Eightfold Path: Insights from the Lotus Sutra The Eightfold Path is taught in the fourth of the Four Noble Truths – the Truth of a Way to Cease Suffering. The Eightfold Path is an eight-step strategy to help one liberate from the suffering arising from transmigration of life and attain […]
Buddhism
294 posts
10 Buddhist Meditation Teachers in America With the dawn of the millennium, Buddhism has gained tremendous popularity and acceptance in the Western world. A style of Buddhism that is distinctively western has emerged. As opposed to Eastern Buddhism in which reverence and chanting are the predominant styles of Buddhist practices, meditation is unequivocally […]
Four Noble Truths: Insights from the Lotus Sutra Background: The Buddha, having awakened that extreme asceticism didn’t work, decided to seek the answer from within himself through meditation. At the Deer Park in Sarnath (known as Varanasi at that time) in India, he sat under the Bodhi tree for 49 […]
Thích Nhất Hạnh is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist. He was nominated for Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King, Jr. The term “Engaged Buddhism” was coined by him in his book Vietnam: Lotus in a Sea of Fire. Presently, he lives in Plum Village in the south of […]
The Essence of Chapter 2: Expedient Methods Why It is Not the Ten Factors Emphasized by Nichiren Buddhism While all chapters of the Lotus Sutra are equally enlightening, Chapter 2 is particularly illuminating. This is because the key teaching begins in Chapter 2 and the Buddha is essentially “revealing the […]
The Mayonnaise Jar When things in your life seem, almost too much to handle, When 24 Hours in a day is not enough, Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the […]
Six Paramitas Six Paramitas literally means Six Perfections; the six virtues that need to be continuously cultivated and perfected as part of a bodhisattva’s practice. The Sanskrit word “Paramita” means “perfection” or “completeness”. What are Six Paramitas? The Six Paramitas are Generosity, Discipline, Endurance, Diligence, Meditation, and Wisdom. #1 – […]
Among the ten great disciples of the Buddha, Katyayana was the greatest at debate. There was a time when he left the Buddha to go south to teach the Dharma in Rajagrha. One day, he sent one of his very young disciples back to Jetavana Monastery to see the Buddha. […]
Sitting on the Road to Save His Clan The Buddha promoted peace and opposed war. Once, King Virudhaka wanted to attack Kapilavastu. According to Indian tradition, if an army encountered a monk, the war had to be halted immediately. To protect his homeland, the Buddha sat quietly in the path […]
Mountain Top Two travellers went hiking to reach the mountains. When they were half-way, the beginner looked at the undergrowth and began to lament, “Where is the beautiful scenery which you were talking about all the time?” His experienced companion smiled and answered: “You’re in the centre of it. You […]
