The fact is that however many tricks a student may have in his repertoire, he will not be able to do any of them, because he has no balance…
Buddhist meditation
Contemplate your own goodness, by Ajahn Sumedho
Contemplate your own goodness. In England sometimes, we don’t dare do that because it sounds like boasting. Or we may be afraid of inflating our egos…
True Peace of Mind, by Harada Sekkei Roshi
The Chinese character for ‘Dharma’ is written with the components for ‘water’ and ‘to leave’. This implies that water flows from a high place to a low place.
A Monk and a Zendo, by Arthur Braverman
The Japanese worship tragic heroes, and I’m afraid some of that romanticism has rubbed off on me. He had a quiet dignity, even in difficult times, that I always admired. Though he may not have been a confident teacher, he persevered when others would have thrown in the towel. I think that even his lack of confidence appealed to me; having seen so many teachers over the years whose confidence seemed to be nothing more than self-deception…
Knowing The Future, by Trevor Leggett
Sometimes we persist in a course of action although it ought to be perfectly clear that it will lead to a disaster…
Renunciation and Simplicity, by Corrado Pensa
The virtues (paramis) always work in a relationship of mutual cooperation. There is an organic necessity for these positive energies to work together; they are mutually supportive. There is support between formal practice and the virtues, and among the several virtues.
From a distance we might say that practice seems to be simple, and in a sense it is—it’s the simplest thing in the world. In another sense, however, it is a complex and interacting structure…
Great Peace of Mind, by Harada Sekkei Roshi
With regard to religion, we tend to think of it as belief in something outside of ourselves. But please understand and accept that in Buddhism, the person who conveys the teaching as well as the person who hears and listens to the teaching are both you…
When you are on Retreat, by Ajahn Sumedho
When you are on retreat, restrictions are placed on your physical actions and speech. But there are also mental restraints and limitations. You are not to simply let your mind go wild or indulge in fantasies. Instead, you are to learn to bring the mind into the present.
