Buddhist Women on a Path of Spiritual Awakening
The Novice With An Empty Bowl
A humble novice with his bowl empty exemplifies where true riches lie in this world. Meditating deep in the unchartered borders within, gain those riches by giving up worldly pursuits. See the value of what is true and what reveals the truth to us….
We Are Stronger Than We Know: The Truth About Trauma
Practice wise attention, train in right view, and see things as they are. Touch the fires of trauma and rise from their ashes. Attend to ancient hurts with conscious full-hearted forgiveness. As we disown these old karmas, we augment the higher frequency and pure…
Opinions
Are you watching your breath or watching your opinions? It is not enough to just watch the breath; you must reflect closely on what is arising. Come to the truth of the way things are by identifying and letting go of your opinions. Reflect…
An Island Beyond Which We Cannot Go
The Buddha gives us lessons in emptiness. We are compelled to trust so completely to be able to truly receive these teachings, surrendering to the Dhamma, offering everything. We bless each step, harvesting wisdom with a brave heart. And in this remarkable learning, we…
Gatekeeper Mindfulness
When we clear the mind of obstacles, we gain a special skill in developing samadhi. Mindfulness is the gatekeeper enabling the burning away of the defilements. There in the clear, stilled, stabilized mind of unfabricated, primordial purity, the factors of awakening arise. No where…
Fictitious Noodles: The Fake News of Old Fears
What are we doing on this planet? How do we cope with feelings of fear? Can we observe wisely and penetrate through the fictions of the mind? To abandon them, we must understand them. Ayyā Medhānandī coaches us to investigate emotions like fear and…
Holding the Lotus to the Rock
Sariputta said (SN 21.1): “There is nothing in the world with whose change there would arise in me sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair.” It is hard to remember the Buddha’s teachings when the mind is beset with fear and anxiety. But we can…
Noble Friendship, Noble Warming
As we grow in wisdom, our fear of death dissolves. The more we purify from within, the more we abide with a clarity of mind that bestows the ultimate seeing, our cosmic ordination, our unburdening from the sufferings of this realm. The veil of…
In the Stream of the Noble Ones
Two overarching supports for gaining the fruits of the Path are mental purity and spiritual friendship. Consummate virtue and prize virtuous friends, the highest being the Blessed One himself. Emulate his conduct and mental practices in everyday life. Gradually transform mundane right view into…
Even as a Mother
How can we love everything the same? How can we come to a place of pure love within us so that whatever energy is arising in the heart, we can receive it, and we can accept it fully. We don’t have to run away…
~ Dhammapada Verse 54