Under this category we share Paramita Project articles with you.
Just in time for the weekend, here is an easy, accessible way for you to practice wisdom: read wise words daily. I know, this is appallingly obvious. But it bears repeating that we do not gain wisdom through osmosis. We gain it through attention and proximity.…
Did you know there are three lists of paramitas? Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism have similar lists, but a few unique to each one. And in the Mahayana tradition, one sutra names six paramitas, while another names ten. (I’m practicing the ten Mahayana paramitas.) In all, wisdom…
It’s a new month and that means it’s time to practice another of the ten Buddhist paramitas. The paramita for February is wisdom, or prajna. In Buddhism, prajna consists of two parts: right view, and right understanding. Right view means seeing things as they truly are; in other…
In Tibetan Buddhism, the paramita dhyana can be practiced on three levels. The first level is called worldly concentration. (Some of us hear ‘worldly’ and have been trained to think ‘bad.’ If so, try calling it object meditation instead.) In worldly concentration, we practice meditating on something…
When you first begin meditating, it’s natural to feel like you need some “props.” You want to listen to a guided meditation. Or you need music to help you quiet your brain. Or incense to set the mood. None of these things are inherently bad. But…
The tricky part of relaxation is that we can’t really learn how to relax. We have to allow it. When we meditate, the first step is to breathe, but the second is to relax. Ideally, these two things happen together. They belong together, naturally. When we…
When we meditate regularly, strong emotions often come swirling in like a vortex, or a hurricane. What can meditation teach us about experiencing our emotions? Pema Chodron’s book, How to Meditate, has a wonderful section on this. She writes, “You have to get dirty with your…
Right now you have a good boat, fully equipped and available–hard to find. To free yourself and others from the sea of samsara, Day and night, constantly, Study, reflect and meditate–this is the practice of a bodhisattva. The verses above come from a 14th century Tibetan…
Meditation is not for you; it’s for others. It’s for everyone else who benefits from your awakened mind and calm state. Meditation is for the world, and for the benefit of the world. Yesterday I was speaking with my meditation teacher. I confessed that, of all…
What if your meditation practice this week was to be mindful about just one thing? It’s customary during a Zen Buddhist retreat for the students to choose one small, daily task and focus on bringing mindfulness to it. It could be brushing your teeth, walking your…
