The Middle Way? Part 1: What is it? An introduction Historical background:  As a Prince, the Buddha got it all, and yet he was experiencing a deep sense of emptiness.  His courtly lifestyle inspired him to seek more about what life is all about. Leaving his father’s palace at ~19, he met the inevitable truths […]

Proper Livelihood: Walking the Ethical Path in Daily Life Proper livelihood is the fifth step on the Noble Eightfold Path. It falls under the broader category of ethical living: how we live in harmony with others and with ourselves. The Buddha was quite clear about what he meant by proper livelihood. In simple terms, it […]

THE  MIRACLE  OF  SMILING:  French philosopher Voltaire said: Smiling is the only feature that differentiates humans from other animals. One of the striking traits of the Dalai Lama is his constant, spontaneous smile. He said this: “ Offer your smile spontaneously to anyone, anytime. If she/he does not reply the same way, don’t take it […]

HOW CONCENTRATION IMPACTS OUR QUALITY OF LIFE   KRIS Research suggests that concentration—both its quality and focus—plays a significant role in our quality of life, alongside other important factors such as those taught in the Dharma, like liberation of suffering, daily application of the 8-Fold Path, meditation, mind control, etc. Hungarian-born Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi spent […]

The ego is:  “ I, me, myself, and mine”. The image of how I create, perceive myself, and act in other words: the self. This entity is perceived as unique, permanent, separate, and indispensable, all of which are delusional. It is created by our mind from a multitude of factors such as our genetic background, […]

  KARMA  In Zen Buddhism, Karma is a central concept referring to intentional action of body, speech, or thought that is driven by decision (cetanā), leading to future consequences. The term itself comes from the Sanskrit word for "action" or "doing," and in the Buddhist context, it specifically denotes volitional actions, meaning they are done deliberately, […]

Compassion: a Zen perspective. From the Latin Com = together, Passionate = suffering. In Zen, compassion, referred to as karuna, is fundamentally the wish and the behavior that the self and others be free from suffering, and its roots.  It is not a feeling of mere sympathy or just empathy, but a deep, intrinsic understanding […]

Complaining is one of our ego’s favorite strategies for self-identification and strengthening.How often do you catch yourself complaining about whomever, whatever, whenever?Or even about your life and life in general. The list is endless. We are complaining mostly subconsciously, as demonstrated using hypnosis.Our reactions while complaining take many forms, appropriate or detrimental, that I will […]

There are 2 types of awareness: One is the mundane one that is knowing this and that from memory. The other one is more subtle and fundamental regarding Zen philosophy and practice. Awareness is to pay attention, mindfully, to the present moment, and its content, whatever it is. Awareness is the essence of the practice […]

A koan is a short story, a sentence, a parable, an image, a few words, a dialogue, a riddle that, at first glance, does not make any sense, being perceived as absurd, illogical, crazy, aberrant, or meaningless.  Example: "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" Koans were created in the 13th century in China […]