The chances are that your actions are mixed with some elements that could be purer but if we had to be pure before we could accumulate punya how would any of us purify ourselves? Good actions that are directed at benefitting others always bring punya (often translated as merit) – i.e. good karmic results. Continue reading Am I a fraud? Am I craving the approval of others through my good actions?
The climate and environmental emergency is a reminder that we are living in Samsara where all is conditioned and impermanent and driven by the results of karma both individually and for whole groups. In this particular situation we can see that much of what is happening is due to greed, hate and delusion on the part of many egocentric human beings. Continue reading Student’s Question: Climate Emergency – How Best to Act & Help as Buddhists?
I often get asked about compassion towards oneself. A lot of people feel more comfortable when they are suffering than when they are enjoying themselves. It is curious isn’t it? All this is very confused thinking and needs to be sorted out right at the beginning of the path. Otherwise there will be a tendency to look on meditation and Dharma practice as some kind of self-punishment and that won’t lead to liberation, peace and happiness at all! Continue reading How can I develop compassion towards myself?
Although we are talking here of love, compassion and joy as if they were qualities that we have to develop, actually they are the natural responsiveness of our chitta (heart-mind) when it is completely unimpeded by the confusion arising from not recognising our true nature. Continue reading Limitless love, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy & Equalness – Four Immeasurable qualities to discover within ourselves
This is a wonderful teaching from Lama Shenpen on the Metta Sutta and the power of love and compassion: “Love and compassion are not contrived, it’s our default nature. You can’t crank it up, the more we let go of our struggle and anxiety, the more it comes out naturally…” Continue reading Video: The Metta Sutta
