The path is a spiral, drawing us back to familiar situations yet we see them from a different vantage point. As we move from one level of the spiral to the next, we pass through old karmas in the form of behaviors and mental habits. Before the final release of…
In Trikaya Buddhism, there are seven Days of Power. While we sometimes celebrate days that are significant in other traditions, these particular days have a special importance to our path. First, what is a Day of Power? A Day of Power occurs when an access point to a certain type…
While we each must walk the Path on our own, to fully embody spiritual growth, it takes a village. In many Buddhist books, there is the recommendation to go to an isolated mountain retreat – in other words, to leave everyone and everything and focus only on practice. It’s true,…
[2024 December DCTB Mindfulness Tip] There are innumerable pathways to Enlightenment, which gives us many options to explore. Spiritual shopping is fun and a necessary prerequisite to serious study. However, in order to successfully find our way through the confusion of Samsara – of cyclic existence, we need to pick…
[2024 November DCTB Mindfulness Tip] To make progress on the spiritual path – or in any endeavor – consistency is essential. Consistency has a dual meaning and both connotations are important to consider. The Oxford Dictionary defines consistency: con·sist·en·cy /kənˈsistnsē/noun 1. conformity in the application of something, typically that which…
[2024 October DCTB Mindfulness Tip] Life is change. And with change comes confusion. Sometimes this confusion is mild and evaporates quickly. Other times we become mired in it, swirling around and around. But in any case, confusion always precedes clarity. It’s tempting to want to jump past the confusion state.…
[2024 September DCTB Mindfulness Tip] What if you say YES to every aspect of your life? How would that feel? What could you accomplish? Our mind is much more comfortable saying No. No is predictable. No keeps us following the same tracks. No gives us a sense of security. No…
[2024 August DCTB Mindfulness Tip] The pain of change is undeniable. But where does this pain come from? We know everything is transitory. Every day the sun sets and night reveals the stars, only to have the sun rise once again. Clouds form and disperse; the sky above our heads…
[2024 June DCTB Mindfulness Tip] This world, including us, arises from causes and conditions. These innumerable causes and conditions swirl and mix, creating infinite variations. We can think of causes like rocks dropped in a pond. This in turn creates conditions, which extend from where the rock hits the water,…
[May 2024 – Dharma Center Mindfulness Tip] Each of us is a distinct expression of Light. We are here to be who we are, and allow that unique creation to shine forth in this world as part of the Great Mandala. We are also this Great Mandala: infinite, endless and…