This dharma talk centers around teachings from The Mahāparinibbāṇa Sutta which is a story about the last year of the Buddha’s life. This text has two main themes: 1. The Buddha wanted to leave his teachings as guidance for his followers to empower them. 2. The...
The inner practice of liberation is not an individual matter. One of the deepest realizations that comes when we meditate, as we pay attention, as we live a life of care and loving awareness, is the growing sense of interdependence. There is no separation between our...
In India, when people greet one another they put their palms together and bow, saying namaste, “I honor the divine within you.” It is a way of acknowledging your Buddha nature, who you really are. When I was training as a Buddhist monk, I witnessed an aura of...
When I first entered the monasteries in Thailand and Burma, I was taught everything is anicca (impermanent), dukkha (unsatisfactory), and anatta (no-self). The reason these were repeated over and over again is because if you see these, you see with the eyes of wisdom....
What kind of seeds are you planting and tending with your words and your deeds? Every seed watered can become something that changes the world. If you want to practice, take a walk and look at the buds on the trees in the spring. Each bud is an answer to despair or...
We are in a time of great transition. The climate crisis, the pandemic, war, injustice, racism: they’re all pressing on us to live in a different way. And if you live with a peaceful heart, the point is not to let your heart get hardened. Don’t turn your...
