Duality can appear in our lives in many different forms. There is of course the most basic dualism, that of feeling ourselves to be a separate self – me and everything I’m aware of. But it can take place on many levels. We perceive duality in lots of forms many of which are quite overt […]
The spiritual path, so called, can be a challenging one at times and full of many convolutions and contradictions. We can find ourselves in frustration asking, “Why can’t someone just tell me the truth? I’m smart enought to understand, so why can’t they just say it in plain (insert language of choice)?” Let’s call this, […]
The end of the path, this brief dream of humanity, is marked by a shift or transformation of consciousness. At this point and thereafter, the sense of personal self – that which is the cause of our perceived separation and the root of suffering, dissolves away. Of course in one sense it’s not the end […]
We have a chance in this life, don’t we? A chance for freedom, for understanding to awaken, a chance to fully realise truth. It’s worth spending a moment to reflect on that. It’s said that 80% of the resources of the world are held by just 20% of us. So do you feel you might […]
We all try to practice awareness and cultivate a clear perspective on things but sometimes it can be easy to miss the obvious. The clear connections and logical truths can lie in front of us for years without us joining things up and seeing clearly. A really prevalent one in our society is that money […]
It’s that time of year where most of us are thinking about reigning back in the excesses of the festive season and considering some healthier options. When I was young I heard on several occasions someone say, ‘You are what you eat.’ Of course, I didn’t pay much attention, it’s just a throw away comment […]
Last November I sat in the Dhamma hall at Harnham Buddhist Monastery and heard Ajahn Sucitto give a talk all about dana (giving). I was inspired by the openness of heart he spoke of and the importance of this aspect of our spiritual practice and so I’ve been meaning to write something on this for […]
Two of the qualities that help us greatly on our journey, our spiritual path, are honesty and courage. It takes real honesty to admit the truth to ourselves and great courage to explore our own hearts. This reflection arose for me when I first came across the Buddhist Three Jewels. Ideally these are held to […]
Searching for truth presents us with a paradox. Surely we must begin our search with the realisation that truth is simply ‘what is’. That being the case the question is then, ‘Why do I not fully feel a part of this truth?’ The question itself is a clue to the dilemma. The question arises from […]
I’ve always rather liked the Buddhist analogy of the ‘sea of samsara’, meaning the apparently endless ocean we must cross, lifetime after lifetime to reach that far distant shore – termed in Buddhism Nibbana. It’s relevant on a number of levels; the trials and tribulations of life can leave us feeling cast adrift as the […]
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