Buddhist Women on a Path of Spiritual Awakening
True refuge is a call to stop, even for a moment, to see and know the breath that brings the world into and out of consciousness. We witness the liberating silence of that present moment awareness. In the still space between thoughts from which…
One night, while Malani was dying, we gathered a group of her close friends to meditate with her. Each breath was a struggle yet she stayed aware, serene, composed, and at peace. We listened in silence, breathing freely – but our minds were not…
There is a transcendent Reality – inaccessible to the thought world – but to be known with right mindfulness and its accompanying powers of mind, patiently developed and polished day by day. These skills we learn provide tremendous traction to cultivate the mind, like…
Giving our full attention inwardly is waking up to the truth of pure presence. In one breath, one moment of pure awareness, we can know a spiritual joy that deeply calms the mind. The shutters of the heart open to a piercing clarity that…
Whether we live as laity or in a monastery, there is a sacred path open for all to explore. Yet few would brave its fierce tests. How we train and incline the mind will naturally determine our spiritual growth. So the Buddha encouraged us…
Strong in restraint, courageous in wisdom, we use our Dhamma compass of right view to steer us on the Noble Eightfold Path, while right intention sustains the healing actions of mind that let go unwholesome thoughts and endless fabrications. We learn to live and…
Compassion is a sublime, healing quality that restores us to goodwill, integrity, wisdom and equanimity. Not only do we repair the harm that we have caused, but we turn the wheel of Dhamma in this world. This can also serve as a catalyst for…
Throughout history, hatred, human violence and horrific sufferings have plagued the world. Truth is never diminished by these worldly conditions. So we feed the mind with what supports inner peace and awakening and not with thoughts of depression, disappointment, despair, or fear. What we…
Impermanence stares us in the face. How then can we free ourselves to understand the raw truth of what we are? There is a sorrowless state, a way out of the pains of life where we can abide in blameless happiness and inviolable peace….
Emptying the mind of fearful thoughts, we stop clinging to anything of the world – one moment at a time. And we come to know a liberating joy. It’s a way to enter the dimension of transcendence that uplifts us beyond the prison of…