The Awesome Power of Virtue

The Awesome Power of Virtue

If I ever give you the mistaken impression that virtue is merely the preparation for meditation, and that meditation is the “real Buddhism”, then you should scold me and call me funny names.  In truth, virtue is a powerful and essential component in every step of...
Virtue, Samadhi, Wisdom

Virtue, Samadhi, Wisdom

In a discourse called the Discourse of the Great Forty[1], the Buddha taught that you can think the first seven parts of the Noble Eightfold Path as being the “support and requisites” for the last one, right samadhi.  He also suggested that there is some...
Coming Up: Virtue is Badass Awesome

Coming Up: Virtue is Badass Awesome

Friends, We just spent 2 entire topics talking about meditation: Topic #7 on right mindfulness, and Topic #8 on right samadhi.  Yes, meditation is extremely important in Buddhist practice, but if we ever give you the mistaken impression that virtue is merely the...
And Now You Have All Four Noble Truths

And Now You Have All Four Noble Truths

Let us re-cap the Four Noble Truths.  In short, the Four Noble Truths are: First noble truth: Birth, aging, illness, death, to be with what you do not want, to be separated from what you want, and to not get what you want, are suffering (dukkha). Specifically,...