The question today is, does faith create the experience or does experience create faith. Kind of like, which came first- the chicken or the egg. Better yet, does Buddhism involve faith? Some friends today were discussing the Pali word “Saddha”,…
Tag: Buddhism
No such thing as Buddhism
As I learn more about the the teachings of the Buddha, called the Dharma, I am coming to realize how inappropriate some words are. Buddhist, and Buddhism are two of those words. There really is no such thing if one…
The breath
After a wonderful workshop on disturbing emotions last night, we came home and enjoyed a little dinner. After letting that settle, we sat down to do our nightly meditation. The workshop had made me more aware of the idea of…
Good things come in fours
In Buddhism, the four immeasurables (brahma-viharas) represent the most beautiful and hopeful aspects of our human nature. They are mindfulness practices that protect the mind from falling into habitual patterns of reactivity which contradict our best intentions. Also referred to…
What’s up Upasaka?
Upasaka (masculine) and Upasika (feminine) are the Buddhist terms for laypeople that have taken the Five Precepts and are devout followers of Buddha’s teaching and the Triple Gem. The five vows to be held by upāsakas are referred to as…