Tag Archives: Practice

Discernment, wisdom and the Kalama Sutta

The Kalama Sutta is one of the more popular of the Buddha’s discourses, sometimes used by teachers to demonstrate a perceived “don’t take my word for it, see for yourself” aspect of his – the Buddha’s – teaching. Bhikkhu Bodhi  dispels that notion here. But I think the Kalama Sutta is well suited to address [...]
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A thicket of views

My father is a kind, generous, and helpful man. He has a good sense of humor and seems always to be happy. He’s also very conservative. I’d always known from the way he lived he that he was religiously conservative. “Devout Catholic” is an apt description. But I was well into my adult life before [...]
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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 [...]
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What is a Buddhist, and Am I One?

During a conversation among a group of us prior to a formal meditation session several years ago someone said, “I’m not a Buddhist. I just practice the Dharma.” It sounded pompous to me, but I understand where she was coming from. Identifying with being Buddhist is no different from identifying with the body and mind, [...]
Posted in Belief, Buddhism, Dhamma, Dharma, Eightfold Path, Faith, Practice, Refuge, The Buddha | Also tagged , , , | 4 Comments