In Buddhism, the Five Hindrances are five factors that hinder our meditation practice and our practice of the path in our daily lives. The Five Hindrances are Desire, Ill-Will, Sloth, Anxiety, and Doubt. Working on these qualities within ourselves will help us be able to meditate better and practice in our lives. Sensory Desire The [...]
Tag Archives: buddhism
Working a Personal Program
Each one of us works our own individual program. In twelve-step programs we are given many suggestions, but there is only one requirement: the desire to stop drinking. Attending meetings or speaking with our fellows, we see how differently each of us works our program. It is a beautiful thing that we are encouraged to [...]
Body Scan Meditation
For the body scan meditation, find a place to lie down comfortably. A bed is probably not ideal, as you may fall asleep. In this meditation, we will go through each part of our body and notice where there is tension. When you notice tension somewhere in your body, don’t try to push it away. [...]
Right View
Right View (samyag drishti) is often the first of the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism. Right view is the practice of seeing things as they really are, or recognizing the true nature. Before anything, Right View is a full understanding of the Four Noble Truths. Sariputra said that Right View was the ability to distinguish [...]
The Four Brahma-Viharas: Equanimity (Upekkha)
The fourth of the Four Brahma-Viharas is equanimity, or upekkha. The practice of equanimity is treating things without judgement or reaction. True equanimity is having a balanced, peaceful mind. With equanimity, our mind-state is unshakeable, as events around us and thoughts within us do not have such strong influence. Equanimity is a difficult spiritual concept [...]
The Second Noble Truth
The Second Noble Truth of Buddhism is Samudaya, which is often translated to “origin.” Samudaya refers to the origin or source of our suffering. The Second Noble Truth focuses mostly on craving and ignorance. These are seen as the two main causes of all our suffering, and although the cause may seem to be something else, it [...]
Smile… Remind me to Live in the Moment
I have been reading a lot of Thich Nhat Hanh recently. If you are not familiar with him, he is a Vietnamese Buddhist Monk who teaches at Plum Village, has authored many books, and a strong peace advocate. Considered by many as the most influential figure in Zen Buddhism, Thich Nhat Hanh has been paramount [...]
1/11/12 – The Power of Potential
“Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you…And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” -Marianne Williamson [...]
Into Right Thinking
As an alcoholic or addict, we are often challenged by our running minds and endless thoughts. In Twelve-Step programs, we are encouraged to take action against these harmful thoughts. Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh offers us a four-step path of action to take against our thinking. He addresses both vitarka (initial thought) and vichara (developing [...]
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