Author: Luna Kadampa

One Buddhist’s take on the movie I like starting my meditations by remembering impermanence ‘cos it focuses my mind very efficiently. First I ask myself: “If I die today, where will I be tomorrow?” Or where do I WANT to be tomorrow? That straightens me out because, if I die today, I would like to be in the Pure Land tomorrow, so getting there has to be a priority today. Then I think about how I’ve had countless lives and, like last night’s dream, every single one of them has disappeared. I was so invested in each life – my…

Everything is fleeting. Life is surprisingly short. Things can and do continually disappear because they are only appearance to begin with. These thoughts are often on my mind, and not least at the moment because I’ve had to engage in yet another large powa since I published the last article about death – this time a 24-year old who very sadly killed himself. The stiff ashy body at his wake was definitely not him, not even close. He wasn’t there. Completely visible and alive one day, he was weirdly gone and nowhere to be seen the next. Witnessing impermanence is…

Several friends and relatives have died in the last two months. Only yesterday my aunt Rachel died – if I had just a few words to describe her it would be as one of life’s innocents, generous almost to a fault, if you could call it a fault to be taken advantage of occasionally but not actually care. After looking after her father, mother, and ancient aunt until they died, she spent the rest of her life taking in waifs and strays. In the last years of her life she suffered from dementia – when I saw her last year…

Shortly after I first arrived in Colorado I was driving through the Rockies, nature at its finest, when out of nowhere arose an enormous apartment block. I thought I was dreaming (which I was, as always); but, as I kept driving, more and more incongruous city buildings towered above the road until it dawned on me that I’d stumbled into a casino town slap bang in the middle of the mountains. Its name, “Black Hawk”. Last week, on the way home from an unspoiled scenic drive with two delightfully enthusiastic guests, on a whim I decided to drive through Black…

Happy New Year Everyone! Quick note: For any of you who may be seeing this blog for the first time, I occasionally write a reminder that it does not express the official views of the New Kadampa Tradition and never has. The articles share only my own experiences and understandings as a trainee. I am happy if this blog inspires you to seek out a Kadampa teacher and New Kadampa Tradition Center, if you are interested, or if it simply helps you a bit with your own spiritual path, whatever that may be 😍😇😊 I’m not actually up a mountain…

This month many people are having the opportunity to do retreat at Kadampa Centers and temples around the world. To find out more, check out the official website for the New Kadampa Tradition: http://www.kadampa.org. The moment I stepped foot in the stunning IKRC temple last June, I felt very peaceful — the blessings palpable. As no one was around, I decided on impulse to do a thought experiment: could I make myself miserable and develop delusions while sitting in this Pure Land on earth? I gave it a good go – I tried to think of several depressing and annoying…

Modern Buddhism or Kadampa Buddhism is the presentation of Je Tsongkhapa’s Kadam Dharma for the people of the modern world. But what’s so different about the people of the modern world? On one level, not much, because living beings have always suffered from the same delusions. However, our karma and culture are different. We like things that are easy. We like things that are swift. We like things that will produce results with almost no effort. We like profundity that’s very simple for us to understand. I was thinking about how Kadampa teachers regularly give teachings on emptiness to…

Naimah Hassan lived an inspiring life and faced her final illness and death with strength. Amongst many things, she is a beautiful example of the power of Dharma and the significance of sharing it with others. I am very glad to have been her friend. I am going to share her life with you through the words of Steve and Kadam Holly, and with this last teaching that she gave from her nursing home bed. By Steve Epstein Every Tuesday night for many years Naimah Hassan taught a class she called “Reality Check” at Kadampa Meditation Center NYC. Naimah…

 A house mate was telling me today how concerned he is about his younger brother, aged 22 – why? Because he is suffering from anxiety, along with a surprising number of his friends. A couple of weeks ago a mother told me that her child is also suffering from chronic anxiety, aged 15, as are many of his schoolmates, even in their affluent area. And yesterday another mother shared that her young daughter was already experiencing anxiety and, again, she is not alone, her friends are too: “What is going on? They are only 8!” (This child at least…

The seventh way to foster resilience is to find a way to laugh at our own adversity. To see the absurdity and true nature of samsara and to take it less seriously or feel less threatened by it. “Samsara makes me laugh,” as Shariputra says. Carrying on from this article, Not an ordinary death. Use humor ““Humor can be very helpful during times of serious stress”, Charney said, pointing to research he and Southwick did with Vietnam prisoners of war.” I’ve spent a lot of time this past year or so with my parents, meeting numerous nurses, doctors, carers, and…