Sharon Salzberg is here again with words of wisdom about an experiment in happiness. She is talking about doing a retreat with the attitude of a scientist – just as an experiment. I think, in terms of a retreat, one of the best attitudes to have altogether is to see it as an experiment. You’re […]
To Desire What You Don’t Have is to Waste What You Do Have
“To desire what you don’t have is to waste what you do have.” This mantra was repeated over and over to our children as the grew up. They would always want more clothes, more toys, more shiny objects, more chocolate, and much more, as children often do. This was my wife’s favorite saying to calm […]
If You Want to be Happy Be Grateful
The one thing all humans have in common is that each of us wants to be happy, says Brother David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk and interfaith scholar. And happiness, he suggests, is born from gratitude. If you want to be happy be grateful. The Dalai Lama puts it this way: I believe that the purpose […]
Joy is Great for Your Happiness
Did you know that joy is great for your happiness and health? That’s right! According to Dr. Lissa Rankin, MD in her book, Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself, people who experience a lot of joy in their lives tend to be happier, live longer, and be in better health than […]
Forgiveness Training with Jack Kornfield
Happy New Year! Since this is the last day of the year, it is a great time to think about forgiveness so we can enter the new year with joy and happiness. The subject of this video is a forgiveness training with Jack Kornfield. It was presented at the Greater Good Science Center in Berkeley, […]
Loving Kindness Meditation with Gil Fronsdal
It is with great pleasure that I present this Loving Kindness Meditation with Gil Fronsdal. The text is from his book, The Issue at Hand. The book is offered as a gift to the community. It is freely given and available online. I found this to be so instructive that I want to share this […]
Dan Gilbert, The Guru of Happiness
Dan Gilbert is the guru of happiness. Some people say that he is the world’s foremost expert on happiness. Then why is he talking about the psychology of your future self in this Ted Talk video? He come right out and asks, “Why do we make decisions that our future selves often regret?” He tells […]
Ethics from the Heart
These words of wisdom from Lin Jensen talk about the precepts of Buddhism. Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, known as Thay by his followers, likes to call these Mindfulness Trainings. In either case, they teach us to practice ethics from the heart. The Zen attitude about the precepts corresponds quite nicely with Thay’s teachings. In […]
Dwelling in Peace
Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, known as Thay by his followers, is famous for his teachings on happiness. One of his teachings is that happiness and suffering inter-are. That is, happiness and suffering are interdependent on each other. You can’t have one without the other. Many of us exist in a state of constant suffering. […]
The Happiness of the Buddha
Today, we have words of wisdom from two respected teachers on the happiness of the Buddha. The first quote is from Ajahn Chah, the great Thai forest teacher of Theravada Buddhism who taught the likes of Jack Kornfield and inspired the formation of many practice centers all over the world. His reputation as a spiritual […]
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