Gaylon Ferguson

Gaylon Ferguson, PhD, was core faculty in Religious and Interdisciplinary Studies for fifteen years at Naropa University. He has led mindfulness retreats since 1976 and is the author of Welcoming Beginner’s Mind (2024), Natural Wakefulness, and Natural Bravery.

Books

Recent Articles

Excerpt: Seeking the Ox

Read an excerpt of Welcoming Beginner’s Mind by Gaylon Ferguson, courtesy of its publisher, Shambhala Publications.

What “No Self” Really Means

The journey of awakening, says Buddhist teacher Gaylon Ferguson, begins by examining our usual beliefs about who we are. Because maybe we’ve got it wrong.

El poder del tantra budista

¿Cuál es la fuente del poder espiritual del budismo Vajrayana, que se considera suficiente para llevarnos a la liberación en una sola vida? Quizá no sean las prácticas tántricas en sí, sino la devoción y la fe de sus practicantes, lo que resulta verdaderamente transformador. Gaylon Ferguson nos explica cómo la visión y práctica tántrica nos ayudan a transformar la confusión en claridad y sabiduría.

The Power of Buddhist Tantra

Gaylon Ferguson on how tantric view and practice help us turn confusion into clarity and wisdom.

Stepping Stones of Emptiness

The teachings on emptiness were studied, debated, and refined at Nalanda. They come to life now, says Gaylon Ferguson, in the progressive deepening of our meditation practice.

Mindfulness and the Buddha’s Eightfold Path

To understand how to practice mindfulness in daily life, says Gaylon Ferguson, we have to look at all eight steps of the Buddha's noble eightfold path.

59 Ways to Turn Your Mind Around

The way to bodhicitta, the mind of compassion, is marked by the fifty-nine lojong slogans. Gaylon Ferguson points us in the right direction.

Presencia mental (Mindfulness) y el Óctuple Sendero de Buda

Para entender cómo practicar la presencia mental (o mindfulness) en la vida diaria, dice Gaylon Ferguson, tenemos que mirar a los ocho pasos del Óctuple Sendero de Buda.

How the Five Skandhas Build Our Sense of Self

We assemble the thing we call "self" ourselves, according to Buddhist psychology. Gaylon Ferguson breaks down the five-step process of ego development.

Meditating Buddha.

Shamatha–Vipashyana: Our Original Nature

Gaylon Ferguson explains that through both shamatha and vipashyana meditation we bring our mind back to its original state.

Happy Together

When we stop focusing on ourselves, says Gaylon Ferguson, we begin to see that our happiness is dependent on the happiness of all beings.

Extending Our View of Sangha

Gaylon Ferguson on the importance of sangha communities in the Buddhist tradition.

Evaluating Eckhart

Review of "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle and "The Joy of Living" by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche.