Dharma Reflections

There are religious Buddhists who claim there is rebirth.

There are secular Buddhists who claim there is no rebirth.

Are they both extremists?

You probably think that the Buddha believed in past lives and rebirth. If you read in the English translations of the 10,000 discourses of the Buddha, you will see a number of references to “past lives” and “rebirth.” …

There are religious Buddhists who claim there is rebirth. There are secular Buddhists who claim there is no rebirth. Are they both extremists?Read More »

I regularly hear from people their intention to set up personal boundaries within which they feel they have their own space, feel secure so that others know what is permissible in terms of their behaviour around them.  There is quite a lot of use of the concept “personal boundaries” in psychology. …

A Point of View on Setting Up of Personal BoundariesRead More »

In alphabetical order

 1. Abide with authenticity and integrity. Be willing to say to YES to develop what matters, say NO to what is harmful, take risks and be adventurous. …

DHARMA PRACTICE IN DAILY LIFERead More »

I recall several years ago feeling a sharp pain under my left nipple while taking a shower as my left arm brushed across the nipple. Women have told me that they first felt a lump in the breast while taking a shower.  I felt a lump like hard glue under the nipple. I googled for information about lumps under nipples for men. It seems that a tiny, tiny number of men get cancer that starts with the first tell-tale sign of a lump under the nipple. …

A Personal Reflection on Angelina Jolie and her double masectomyRead More »

The Kalama Sutta

(Sutta means discourse)

The Kalama people told the Buddha they were perplexed by the different spiritual/religious views. He replied:  “It is fitting for you to be perplexed. Doubt has arisen in you about a perplexing matter.”

 Then the Buddha gave to the Kalama people of north India a discourse. This discourse constitutes one of his most loved statements endorsing our capacity to question authority.  …

The Buddha gave the much loved Kalama Sutta that questions authority. Here is the Totnes Sutta with the same principle.Read More »