Waking Up Alone

Everything changes; nothing lasts. In matters of the heart, this can be hard. Karen Maezen Miller on what to do after the love story ends.

How Sad Is Your Love?

The conventional definitions of “love” and “compassion” are quite limited, says Buddhist scholar Mu Soeng.

Being Present with Suffering

By accepting our emotions and not reacting, says Lama Justin von Bujdoss, we can learn to effectively serve others.

5 Surprising Slogans to Help You Handle Anger

Zen teacher Norman Fischer applies five mind-training slogans to anger and other emotions.

The protector Vajrasadhu, painted by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

The Wisdom of Anger

If you know how to use it, says Melvin McLeod, the energy of anger becomes fierce and compassionate wisdom. Even the buddhas get angry about injustice.

Poison Tree art

How to Transform Anger in 4 Steps

Using the traditional metaphor of the poison tree, Judy Lief teaches us four Buddhist techniques to work with our anger.

Is Mine Bigger than Yours?

Charles Johnson explores our endless capacity to compare ourselves to others, and the Buddha’s antidote to trying to measure up.

When the late Stephen Hawking warned that one of Buddhism’s “Three Poisons” threatened us all

The brilliant physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking, inspiration and author of so many important works, died today at 76.

Sunshine.

The Tender Heart of the Warrior

The ground of fearlessness, says Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, is renouncing hard-heartedness and allowing ourselves to be tender, sad, present.

Disappointed woman.

Great Expectations

We want the sun; we get the rain. But where does the doorway of disappointment lead? Elizabeth Brownrigg on disappointment as a treasure.

How to Cool the Flames of Anger with “RAIN”

The best way to transform anger and other strong emotions is to befriend them. As with any relationship, it takes time to become intimate with the inner workings of our minds. To do it we need courage and strength. And we need the help of an effective technique. Peeling away the layers of anger moves…

You Can’t Get Rid of Your Anger — And That’s OK

Denying anger or giving in to it only makes things worse. The middle way, says Josh Korda, is to live with your difficult emotions skillfully.

Three people crying.

Be Sad

Karen Maezen Miller looks at the important role of sadness in life.

Buddha face.

Announcing “Finding Freedom From Painful Emotions,” the 2016 Lion’s Roar Retreat

We’re delighted to announce our annual community retreat, "Finding Freedom From Painful Emotions," with Karen Maezen Miller, Josh Korda, and Anyen Rinpoche.

The Most Frequently Asked Question

Does spiritual practice mean we can never get angry? No, says Sylvia Boorstein, it’s all how you work with it.

loneliness, toni berhard, lion's roar, buddhism

Bringing mindfulness to loneliness

Toni Bernhard has an mindfulness exercise for bringing compassion to feelings of loneliness.

ken jones

Three questions to ask yourself to foster emotional awareness

In this teaching by Ken Jones, the Buddhist teacher and poet gives practical guidance on how to we can develop a positive response to our misfortunes.

force for good, daniel goleman, dalai lama, lion's roar, buddhism, emotion, mindfulness, psychology

How to Mind Your Feelings

While we can’t control when we feel anger or fear—or how strongly—we can gain some control over what we do while in their grip.

Josh Korda and Koshin Paley Ellison discuss spiritual bypassing

Josh Korda and Koshin Paley Ellison explore the problem of spiritual bypassing.

RAIN Cools the Flames of Anger

Emily Horn teaches us how to recognize, accept, investigate, and not identify with our anger.