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Happiness/Freedom ~ Andrea, the real deal
“How do you tell everyone you love how important they were to you when you were alive?” Andrea Walker, August 20, 2011 Last week, August 21st, I found this blog: Happiness/Freedom. I had in fact come across it a few months ago but didn’t have time that day to read it at any length, and [...]
Handling change
Quantum mechanics and laws of physics alone show that nothing stays the same, from the smallest to the biggest thing. Subatomic particles are whizzing about in your body and even the seemingly solid walls around you. The blood never stops rushing through your veins. The earth never stops journeying. Our galaxy is flying away from [...]
Does compassion make us happy or sad?
Compassion is the fuel of spiritual progress, but is it a sad or a happy state of mind? The Buddhist scriptures all say it is a peaceful, happy mind, but how does it feel in our own experience? How is it even possible to be happy or calm when caring about the horrible suffering of [...]
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Breathe your way to inner peace
This is the last installment of the how not to worry articles. Breathing meditations can help enormously in instantly alleviating our worry, and anyone can do them if they have a mind to. Simple breathing meditation Worrying affects us physiologically, from shallower breathing and the inability to relax through to full blown panic attacks when [...]
Dealing with anger … more from our social worker
This is the fourth article from a guest writer, Kadampa Buddhist and student social worker. For the others, see Guest Articles. Who is mentally healthy? My second placement in my social work training was for a mental health charity. I found myself being attracted to the ethos of this organisation. They believe that we all [...]
Life is but a dream
It might be helpful to read Am I dreaming? first. (For a full and inspiring explanation of the subject, you’re welcome to download Modern Buddhism for free and read the chapter Ultimate truth.) Appearances are deceptive We know from the experience of waking up each morning that our dreams are a moment by moment projection [...]
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger
I just had my flu shot. (I know, I know, some of you will disapprove, I do a bit myself). But it reminded me of Geshe Kelsang, my Teacher’s, explanation of transforming adversities into the spiritual path, where he uses the example of a needle. So, in normal circumstances, I would not let a stranger [...]
Celebrating 100,000 page visits to Kadampa Life
We just reached 100,000 visits! This is a milestone and I want to thank you all for it. I know this is modest on one level, even exceptionally modest compared to many websites and blogs; but it is also heartening. I see it as a success for Kadampa blogging in general, which is an effective [...]
How to handle things falling apart …
Quantum mechanics and laws of physics alone show that nothing stays the same, from the smallest to the biggest thing. Subatomic particles are whizzing about in your body and even the seemingly solid walls around you. The blood never stops rushing through your veins. The earth never stops journeying. Our galaxy is flying away from [...]
“Me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me”! (to the tune of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy)
Self-cherishing — thinking that me and my happiness are the most important in the world – is bad news for me and for everyone else. Very bad news. Beaker unwittingly demonstrates some of the perils of self-cherishing in his rendition of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy: Self-cherishing not only destroys our chances at any lasting peace [...]
Meditation helps me be a better social worker. And vice versa.
Here is the article I promised from the friend I quoted: Being a social worker makes me a better Buddhist. Being a Buddhist makes me a better social worker. Someone wrote me on Facebook to say they thought this was a good Kadampa motto. Replace “social worker” with your job title. And ask: Does my [...]
Mind-training and social work
This is the second article from a guest writer, Kadampa Buddhist and student social worker. For the first, see Meditation helps me be a better social worker and vice versa and for the second, see Where is a problem? Throughout my three years of training to become a social worker I have undertaken three long-term [...]
