We are being bombarded by information. Each day when we turn on our phones, we receive information from many different kinds of media. All of them shape our minds and perspectives. Consciously or unconsciously, we are being conditioned by the information we are exposed to. It’s mostly a bad thing because we become susceptible to … Read more
One of the best ways to build a sound mental foundation is to cultivate equanimity. It is a state of calmness and stability not disturbed by what’s happening externally. It’s a psychological state to strive for. Many religions and ancient philosophies have highlighted the importance of equanimity. Equanimity is essentially a mindful state without any … Read more
When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: The people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly. They are like this because they can’t tell good from evil. But I have seen the beauty of good, and the ugliness of evil, and have recognized that the wrongdoer has … Read more
The way that can be spoken of Is not the constant way; The name that can be named Is not the constant name. The nameless was the beginning of heaven and earth; The named was the mother of the myriad creatures. Hence always rid yourself of desires in order to observe its secrets; But always … Read more
Alan Watts once said that detachment is the highest form of wisdom, he also quoted Chuang-tzu on detachment: ‘The perfect man employs his mind as a mirror; it grasps nothing; it refuses nothing; it receives, but does not keep.’ Detachment means to have neither regrets for the past nor fears for the future. It is … Read more
In his recent talk, Japanese zen buddhist Osho Taigu spoke about how we can become extraordinary. It was a response to a question someone posed. For the sake of simplicity, we could probably loosely define extraordinary as ‘successful’. You could also ask, how do you become successful? Taigu gave a story. The story goes like … Read more
“Bodhichitta is a Sanskrit word that means ‘noble or awakened heart.’ It is said to be present in all beings. Just as butter is inherent in milk and oil is inherent in a sesame seed, this soft spot is inherent in you and me.” The American Buddhist nun Pema Chodron once wrote in one of … Read more
Ichi-go ichi-e, literally means ‘one encounter, in this lifetime’ or ‘once in a lifetime encounter’. It’s a Japanese tea ceremony concept which came from the master Sen no Rikyu. In traditional tea ceremony, it’s important that the host (the one who serves tea) provide the best possible experience for the guest(s) (the one who receives … Read more
I watched a pretty good video from The School of Life, it’s called Wisdom. It probably doesn’t sound particularly ground-breaking but it does offer some tried and true, good old advice. The video breaks down wisdom into a few aspects, each one of them is a facet of what wisdom is. I have summed up what … Read more
One of the four paths to yoga (union with the divine or spiritual liberation) in Hinduism is Bhakti yoga (path of devotion), along side with Jnana yoga (path of knowledge), Karma yoga (path of action) and Kriya yoga (path of psychophysical methods). I won’t go into the specifics of each path as it can get … Read more
Hinduism is a very profound religion with a rich history and has a lot to offer. Perhaps more correctly put, Hinduism is more of a collective term that encompasses many diverse cultures and practices of the Indian subcontinent region. Needless to say, many spiritual teachings today owe a lot to various Hindu spiritual traditions. It … Read more