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Category Archives: Speech
Karma and Self
A question we’ve heard before came up again recently: “If there’s no self, then who gets the karma of our actions?” It’s a tricky question because the answer requires trading in our presumption of a self-centred world for a completely … Continue reading
Posted in Causes and results, Karma, Mindfulness, Speech, The 8-fold path, Wisdom
Tagged Karma, Mindfulness, selfing, The Buddha's Path, the self
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Compassion
Sometimes people find compassion practice the easiest entry to practicing mettā more generally. As Thanissaro Bhikkhu said, compassion is an extension of mettā that we feel when we encounter suffering. When we are confronted with suffering, especially in person, compassion … Continue reading
Posted in Causes and results, Compassion, Mindfulness, Patience, Speech, Sublime states
Tagged Compassion, Karuna, Metta, Mindfulness
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The illusion of control
A foundational practice in both Stoicism and Buddhism is the idea of understanding and accepting that there are some things we can control and many things we cannot. Once a bridge teacher said to me: “You can only choose from the … Continue reading
Posted in Causes and results, Compassion, Friendships, Harmlessness, Mindfulness, Precepts, Relationships, Speech, Wisdom
Tagged choices, Mindfulness, What we control
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Everything is hard before it’s easy
The above quote is usually attributed to German philosopher J.W. Goethe, but revised versions of the same sentiment can be found attributed to different people. It seems particularly apt when we think about not only establishing a regular meditation practice, … Continue reading
Posted in Causes and results, Compassion, Harmlessness, Mindfulness, Patience, Speech, The 8-fold path, Wisdom
Tagged Mindfulness
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We create the path
It is as if a person, traveling in the forest, were to see an ancient path, an ancient road, traveled by people of former times. Following it, the person would see an ancient city, an ancient capital inhabited by people … Continue reading
Posted in Livelihood, Mindfulness, Precepts, Speech, The 8-fold path, Wisdom
Tagged liberation, Nibbana, The Eightfold Path
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Ethics and meditation
Quite a few years ago, I was on a long meditation retreat, and in the middle of it there was a three-week sub-retreat lead by a respected teacher from Myanmar. This was not a be-in-the-moment program but a tightly structured … Continue reading
Posted in Causes and results, Compassion, Dukkha, Generosity, Harmlessness, Karma, Mindfulness, Non-taking, Precepts, Speech, Wisdom
Tagged Ethics and wisdom, Morality and wisdom
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Right Action
‘I am the owner of my action, the heir of my action; I have action as my origin, action as my relative, action as my resort; I will be the heir of whatever action, good or bad, that I do.’ … Continue reading
Posted in Friendships, General, Harmlessness, Intoxicants, Karma, Mindfulness, Non-taking, Precepts, Speech, The 8-fold path
Tagged intoxication, Karma, Right action
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Right Speech – Words with Value
Abandoning idle chatter, he abstains from idle chatter. He speaks in season, speaks what is factual, what is in accordance with the goal, the Dhamma, & the Vinaya. He speaks words worth treasuring, seasonable, reasonable, circumscribed, connected with the goal. … Continue reading
Posted in Causes and results, Compassion, Friendships, Mindfulness, Speech, The 8-fold path
Tagged Right speech
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Right Speech – Gentle speech
I undertake the training precept to refrain from harsh speech. Abandoning abusive speech, he abstains from abusive speech. He speaks words that are soothing to the ear, that are affectionate, that go to the heart, that are polite, appealing & … Continue reading
Posted in Causes and results, Compassion, Mindfulness, Precepts, Speech, The 8-fold path, Uncategorized
Tagged Gentle Speech, Right speech
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Right Speech – Harmonious Speech
Abandoning divisive speech he abstains from divisive speech. What he has heard here he does not tell there to break those people apart from these people here. What he has heard there he does not tell here to break these … Continue reading
Posted in Compassion, Mindfulness, Precepts, Speech, The 8-fold path
Tagged divisive speech, harmonious speech, malicious speech
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The Buddha's Advice to Laypeople 