I have come to see the great divide that exists between the lay life and the monastic life. Whereas a monastic gives up all worldly goods and possessions, the lay person has many attachments and responsibilities. Things like Family, a…
In this mornings meditation, I tried something different. I opened myself to the spaciousness of this existence, and allowed recollections of past lives. To my surprise, it quickly came to me that my previous existence was that of a Monk.…
Today I read this story from the Samyutta Nikaya (Vina Sutta), and found it so beautiful in its demonstration of our existence. I will attempt here to give you my layperson’s (Upasaka) version of the story. There was once a…
I was thinking last night about how most of my posts here may seem rather depressing. It seems all I ever talk about is suffering, and ways out of suffering. And if I am to be aware that I may…
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…