Diligence, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. As the first […]
Stories We Tell Ourselves
June 19, 2013 by
This quote is from Sharon Salzberg, a renowned teacher of vipassana meditation and co-founder of the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies with Joseph Goldstein. She is especially known for her teachings on loving kindness meditation. Mindfulness helps us get better at seeing the difference between what’s happening and the stories we tell ourselves about what’s happening, stories that […]
Voluntary Control Over Involuntary States
June 18, 2013 by
Swami Rama of the Himalayas came to the United States in 1969. I met him in the suburbs of Chicago in 1970. He was my first “root” teacher and his teachings have been with me since then. He was a genuine yogi with extraordinary yogic powers. Swami Rama was invited to the Menninger Foundation in 1970 […]
The Most Beautiful Spiritual Poem
June 17, 2013 by
In my very first yoga class in 1970 with Dr. Arya, now Swami Veda Bharati, and Swami Rama of the Himalayas I learned a very important lesson. After teaching me to relax and to meditate, using practices I still utilize and teach today, he spoke about celebrating transitions. He talked about celebrations, like weddings, graduations, […]
To Desire What You Don’t Have…
June 16, 2013 by
Happy Father’s Day! I once attended a weekend retreat led by Ken Keyes. He is the founder of the Living Love method and author of Handbook to Higher Consciousness. It was at that retreat in 1974 that I first set eyes on Mala, my wife now of 32 years. Mala was the chef at the Living […]
Freedom From Knowing
June 14, 2013 by
I interviewed Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson on May 26, 2011. Earlier that month, I had completed my job as an expert witness and software development engineer for the Technical Committee of the Department of Justice monitoring Microsoft’s compliance with the settlement agreement. The contract began in 2004 and was to be only six weeks! It […]
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