One of the central concepts of Buddhist philosophy is the notion of attachment, or clinging. Upadana is a word from ancient Pali and Sanskrit, which is usually translated as attachment, grasping, or clinging – but it’s literal meaning is “fuel.” This relates to the metaphor of the mind as being like a fire: burning, consuming,
Continue reading...
The ultimate goal of all spiritual practice is to transcend the ego, and awaken to your true Self. Throughout human history, many masters and teachers have developed many different ways and methods of approaching the problem – but there is none more direct than self-inquiry. Other methods often involve fixing the attention on the breath,
Continue reading...
Suffering is one of the undeniable facts of life that motivate our spiritual practice. It was coming face-to-face with aging, illness and death, that inspired the Buddha to leave his palace and his family behind, and set out on the path of awakening. In a sense, the story of Siddhartha Gautama is a metaphor for
Continue reading...
Did you know that the English word “spirit,” has it’s roots in the Latin word spiritus – which means “breath”? We find a similar connection between breath and Spirit in many other languages. The Hebrew word ruach means “spirit, wind, breath, and/or mind.” The Greek pneuma, as well, means “air, breath, soul, vital force.” The
Continue reading...
In a previous post, I talked about the many ways that the ego can sabotage our lives. Today I’d like to dig a little deeper, and get the heart of what the ego really is, and how exactly it keeps us from being happy and content. And, as always, some practical advice; some action steps
Continue reading...
Forgiveness is one of the most powerful tools we have for healing and personal transformation. Jesus, Buddha and Lao Tzu all taught that forgiveness is essential to knowing inner peace and spiritual wholeness. Now doctors and researchers realize that forgiveness is essential to our health – mental, emotional and physical. Anger and resentment suppress the
Continue reading...
Confidence is one of the biggest keys to happiness and success. Low self-esteem can hinder your performance at work, affect your relationships, and generally make life more difficult than it has to be. Whereas a healthy dose of confidence can help you power through obstacles and achieve goals, both personal and professional. If you are
Continue reading...
Life can be hectic. Most of us have our hands full just trying to keep it all together. We do what we have to just to get by, from day to day. We seldom stop to ask ourselves, “Why am I here? Where am I headed? What’s it all about?” But it’s exactly this kind
Continue reading...
A few weeks ago I decided to try something a bit different… I meditated on the roof of a 61 story building. Unlike most of my meditation sessions, this one was unique… not only did it give me a breath of fresh air, it also helped bring me closer to the source that brings us all
Continue reading...
We all want to be happy. It’s human nature. But there’s another part of human nature – the ego – that constantly sabotages our happiness at every turn. If we let it. In order to be happy, we have to learn how the ego operates. We need to identify those destructive thought patterns that keep
Continue reading...
