Category Books
Kalyāṇa-mittatā: Spiritual Friendship
The subject of admirable friendship, particularly in the realm of one’s spirituality, might sound obvious at first. Even so, I think it is worthy of further thought. It is said that one of the Buddha’s closest disciples, Ananda, once stated that admirable friendship, companionship, and camaraderie are half of the holy life. The Buddha, by way […]
Poverty: Defy the Stigma
One of my facebook friends — actually, I dare say, my favorite teacher from my days in public school — posted the following quote this evening: The poverty of our century is unlike that of any other. It is not, as poverty was before, the result of natural scarcity, but of a set of priorities […]
Recent Thoughts on Gain; Loss
Hello friends, I’ve been thinking a bit about gain and loss, or more specifically the fear of loosing what one has gained. I’m certain the Buddha spoke of this fear more than once, but my memory recalls most clearly a the instance when it was mentioned in the Lokavipatti Sutta, the sutta on the eight worldly conditions. These […]
Upekkhā : Equanimity
The final subject of contemplation is that of Upekkhā, which is translated as Equanimity. The practice of Equanimity brings Patience with it, and it usually defined by emotional evenness and composure even in particularly challenging circumstances. Venerable Nyanaponika Thera defined Equanimity as “a perfect, unshakable balance of mind, rooted in insight.” Clearly, this isn’t something one masters […]
Mettā : Loving-kindness
Just as with her own life A mother shields from hurt Her own son, her only child, Let all-embracing thoughts For all beings be yours. Karaniya Metta Sutta The practice of Mettā is, as I understand it, one of the fundamental components to the attainment of any measure of real peace in life. One who […]
Adhiṭṭhāna : Determination
Today’s post in the Ten Perfections series will focus on Adhiṭṭhāna, or determination. Determination to do (or not do) something seems like a simple matter but, to take it deeper than the intellectual level, it goes far beyond simple desire for the goal. Adhiṭṭhāna, when properly practiced, must be a function of one’s foundation; a matter […]
Sacca : Honesty
The seventh subject of contemplation in our Ten Perfections series is the Pali term Sacca, which can be translated as honesty or truth (as in ariya-sacca; “noble truth”) and seems to have a fairly basic, mundane quality in practice as well as a higher, more subtle quality. The most obvious sort of truth (or honesty) is […]
Khanti : Patience
Today I will continue the Ten Perfections series with Khanti, or Patience. The word also brings with it the idea of forbearance and tolerance, particularly in the face of adverse conditions. My last post about Easter had me thinking about this — and it is only by serendipity that this subject is the focus of […]
Viriya : Energy
Viriya is our fifth subject in this Ten Perfections series. The word roughly translates as “Energy,” and relates to the idea of diligence and resolve to a particular end, that end in Buddhism being the release from kamma, the unbinding from the realm of being, Nibbana (Nirvana). This putting forth of energy has to have […]
Paññā : Wisdom
Good morning, friends. Today’s subject will be Wisdom, Paññā in Pali. I think wisdom is often confused with knowledge, a word that is much better for explaining the understanding of mundane things such as fixing cars, operating computers or equipment, or the arrangement of planets in the solar system. Most of us seem to have truck […]
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