Perhaps it’s cos I challenged myself recently to hire a car for my niece’s wedding, drive it across London, and brave the English countryside, all on the wrong, I mean left, side of the road — a stick shift, no less. Just to see if I could still do it. I haven’t hired a car here before, and I’ve had 30 years to get used to the seamless efficiency of…
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A friend was telling me how she came under relentless criticism earlier this year for things she really hadn’t done – in point of fact, she’d been doing the opposite (good) things instead, for years. I know…
People are just getting back from this year’s International Kadampa Summer Festival, where a bumper crowd of 3,500 received the Highest Yoga Tantra empowerments of Heruka and Vajrayogini from the NKT’s new General Spiritual Director, Gen-la Jampa.…
“Why do I need Tantra when Sutra already seems enough?” Some Buddhist practitioners are happily enjoying stages of the path (Lamrim), Buddhist psychology, and the Bodhisattva path. They wonder “”Why add another layer?” “What’s the point of…
As you may have read in this last article, In case you’re wondering about Highest Yoga Tantra, the general advice is that if we have some foundation in renunciation, bodhichitta, and the wisdom realizing emptiness, and faith…
This Summer, Highest Yoga Tantra empowerments and teachings will be given at the International Kadampa Buddhist Festival – they come around approximately every two years. If you’re mulling over attending these for the first time, and are…
To drill down a bit on emptiness and mere appearance, both of which are invaluable contemplations during mandala offerings and life in general … some months before he passed away, Venerable Geshe Kelsang said: All phenomena their…
Due to our karma anything can appear, said Buddha. We’ve already taken countless rebirths in countless worlds since beginningless time and, if we don’t figure…
Deciding to learn meditation is a really great new year’s resolution. Anyone can learn, if they want to. Meditation means becoming familiar with positivity and…
The other day someone asked me: “I know we’re supposed to put others first – but I was taught that in the Girl Guides and…
Two of my mother’s carers with health issues, a sister in law on a yoga course, and an old schoolfriend have all asked me just…
If we get into the habit of making mandala offerings, we swiftly purify our mind and start to see the world in a purer way.…
I’m doing something a bit unusual in this blog article, which is simply encouraging anyone who is reading it and who is interested in Buddhism…
There is a little bear who lives opposite me. When i first…
I just failed my drive test. I was sort of speeding without realizing it, so…
Mahasiddha Saraha was a Mahamudra master who gave some really helpful analogies to help us…
The mirror Another example for helping us shift our perspective from the perceived to the…
I wrote this on the occasion of the Japanese earthquake some years ago, but Buddha’s advice still holds true. How can we help? “What did you feel…
I’m sinking in the quicksand of my thought And I ain’t got the power anymore. ~ Quicksand As mentioned in the previous article, step one in…
This continues on from Five ways to deal with criticism. How to deal with criticism and overcome our faults without feeling guilty or inadequate If…
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Society
9 mins read. We are making all of this up as we…
Impermanence
I can’t believe it’s happening. So said the beautiful Ruth to me,…
Self Confidence
There seems to be a fair bit of hubris around lately, like…
Buddha nature
Happy Buddha’s Enlightenment Day! April 15th is another big holy(i)day for Kadampa…