Are we in touch with our rebel spirit, always questioning and testing? Can we take our “no fear” approach too far? Or, by rigidly holding to the “right” rules and rituals, are we actually losing spiritual ground and just shoring up the ego? Is it possible to cut ourselves off from our own clarity and wisdom, all the while thinking we’re playing it safe?
Why do we feel especially triggered by family relationships? How can we transform challenging moments with our family and use those triggers effectively on our path?
From my perspective, family life and relationship are among the most obvious and paradoxical of paths on which to practice the dharma. Nowhere are we more triggered nor more loving. In one moment, something our partner / child / parent does fills us with joy, and then suddenly, in the next moment, something they say hits us just the wrong way and we’re ready to live a life of solitude!
What does it really mean to be a Buddhist? How can we take what we learn by studying the teachings of the Buddha, and what we experience in our meditation practice.
In his earliest teachings, the Buddha taught that the “wheel of action” begins with sweeping the shrine room floor, with mindfulness and awareness, of course.
When we’re choosing a spiritual practice, a path or even a meditation teacher, what guidance can we rely on?
