Buddhism & Zen

There is a phrase in Japanese, “akirameru,” which is usually translated as “to give up” or “to resign yourself.” In modern usage, it carries a sense of defeat. But the word has an older, deeper root: “akirameru” comes from “akiraka…

The Buddha never saw an Instagram feed. But he described the psychological mechanism behind your screen addiction with startling precision roughly 2,500 years before smartphones existed. He called them the Eight Worldly Winds (attha loka dhamma): eight forces that blow…

By the time you hit your late twenties, Western culture expects you to have answers. What do you want to do with your life? Where are you going? Who are you? If you do not have clear answers to these…

The criticism is understandable. In a world full of injustice, inequality, and suffering, someone tells you the answer is to sit on a cushion and “just be present.” It sounds like privilege dressed up in spiritual language. It sounds like…

This question comes up in almost every conversation I have with Westerners who are exploring Buddhism. And it usually arrives loaded with assumptions: either the expectation that all Buddhists must be vegetarian (and the surprise when they discover many are…

The meditation apps promise calm. The Instagram posts show serene faces in golden light. The wellness articles describe meditation as a simple, risk-free way to reduce stress and find inner peace. So when you sit down to meditate and find…

Pop culture has done terrible things to the word “karma.” Scroll through social media and you will find karma used to mean cosmic revenge. Someone cuts you off in traffic, gets a flat tire five minutes later, and people say:…

Of all the Buddhist teachings that unsettle Western readers, anatta (no-self) is the one that seems almost offensive. Tell someone that Buddhism says there is no self, and they will look at you like you just told them they do…

If you have read even one article about Buddhism, you have probably encountered this claim: “Buddhism says life is suffering.” And if you are like most Westerners, your first reaction was something along the lines of: “Well, that’s depressing.” I…

“But shouldn’t you just be compassionate?” I have heard this question from students who are dealing with narcissistic parents, manipulative partners, and abusive bosses. They have read something about Buddhist compassion and concluded that they should endure the behavior. Smile.…