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What Happens After Death, Buddhism Reincarnation, Our True Nature & Enlightenment (No Self Part 2)

 
The Buddha talked about a continuum of consciousness, so was he talking about souls? It’s a common misconception that Buddhism teaches about reincarnation, when it is actually teaching about rebirth. In this video I explain the Buddha’s position on the soul theory as well as the difference between rebirth and reincarnation. Within the Buddhist teachings there are several analogies to explain how consciousness continues moment to moment and what happens after death. I draw on these analogies to illustrate just how this continuity takes place and how consciousness is affected after death.

Also, being the inquisitive creatures that we are, it’s not surprising that we ask, ‘well, what am I, what is my true nature and what will I be if I’m enlightened?’ In this video, I explore the main reason why the Buddha didn’t specify our ‘true nature’ and I share some sutras where the Buddha does describe the beauty and freedom experienced by one who is enlightened.

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Setting Meditation Intentions for the New Year

Meditation 2015 new years resolution

 

What changes would you like to see in your meditation practice in the New Year (if any)? Perhaps you might want to make your practice more consistent, make your sessions longer (or even shorter and more concentrated). Maybe you simply need to start a daily/weekly practice?

You don’t need to be a yogi to reap the benefits of meditation. Just 10 – 20 minutes a day can have a tremendous impact on your inner health and wellbeing.
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Best Buddhist Books for Beginners: My Top 8 Picks

best buddhist books - Image via Edward Dalmulder on Flickr

Photo: © Edward Dalmulder on flickr

 

If you’re new to Buddhism and trying to find the best Buddhist book for a beginner, you might be overwhelmed by the amount of books available. To make life easier for you, I’ve compiled a list of my top 8 picks that I recommend for beginners. Some of them are great at explaining the basics of Buddhist theory, while others are better at capturing the essence of the Buddha’s teachings. Either way, they are all fantastic books and you are sure to gain something from any one of them.

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How to Practice Buddhism in Daily Life: Mini Loving-Kindness & Compassion Exercise

 

As our lives get busier and we seem to be more time-poor, it has become even more crucial to find ways to easily apply the Buddhist teachings to our everyday activities. Practicing Buddhism in our daily life doesn’t have to be restricted to just meditating on a cushion; there are many ways we can incorporate the practices into our daily actions.

In this video I share with you a simple and easy practice of loving-kindness and compassion that we can do any time, irrespective of the activity we’re engaged in.

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The Allure of Meditation Retreats

Tenzin Palmo’s newly renovated cave in the Himalayas © Tsunma Kalden

Tenzin Palmo’s newly renovated cave in the Himalayas © Tsunma Kalden


 
Most Dharma centers these days offer people the chance to deepen their meditation practice by offering retreats, anywhere from one day to a few months in duration. For many of us, even to take one day out of our lives to attend a retreat can be difficult, but the benefits are lasting and well worth making the effort to attend.

When I first started practicing meditation, I originally started with just 10-20 minutes a day; slowly working my way up to one-hour sessions. As I continued to read and became more inspired, I began doing semi-retreats at home on the weekend. I would practice noble silence and do up to seven hours meditation on the Saturday (breaking up my sessions with 45 minutes Shamatha meditation and 15 minutes walking meditation). Then on the Sunday I would attend my local center’s Sunday morning session and come home and do more practice.
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