Bee and I were pretty close. She’d watched over me when I was young, and I eventually invited her to volunteer at the local temple. For over fifteen years, she served in the temple kitchen, where her curries and stews were popular at major events. She continued her...

‘Buddha is not something to be attained but something to be realised in the very fabric of our daily lives.’ Everyday Buddhism

‘People are deluded in that they see only what looks like their own self in operation, and fail to see their broad existence in which everything is simply coming together.’ Gien Inour Roshi

The End of Suffering Valerie Mason-John struggled with addiction. The four noble truths taught them that they weren’t alone. I was in the hell realm. I’d been diagnosed with extreme bulimia and my only respite from the struggle was using drugs. I thought the only way...

‘As our awareness grows, the shadows of delusion fade, not by force but by the simple presence of light, revealing reality as it is — open, boundless, and free from obscuration.’ Everyday Buddhism

‘Mortal nature is Buddha nature. Beyond this there’s no Buddha. Buddha is our nature. There’s no Buddha besides this nature.’ Bodhidharma

‘The nature of mind is non-arising, What need is there of knowledge and views? Originally there is not a single dharma; Why discuss inspiration and training?’ Bassui Tokushō

‘A poem says: Extraordinary people ultimately extend in all horizontal and vertical directions.’ Kusan Sunim

‘Each moment lived without clinging — whether it be to an idea, an object, a person, or anything — is a moment without anguish. When we truly see that, we also see that that is where liberation lies, liberation from sorrow.’ Diana St Ruth

This classic meditation practice is designed to deepen concentration by teaching us to focus on the in-breath and out-breath. Sit comfortably on a cushion or a chair. Keep your back erect, but without straining or overarching. (If you can’t sit, lie on your back, on a...