Untangling the Mystery of Not-Self

[embed]https://youtu.be/dV6qgVdmjoc[/embed] The word anatta gets translated in a lot of different ways. You will hear people say that there is no self, or self is an illusion. Sometimes it’s translated as “not self.” This is on its face very counterint... Read more

Author: Melissa McKay

The Law of Cause and Effect

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdW--WrBwXg[/embed] There’s a sutta I love where the Buddha emphasizes a simple teaching about the present moment. Its from The Satipatthana Sutta, which is instructional for how to practice being here now. It say... Read more

Author: Melissa McKay

Healing the Divide

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpVMQTCXssU[/embed] The Buddha taught that while others may behave in ways that are disappointing, shocking, or cruel; we shall not be cruel -- thus, we shall incline our hearts. He said that even the inclination... Read more

Author: Christiane Wolf, MD, PhD

The Bliss of Blamelessness

[embed]https://youtu.be/F9tcViVeVtI[/embed] How can we deepen an inner sense of freedom? In Buddhism, ethics are very important. We have something called the Five Precepts—ethical guidelines for how we can live our life to be a good, safe person in th... Read more

Author: Gullu Singh, JD

True Generosity: The Gift of Letting Go

The practice of generosity takes us out of the acquisitional paradigm of happiness that most of us get — particularly if you grew up in a Western culture — that your happiness and well-being will ripen when you get that degree, that job, that house, tha... Read more

Author: Lisa Kring, LCSW

Kindness is Not Always Comfortable

[embed]https://youtu.be/5OyMD6D4Kn0[/embed] It’s beautiful to explore Wise Speech, because it is a life practice we can turn to everyday to deepen our understanding of how our communication can create or relieve suffering in ourselves and in the world.... Read more

Author: Christiane Wolf, MD, PhD

Mind the Gap

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUzFSQ2hfpY[/embed] A very famous thing we like to do in mindfulness practice is to not scratch your itches, or to not move during meditation. Not because it’s wrong to move—it’s not. The invitation is: Can you no... Read more

Author: Melissa McKay

Practice as Protection

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KyS65fjrL4&t=1738s[/embed] I wanted to talk to day about practice as protection. It’s something I noticed when I began Buddhist practice and meditation, which for me was in my early 20s. I met with a group in Oa... Read more

Author: Melissa McKay

The True Measures of Greatness

One of my favorite speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King is a sermon he gave called, “The Drum Major Instinct” in February, 1968 at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. In this sermon, Dr. King defines the “drum major instinct” as the universal... Read more

Grief and Loss All Around Us

A Zen master was once asked by a student, Where do you go when you die? The master replied, Im going straight to hell. The puzzled student asked, Why? The master replied, Because thats where Ill be needed most. With the chapter of 2023 about to clos... Read more