‘The Buddha emphasised this point throughout his teachings: "Do not associate with bad friends, do not associate with the worst of people. Associate with good friends, associate with the best of people."’ The Dhammapada
Spirituality
Morning meditation — Find the courage to let go of complexity.
‘The timeless present is not merely a moment in time, but a quality of awareness that transcends time itself. It is the realisation that the moment is, in fact, the only reality we directly experience.’ Everyday Buddhism
Reading a sutra by moonlight.
The sun rises, the moon sets—when will it ever be fully understood?
Finding Myself in the Garden
“Tell me the landscape in which you live, and I will tell you who you are.” —José Ortega y Gasset Growing a garden is an act of love and hope. A garden cannot be planted without them. They are as essential as soil, air, and water for the garden to grow. My love for...
Remembering Anna Douglas, Spirit Rock founding teacher (1939-2025)
Anna Douglas, one of Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s founding teachers and the founder of Insight Meditation Tucson, died Wednesday, March 12, 2025 following “a steady decline, mostly due to advanced Parkinson’s.” She was 85. Douglas taught classes and retreats in the...
A Buddhist Approach to OCD
I have struggled with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder for over half of my life. I am reluctant to say that I have OCD any longer, as in the words of clinical psychologist Amy Mariaskin (2022), I am currently dealing with an OC-normal brain, as opposed to an OC-disorder...
Morning meditation — The pure land of a buddha has no image and no form.
‘The pure land of a buddha has no image and no form. What can adorn it? Only the jewels of meditation and wisdom can serve as adornments.’ Hui Neng
Morning Meditation — Who is repeating Buddha’s name?
‘When one is asked: “Who is repeating Buddha’s name?” everybody knows that he himself repeats it, but is it repeated by the mouth or by the mind? If the mouth repeats it, why does not it do so when one sleeps? If the mind repeats it, what does the mind look like?'...
Morning meditation — The Dharma realm cannot be seen.
‘The Dharma realm cannot be seen, Yet it is perceived through sound. Discriminating between scriptures is baseless — Only this Dharma leads to the path.’ Avaivartikacakra sūtra
Morning meditation — The timeless present is not merely a moment.
‘The timeless present is not merely a moment in time, but a quality of awareness that transcends time itself. It is the realisation that the moment is, in fact, the only reality we directly experience.’ Everyday Buddhism