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Category Archives: Dukkha
Kamma (2) Fairness
One of the reasons it’s worth thinking about kamma is that most of us have an idea that life should be fair, no matter how much evidence there is to the contrary. Let’s suppose though, that the way we perceive … Continue reading
Posted in Anger, Causes and results, Compassion, Dukkha, Faith, Harmlessness, Karma, Patience, Wisdom
Tagged kamma, Karma, karma and fairness
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Kamma (1)
One of the thorniest topics in Buddhist thinking and teaching is the principle of kamma (in Sanskrit: karma). Don’t expect a pat definition here, but it’s worth digging into what the Buddha taught on the subject and how we could … Continue reading
Posted in Causes and results, Dukkha, Karma, Mindfulness, Wisdom
Tagged cause and effect, kamma, Karma
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Internal and External Supports
Just as admirable friendship is the most important external factor in the practice, appropriate attention is the most important internal one. “Attention,” in the Buddha’s vocabulary, is a matter of which questions you take to heart – the ones you … Continue reading
Posted in Causes and results, Dukkha, Friendships, Mindfulness, Relationships, Wisdom
Tagged good friendship, Intention, Mindfulness
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Whatever IS will be WAS (Bhikkhu Nanamoli)
Title from: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/various/wheel186.html Bhikkhu Nanamoli gives the pithiest possible explanation of anicca, the characteristic of impermanence that permeates all existence, all the world as we can experience it. In terms of how we might come to understand the truth of … Continue reading
Posted in Dukkha, Mindfulness, Patience, Wisdom
Tagged anicca, Impermanence, nothing lasts
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The Wet Log Sutta
From MN 36: https://suttacentral.net/mn36/en/sujato? Suppose there was a green, sappy log, and it was lying in water. Then a person comes along with a drill-stick, thinking to light a fire and produce heat. What do you think, Aggivessana? By drilling the stick against that green, … Continue reading
Posted in Causes and results, Dukkha, Hindrances, Mindfulness, Precepts, Wisdom
Tagged defilements, Mindfulness, unwholesome roots
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Crossing the flood
In this sutta the Buddha explains to a heavenly being how he “crossed the flood”, i.e., how he replaced delusion with deep and complete wisdom (awakening). Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Savatthi … Continue reading
Posted in Causes and results, Dukkha, Mindfulness, Patience, Wisdom
Tagged Crossing the flood, Mindfulness, Too much or too little energy
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Commitment
We’ve considered the five hindrances. Let’s think about what’s being hindered by the hindrances. One answer could be our commitment to practice or to investigating the Dharma; we could call commitment the forward motion and the hindrances the backward motion. … Continue reading
Posted in Causes and results, Dukkha, Hindrances, Mindfulness, Perfections, The 8-fold path, Wisdom
Tagged Commitment, determination
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Another hindrance – aversion
The first two of the five hindrances are sensual desire and ill will, and they are mirror images of each other. Dukkha is sometimes described as not getting what we want and getting what we don’t want, both of which … Continue reading
Posted in Anger, Causes and results, Dukkha, Hindrances, Mindfulness, Patience
Tagged Anger, aversion, dosa, Hindrances, Mindfulness
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The Buddha’s teachings or Stoicism?
Some Buddhist teachers draw an analogy between digging many shallow holes vs. one deep hole, with sampling different spiritual paths vs. practicing deeply with one (at a time). While it’s interesting to discover commonalities between spiritual paths, if we explore … Continue reading
Posted in Compassion, Dukkha, Friendships, Mindfulness, Relationships, Wisdom
Tagged Buddhism and Stoicism, Mindfulness, Why Buddhism?
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Ataraxia – a shared goal
Ataraxia (from Wikipedia) – (Greek: ἀταραξία, from (“a-“, negation) and tarachē “disturbance, trouble”; hence, “unperturbedness”, generally translated as “imperturbability”, “equanimity”, or “tranquility”) is a Greek term first used in Ancient Greek philosophy by Pyrrho and subsequently Epicurus and the Stoics for a lucid state of robust equanimity characterized by ongoing freedom … Continue reading
Posted in Causes and results, Compassion, Dukkha, Mindfulness, Patience, Perfections, Wisdom
Tagged Ataraxia, Equanimity, inner peace, Mindfulness
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The Buddha's Advice to Laypeople 