Connecting you to monastics - BUDDHIST INSIGHTS

Chocolate and Meditation

by buddhistinsights

Chocolate is well known for its medicinal value, and among Buddhist monastics it is considered medicine rather than food. Even monks and nuns who follow the ancient tradition of not eating dinner will often eat chocolate in the evening, valuing its ability to gently elevate mood and stimulate mental energy prior to meditation. Dark chocolate is seen not as a food, but rather as a...

September 18, 2016

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At the New York Botanical Garden

by buddhistinsights

Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, is a Japanese practice that supports physical and mental health through exposure to nature. This is reflected in Japanese Zen, where silent meditation in serene environments is a core element of the practice. On October 15th & 16th, Buddhist monk Bhante Suddhāso, trained in both Zen and in Theravāda meditation, will lead visitors in the practice of sitting and walking...

September 18, 2016

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Features, Front

Mindfulness Vs Concentration

By BHANTE G * Art FLATBUSH BROWN * Concentration and mindfulness are distinctly different functions. They each have their role to play in meditation, and the relationship between them is...

Features

The Power of Compassion

By AYYA YESHE * Art PABLO MEDINA * I never grew up thinking that I would one day run a temple in the slums of Central India, or a charity for...

Features, Front

Meditation Instructions

By BHANTE SUDDHĀSO * Art MARTINA PAUKOVA * At its heart, Buddhism is about transforming the way we think in order to eliminate the sources of discontent, dissatisfaction, and distress in...

Features

Meditating on Non-Self

By SISTER KHEMA * Art U LUN GYWE (Courtesy Thavibu)* In Buddhism we use the words “self” and “no-self,” and so it is important to understand just what this “no-self,” anatta, is all...

Features, Front

Guidelines for Happiness

By BHANTE SUDDHĀSO * Art JUNGYEON ROH * In Buddhism, everything is optional. Faith is optional. Meditation is optional. Morality is optional. So the question becomes: Why bother with morality? What’s...

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Taking Stock of Oneself

By BHIKKHU BODHI * Art PANYA VIJINTHANASARN (Courtesy Thavibu)* Though in principle the Buddhist path leads straight and unerringly from bondage to freedom, when we apply it to ourselves it often seems to take...