Here is a scenario. What do you think is going on here? What do you think may happen next? What would you say to Tom or to Mary? Do you think this scenario is common or unusual? How? Why?
Mary was, like many girls, rather frightened of sex as an adol
Read more…There is a strong tradition in Buddhism of reciting large numbers of mantras or other holy texts and invocations. These accumulate quantities of merit. Thus, some members of the Amida Shu undertake to recite a million nembutsu in the course of a year
Read more…When we read about Chinese or Japanese Buddhism we come across passages that say such things as that the master “eats when hungry, drinks when thirsty, sleeps when tired.” and the like. We might then think, “what is so different about that?” or we mi
Read more…The most famous classic of Chan Buddhism (Chinese Zen) is the Platform Sutra 六祖壇經. The sutra presents the teachings of Huineng 慧能 (638-713) [However, the text went through many revisions and the ten chapter edition that is currently taken as authorit
Read more…The following is my understanding of the main thrust of early Buddhism.
If we start from the “three signs”, I read them as saying that all samskaras are impermanent and troublesome whereas all Dharmas are non-self. The meaning here is that self, (i.e
Read more…Question : "Le bouddhisme est la croyance que des êtres deviennent éclairés, les arhats et les Bouddhas existent". Comment pouvons-nous vraiment savoir cela? J’ignore si j'ai déjà rencontré un Arhat ou un Bouddha. Et si c’est le cas, suis-je même cap
Read more…Le pouvoir propre, jiriki, « est le fait de croire que nous pouvons atteindre notre salut par nos seuls efforts » (peu importe la manière dont on conçoit cela). Toutes les écoles bouddhistes cherchent à détruire ce genre d’arrogance, mais elles s’acq
Read more…Questions :
Qu’est-ce qui vous a amené à passer du Zen à la Terre Pure ?
Quand avez-vous su que vous étiez prêt à enseigner ?
Pourquoi avez-vous créé Amida Shu au lieu de vous aligner sur Jodo Shu ?
Réponses brèves :
Une progression naturelle.
La recon
Question: Qu’est-ce que le bouddhisme et pourquoi être bouddhiste ?
Réponse courte: c’est un des meilleurs engagements que vous puissiez prendre dans cette vie.
Réponse longue: Le bouddhisme est la tradition spirituelle qui découle des enseignements
Read more…Question : Pouvez-vous expliquer ce qu’il faut entendre par « la nature de Bouddha » ?
Réponse courte : la nature de Bouddha n’est pas une nature.
Réponse plus longue : La nature de Bouddha n’est pas une nature. Différents auteurs utilisent le concep
Read more…As I predicted a year ago, Turkey in now involved in a genuine invasion of northern Syria. The Syrian war has brought about a stepwise realignment that has more than local implications. The main opponents of the Turks are America's allies, the Kurds.
Read more…QUESTION: What is spontaneity?
SHORT ANSWER: Acting without conscious motive.
ANSWER: Spontaneity, nowadays, tends to mean setting aside one's plan or schedule when one is moved or touched emotionally and allowing oneself to respond directly to those
Read more…Here is a poem I had published a while ago...
Compostello
A longing calls me westward along the pilgrim trail;
a pilgrim hood I’ll have and a staff and donkey friend,
a metal cup to scoop spring water for sweet ale
and strong boots for walking to the
I'm in Milan facilitating a workshop on couple relationships. We have looked at how many different schools of psychology and psychotherapy each contributes something important to our understanding of this theme but none can eliminate the mystery comp
Read more…It is interesting how memory and experience work. Yesterday morning I was sitting in a classroom for the first time in a long while. I am taking some lessons in Italian language. One of the first things that I remarked was how reticent people were at
Read more…On the final morning of the Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference I went to a workshop by Jeffrey Zeig called ‘Evocative Approaches to Change’. This experience went some way to redeeming the conference for me. Zeig is the director of the Milton Erick
Read more…I am at the Evolution of Psychotherapy Copnference in Anaheim, California. This conference attempts to showcase the best practice in psychotherapy. The presenters are exemplars for the profession and the information presented is intended to shape the
Read more…I am currently at the Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference in Anaheim, California. This conference is organised by the Milton Erickson association, though there seem to be few people here who really practice as Milton Erickson did. It has been inter
Read more…QUESTION: In light of Medecin Sans Frontiere’s recent comments on the Rohingya, and the backlash against Aung San Suu Kyi, I wonder if you might be able to post on the site about your thoughts.
SHORT ANSWER: Violence springs from delusion and we str
Read more…
For several months there has been a political issue live in the UK around what are called ‘impact assessments’. Obviously, with a decision as major as leaving the European Union it is vital that government assess what the consequences are likely to b
