The Meaning Of Emptiness In Buddhism Emptiness in Buddhism is the teaching that things are empty of self-existence. Things do exist, just not in one way and from their own side only. All that we perceive is dependent on us, the perceiver. In Mahayana Buddhism, wisdom (prajna) is the understanding of emptiness. With meditation, we can experience this understanding in the form of a felt realization, one that transcends that which we can describe using words and the cognitive mind. Until then, we use the logical mind to help us get started on the path to realization. Emptiness is a translation of ..read more

What is Prajnaparamita Practice? The first or second-century BCE Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Stanzas) is among the world’s oldest Buddhist manuscripts. From it and most other sutras, we understand that the entire Mahayana Buddhist path aims at developing prajñā, or wisdom. The perfection of this wisdom is called prajñāpāramitā. The Six Paramitas In the journey of a bodhisattva, there are six pāramitās. These are transcendent, liberating qualities that arise out of compassion. Whether it’s the paramita of generosity, ethics, patience, joyful persev ..read more

The Six Paramitas of Mahayana Buddhism Typically translated as six perfections, Buddhism’s six paramitas describe the transcendent qualities of a bodhisattva, one who has taken a vow to serve others. In other words, these are the characteristics enlightened beings have perfected. For us mere humans, just practicing these ideals moves us in the direction of selflessness, and self-realization. Generally we hear the word ‘perfection’ and we want to run in the opposite direction. More often than not, our perfectionism is the cause of our suffering, not the way to freedom. But the six perfections o ..read more

How You Might Feel After Meditating (Natural Signs of Deep Meditation) Soon after meditation, we may feel calmer, clearer, and more stable-minded. But as the saying goes, we don’t meditate to get better at meditation, we meditate to get better at life. How we close our meditation sessions, and what we do after meditation, can help us turn a meditative state of mind into a lasting trait. Research studies examining the brain before and after meditation have found that even a single session can result in neurobiological changes. These changes include heightened states of mindfulness, improved moo ..read more

How perceptions and projections define our experience of the world A fundamental tenet of the Buddha’s teachings is that our experience of reality is based on our state of mind. In other words, instead of there being a concrete, absolute reality out there, our experience is defined by our karma and our current mindset, which, in turn, are rooted in our previous habits and actions. The Buddha described six main forms of experience: the six realms of being. Firstly, let us remember that karma is not fate, it is volitional action—meaning that there is an intention behind it—and because of this th ..read more

What Are The Negative Beliefs Of Buddhism? (Impermanence Explained) Buddhism is sometimes accused of having a pessimistic worldview. After all, the first of the Four Noble Truths is commonly translated as ‘life is suffering.’ Let’s explore that over-simplistic translation. The idea that Buddhism is pessimistic lacks a complete understanding of what the Buddha really taught. Examples of seeming pessimism in Buddhism are easy to find, especially if one is highlighting partial teachings, absent their full context. Buddhist teachings on suffering, impermanence, and non-attachment are often mistake ..read more

What Is Dependent Origination? (Dependent Arising & Interdependence) The Buddha, once a dissatisfied human just like us, is praised as an awakened one. But what did he awaken to? At times, the Buddha described his enlightenment as awakening to the 12 links of dependent origination. With profound clarity, he realized the structure behind the self-perpetuating cycle of mistaken perception, thus freeing himself from its habitual turning. We too, can move toward freedom by studying how it is that we perceive the world in our un-enlightened state. Understanding the mechanism behind our misperce ..read more

Practicing View, Meditation and Action (or Conduct ) Any authentic spiritual path is a full package comprised of many complementary parts. In one traditional presentation of the Buddhist path, we group these parts into three main categories: view, meditation, and action. Together, these three forge a powerful synergy and provide a complete training. Let’s begin by looking at the first one, the view. Vast subject! You might think of this part as an incentive to define and refine your vision of the path. Why are you practicing? How does your understanding inform your practice and your conduct? T ..read more

What Are The 8 Worldly Concerns In Buddhism? (Eight Vicissitudes) In pursuit of happiness, we are preoccupied with what Buddhists refer to as the eight worldly concerns. Our effort is misguided, however. These eight worldly conditions can never be the cause of lasting happiness. For true contentment, our effort is better placed on developing equanimity, something we do through meditation. The following eight preoccupations are also known as the eight dharmas or the eight worldly winds. A dharma is a truth, it’s just the way things are. Wind, of course, pushes us in the direction it is blowing ..read more

The Benefits of Mindful Speech (The Power of Words in Communication) Buddhist teachings, including the foundational teaching of the Four Noble Truths, remind us that our own personal behavior dictates our experience of the world. Behavior includes what we do, say, and think. Practicing mindfulness of body, speech, and mind helps guide us to act in ways that reduce suffering. Mindfulness of speech is a particularly consequential practice, as speech, sandwiched between body and mind, brings our thoughts to life. To practice mindful speech is to be aware of what you say out loud and how you say i ..read more