From time to time we read stories in the media about incredibly successful, high-flying, workaholic uber-achievers, who thrive on relentless deadlines, travel, stress etc, usually getting by on all of 4 hours sleep a night. You can do it too, seems to be the subliminal message. Perhaps even you should do it. If you have...
If you’re under forty years of age, chances are the name Tuesday Lobsang Rampa won’t mean anything to you. But for some of us, in the second half of our lives, his name is redolent with powerful associations – positive and otherwise. By way of a refresher, or for those of you who haven’t heard...
Many readers of this blog may not have to travel far to meet their harshest and most unyielding critic. A few steps to the nearest mirror will probably do the trick. There you can look into the eyes of the person who talks to you in a way that they would never dream of talking...
In our era of unprecedented busy-ness, constant communication and relentless deadlines, it’s easy to feel that we have no time for an inner life. When so many of us feel burdened by the imperative for immediate, round-the-clock responsiveness, and the constant need to do more with less, it’s understandable that as we reach the end...
I am sometimes asked this question, especially at the end of an introductory class on Buddhism. The person asking me will usually have been struck by one of the life-enhancing insights offered by the Dharma. Perhaps they have experienced the gentle but powerful impact that meditation has on our state of mind. Many Buddhist teachings...
Most of us will do whatever we can to avoid suffering. We don’t like the idea of it. We don’t much like even the word. Whether it’s trivial inconvenience or major life-changing suffering we want no part of it. But the reality is that for much of our lives we experience some level of dissatisfaction. ...
Can Buddhists celebrate Christmas – especially those of us living in the West? Of course we can! What is un-Buddhist about peace and goodwill to all men? About practising generosity and showing kindness to family, friends and strangers? All of these are in perfect accord with Buddhism, and it is wonderful to have a culturally-agreed...
Buddhism is well-known as a tradition of inner transformation. But great practitioners down the ages have also emphasised that freeing ourselves from suffering depends on others. Progress in our inner development goes hand and hand with our outward behaviour. It is no coincidence that of the six perfections taught by Buddha, we practise the first...
The first book I wrote about Buddhism was called Buddhism for Busy People. That was back in 2004, when there weren’t many books providing an introduction to the key concepts in Tibetan Buddhism. Buddhism for Busy People is also a very personal account, relating my own encounter with Buddha’s teachings (the Dharma), why they resonated...
Buddhism is a non-theistic tradition, meaning that it does not involve a belief in God. The focus of Buddhism is on the nature of mind. What concerns Buddhists is an understanding of how consciousness works, not only in theory but more importantly in practise. Our goal is to take charge of our own mental continuum,...
