There are Buddha's teachings on healthy skepticism. Since the days of the Buddha, people have quickly fallen into the so-called blind faith. That is far from the authentic faith derived from a humble realization of our cognitive limitations. At the moment in our lives, we would inevitably encounter the situation that we can't do anything … Continue reading Thereof One Must be Silent
Tag: #Buddhism
Corpse Meditation
In mediation, there are various approaches, methods, and traditions. During meditation, for example, we mindfully count our breathing. Or, we gently observe the subtle movements of our abdominals. Or else, we kindly notice every step of our behaviors. We also gaze at a candle flame or a visual symbol like a mandala or statue of … Continue reading Corpse Meditation
We are Nobody and Anybody
Meditation is one of the oldest religious, spiritual, and metaphysical practices in human history. Since the birth of our self-consciousness, we have known our cognitive limitations. What we can know is so limited. There has been a vast dimension that we can never understand. Know thyself. That is one of the Delphic maxims. And our … Continue reading We are Nobody and Anybody
The Compassionate Bodhisattva
There are mainly three types of Buddhist traditions, even though each has numerous denominations in itself, which is common in every religion. These types are as follows: Theravada Buddhism (The Teachings of The Elders)Mahayana Buddhism (The Great Vehicle)Vajrayana Buddhism (The Way Of The Diamond) Historically, the primary form of Buddhism could be similar to the … Continue reading The Compassionate Bodhisattva
Life is Beautiful and Perfect
In Buddhism, the first of the Four Noble Truths says life is suffering. Why does it say so? Perhaps, it is the sentiment that most of us feel now and then. And we tend to agree with the "truth" that life is suffering. There are full of difficulties and challenges in our lives. Often, these … Continue reading Life is Beautiful and Perfect
Virtue, Mind, and Wisdom
We, humans, have experienced various sufferings throughout history from starvation to warfare to disease. Buddhism categorizes them as follows: Living (生苦, Jāti dukkha)Aging (老苦, Jarāpi dukha)Disease (病苦, Byādhipi dukkha)Death (死苦, Maraṇampi dukkha) Separating from someone we love (愛別離苦, Appiyehi dukkha)Meeting someone we don’t like (怨憎会苦, Piyehi dukkha)Can't get what we want (求不得苦, Yampiccha dukkha)Can't control … Continue reading Virtue, Mind, and Wisdom
The Sword Taia
Takuan Sōhō (沢庵 宗彭) was one of the notable Japanese Zen monks in the 17th century. While he did not care about his socio-political status, his relationships with the sword-masters made him inevitably famous. He was also well-known as Miyamoto Musashi’s mentor. What made him mainly famous was a series of letters he wrote for … Continue reading The Sword Taia
