How do we forgive? Do we forgive at all, or should we carry a heavy grudge? It is important to forgive transgressions. Not necessarily forget, but forgive. We must also learn to forgive ourselves for our faults, our missteps. Often we are our own worst and hardest critic. It is vital to learn to forgive [...]
Many times people equate being blessed with material well-being, meaning one has many possessions. This is not the case. Often instead of you owning the possessions, the possessions wind up owning you! You work hard to get them and then often have to work harder to keep them or upgrade them. Blessings are not tied [...]
Have compassion for all sentient beings causing them no unnecessary hurt nor needless harm.
Refrain from needless competitiveness, from contriving for self-advantage and from subjugating others.
When accepting authority over others know also that you accept responsibility for their wellbeing.
Value true friendship and fulfill your obligations rather than striving with egotistical motive.
Seek liberation from the negative [...]
By concentrating on whatever object or form one may wish, the mind can becomes stable and tranquil. Meditate on the object of your choice. What we are looking for here is one-pointedness. Obviously, we want to concentrate on something that can lead us to peace. Wisdom should guide the choice of object for concentration.
We already [...]
In the book The Hermits of Rishikesh: a Sociological Survey by, Augusthy Keemattam, he describes a hermit as the following:
A hermit is one who has withdrawn from ordinary social life for apparently religious motive;
lives in solitude, not following a common rule;
is not limited by sect or tradition, even when an apparent adherent; [...]
Imagine a mind free from that is free from the chains of desire. One way to do this practice is to think of some great sage, yogi, or spiritual person you admire and respect. Use your imagination to pretend what their mind would be like if they were sitting quietly next to you for meditation. [...]
Having everything, who needs any type of spiritual path? This is the great danger of living in a prosperous land. A surplus of wealth can produce spiritual bankruptcy that can only be filled by finding a path that leads us to real peace. It is not a coincidence that in history, many sages have found [...]
Last night, it was cold, I was tired, I really did not feel like meditating but here I was sitting on the hardwood floor. I would much rather been in bed under the electric blanket. To not meditate at night as I normally do would bring pangs of guilt. Perhaps this is a good type [...]
One of the best ways to stabilize and calm the mind is by being aware of your breathing. First, become aware of the gaps between the breaths, and allow them to be smooth as silk, natural, without any type of abrupt transition, and without consciously pausing between breaths. Pay attention and practice seeing how delicately [...]
When we see people who we perceive to be bad or evil, we may feel confused. We may believe that all people have a Buddha-nature within, yet we feel anger and frustrated by the actions or words of someone. To counterbalance the negative feelings toward someone you feel is bad or lacking in virtue, the [...]