At first glance, the Abhidharma, with all its lists and analysis, may not seem so inviting. But give it another look, says Steven D. Goodman — it explains the entire world.
The Four Layers of Consciousness
Abhidharma, Buddhism’s map of the mind, is sometimes treated as a topic of merely intellectual interest. In fact, says Thich Nhat Hanh, identifying the different elements of consciousness, and understanding how they interact, is essential to our practice of meditation.
The Real Practice of Mindfulness
Photo by Bjarte Alvestad.As mindfulness becomes an increasingly popular concept, it is often mistaken for just “being in the moment.” Andrew Olendzki examines the Abhidharma teachings to uncover what mindfulness practice really is and how it works.
Coming Home to the Body
The practice of meditation is a journey of return to who we really are, says Zen teacher Norman Fischer. We come home to the body.
That Problematic “Self”
In the fourth and final post in his series on the Buddhist concept of “self,” Dr. Reginald Ray talks about how we maintain our “self” and therefore suffer.
Why Me?
In this second in a 4-part series on the “self” in Buddhism, Dr. Reginald Ray explains that the “self,” though a fiction, is a response to naked fear.
Who, Me?
In the first in a series on the self in Buddhist teaching, Dr. Reginald Ray discusses the several kinds of “self” and the stages on the journey from our egohood to not-self.