Renowned expert and author on compassion and happiness Matthieu Ricard, who himself took part in seminal research in the connections between neuroscience and contentment, is often called the ‘happiest man on earth'. more...
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BY YONGEY MINGYUR RINPOCHE| AUGUST 9, 2017
“The one time people ask me about ethics is when scandals or controversies happen in Buddhist communities,” says Mingyur Rinpoche. But, as he notes, ethical conduct has always been central to the Buddhist path. Here he explains what it means to live a virtuous life, what a student a should look for in a teacher, what to do when serious ethics violations occur, and more. As a Buddhist teacher, I am often asked questions about meditation and profound Buddhist principles, like interdependence and emptiness. I am happy to share what I know on these topics. But I have noticed that people rarely ask me about ethics and how to live a virtuous life. It is true that meditation is important in the Buddhist tradition. There’s no question about that. The same can be said about studying Buddhist ideas and philosophies. But in many ways, ethics and virtue are the foundation of the Buddhist path. more... BY FRANCESCA FREMANTLE| AUGUST 8, 2017
Francesca Fremantle on the wheel of life and how the Buddha deconstructed it. The Buddha described all worldly phenomena as having three characteristics: impermanence, suffering and nonself. We suffer because we imagine what is not self to be self, what is impermanent to be permanent, and what, from an ultimate viewpoint, is pain to be pleasure. Existence with these three characteristics is called samsara, which means we are continually flowing, moving on, from one moment to the next moment, and from one life to the next life. Samsara is not the actual external world or life itself, but the way we interpret them. more... BY SAM LITTLEFAIR| AUGUST 8, 2017
The Dalai Lama said that when a teacher commits ethical misconduct and disregards Buddhist ethics, students should make the misconduct public. The Dalai Lama said that when a teacher commits ethical misconduct and disregards Buddhist ethics, students should make the misconduct public.In a talk last week, the Dalai Lama addressed recent allegations of misconduct in Buddhist communities. In July, famed Tibetan Buddhist teacher Sogyal Rinpoche was accused of longstanding abuse of many students. In response, Sogyal said he would be “taking a step back” from teaching. The Dalai Lama addressed Sogyal Rinpoche in his talk, saying “Sogyal Rinpoche, my very good friend. Now he is disgraced.” more... |