Tag Archives: Dharma

What to think, what to do?

I’ve spent considerable mental energy thinking about how people know what to do at any given moment to achieve what they want. I don’t know much at all about Donald Trump other than he is wealthy. I know also that he lost his wealth but apparently found it – under a rock, maybe. I single [...]
Posted in Belief, Buddhism, Eightfold Path | Also tagged , , | 7 Comments

Restlessness and remorse and the karma of lives past and present

Together, restlessness and remorse are the fourth of the five hindrances to meditation as well as to leading a happy life. Restlessness is a general sense of dissatisfaction with how things are. Feelings of restlessness can be very subtle or very intense. The result is a need to move, to do something. Remorse is a [...]
Posted in Buddhism, Change, Delusion, Desire, Dukkha, Impermanence | Also tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Creating the causes and conditions of spiritual growth

In a recorded Dhamma talk given by Ajahn Jayasaro I listened to recently, he said it’s ineffective to use meditation and other forms of practice as a means to get something or somewhere. Rather, what’s important is to use one’s practice to create the causes and conditions for spiritual growth. That’s it: Just create the [...]
Posted in Buddhism, Dhamma, Dharma, Practice | Also tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Part 10: Kidneys

Note: For background on this series, please read the Introduction to the 32-Parts Project. My grandfather on my father’s side died not long before I was born. He had seven children – five sons and two daughters, not counting the baby who died. My grandfather died of kidney failure. He had a progressive and incurable genetic [...]
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