Buddhism Guide

In today's fast-paced and constantly changing world, the ancient Japanese philosophy of Wabi Sabi offers a refreshing perspective on life, encouraging us to appreciate the beauty of imperfection and transience. Wabi Sabi is not just a design or aesthetic concept; it's a way of life that can inspire us to find contentment and peace in the midst of life's chaos and imperfections. Wabi Sabi is a phil...

Ultimately, bouncing back is about finding the inner strength to persevere, adapt, and grow in the face of adversity. It's about recognizing that setbacks are a natural part of the human experience and that they can serve as opportunities for self-discovery and transformation. With the right mindset and support systems in place, individuals can bounce back from even the most daunting challenges, e...

Grief is an unavoidable part of the human experience, a natural response to loss that can profoundly impact our emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing. Whether triggered by the death of a loved one, the end of a significant relationship, or a major life transition, grief is a universal phenomenon that touches us all at some point in our lives. In this podcast, we will explore the nature of grie...

In Buddhism, there are five omnipresent mental factors. These factors are present in every moment of our mental experience and play a fundamental role in shaping our thoughts, emotions, and actions. Understanding these factors can help us cultivate mindfulness and develop a deeper awareness of our own minds. Books by Karma Yeshe Rabgye: Open Awareness, Open Mind - www.amazon.in/Open-Awareness-Min…...

In both Buddhism and neuroscience, the concepts of brain, mind, and consciousness play vital roles in understanding human existence and awareness. While Buddhism offers a philosophical and spiritual perspective, neuroscience approaches these concepts from a scientific and empirical standpoint. Books by Karma Yeshe Rabgye: Open Awareness, Open Mind - www.amazon.in/Open-Awareness-Min…=1627806820&sr=...

Buddhism, originating in ancient India, has traversed continents and centuries, touching the lives of millions. As it spread to the West, it underwent adaptations to resonate with the Western mindset. One such adaptation that gained popularity is Secular Buddhism. In this podcast, I want to explore the essence of Secular Buddhism, its distinctions from traditional Buddhism, and the reasons behind,...

The Buddhist concept of emptiness refers to the idea that all things lack intrinsic or inherent existence. It is a way of understanding the nature of reality and the way in which things come into being. By recognising the emptiness of all things, we can let go of our attachment to fixed identities and concepts, leading to greater freedom and compassion. (You can read more about this topic here - h...

Over the years, I have spent a lot of time meditating and reflecting on world peace. I have even wondered if it was even possible. I concluded that it is not only possible, but also essential for humanity. It is complicated, multifaceted and requires cooperation, but it is achievable. World peace is important because it is the foundation for global prosperity, stability, and security. Without peac...

In the dictionary, defilement means a state of being polluted, and that is what we are talking about here: our minds being polluted. So, what is polluting our minds? It is destructive mental states, and these are what we need to remove so we can free our minds. This podcast is based on my book ‘Life’s Meandering Path’- which is available from Amazon and Kindle. Books by Karma Yeshe Rabgye: Open Aw...

In this podcast, we will be looking at the Buddhist concept of non-self. This is a difficult subject for many of us to grasp because we have invested so much time and effort into building and reinforcing a sense of self. However, Buddha stated that what we call a self is just a coming together of different parts. This podcast is based on my book ‘Life’s Meandering Path’- which is available from Am...

Impermanence is one of the most important topics Buddha taught. He stated that there is no phenomenon that exists from its own side—that is, there are no phenomena that are not compounded. Things do not just come into existence by sheer magic or by some superior power, such as a god. It is through causes and conditions, the joining together of things, that phenomena come into existence. This podca...

I have mentioned various ways of reducing our suffering throughout this series on the Mangala Sutra, so now I want to discuss things that may stop us from reducing our suffering, namely, the ten fetters. These are ten things that shackle us to a life of suffering. If we cut through these fetters, we will be able to start reducing our suffering. This podcast is based on my book ‘Life’s Meandering P...

All our actions of body and speech stem from our mind, so it is vitally important to have a strategy whereby we can have some control over our thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Mindfulness and carrying out a day of observance are two good ways to practice self-restraint. This podcast is based on my book ‘Life’s Meandering Path’- which is available from Amazon and Kindle. Books by Karma Yeshe Rabgy...

In part six of the Mangala Sutra, we look at the importance of having a teacher, guide, or spiritual friend. We are obviously going to face obstacles and hindrances on the path, so having someone with experience to support us is essential. This podcast is based on my book ‘Life’s Meandering Path’- which is available from Amazon and Kindle. Books by Karma Yeshe Rabgye: Open Awareness, Open Mind - w...

This podcast deals with characteristics and patterns of behaviour we should all try to cultivate, such as diligence, patience, contentment and being humble and a good communicator. This podcast is based on my book ‘Life’s Meandering Path’- which is available from Amazon and Kindle. Books by Karma Yeshe Rabgye: Open Awareness, Open Mind - www.amazon.in/Open-Awareness-Min…=1627806820&sr=8-1 The Best...

In part four of the Mangala Sutra we continue to look at the social principles. This covers how we can refrain from harmful acts and how we need to put great effort into developing beneficial acts and avoiding destructive ones. This podcast is based on my book ‘Life’s Meandering Path’- which is available from Amazon and Kindle. Books by Karma Yeshe Rabgye: Open Awareness, Open Mind - www.amazon.in...

In this third part of the Mangala Sutra, we will look at the Social Principles. These social principles take us further into our journey of becoming more responsible and reducing our mental suffering. By implementing these principles, we will also be reducing the suffering of those around us. This is not a selfish journey; it is one that helps us gain compassion for others. But gaining compassion...

In part two of the Mangala Sutra we look at learning and practical skills, a code of conduct, appropriate speech and much more. This podcast is based on my book ‘Life’s Meandering Path’- which is available from Amazon and Kindle. Books by Karma Yeshe Rabgye: Open Awareness, Open Mind - www.amazon.in/Open-Awareness-Min…=1627806820&sr=8-1 The Best Way to Catch a Snake - www.amazon.in/gp/product/B00T...

For centuries people have been indulging in superstitions, lucky charms, omens, divinations, and fortune-telling. They have used these things to help them make decisions and keep them from taking responsibility for their own actions. Buddha called all of these practices ‘low art’, and on many occasions he stated that such things are of no use as we have to take responsibility for our own lives. Th...

A central teaching in traditional Buddhism is the principle of dependent arising, which states that all things happen through cause and conditions and that they are interdependent. No phenomenon, whether outer or inner, occurs except as a reaction to a previous cause, and all phenomenon will, in turn, condition the following results. So, in a nutshell, because of one thing something else arises. N...

It is my understanding that we are born with compassion as part of our survival instincts, which means compassion is essential to human relationships and to help humanity. The problem is these days we spend an awful lot of our day in the fight or flight mode, and this blocks our compassion. This is because we are stressed and under pressure for large parts of the day and the brain sees this as a t...

When we are faced with challenging obstacles, we all cope in different ways, some face them head on, whereas others buckle under the pressure. It's important for us to find ways to build up our emotional strength. What is emotional strength? It’s a type of response when reacting to emotional events in an open and vulnerable way, which allows us to find ways of dealing with the emotion and not gett...

The more we get caught up in negative patterns of behaviour and mental states, the more they become engrained. This means they become stored in our subconscious, and we act in certain ways without consciously thinking and we become overwhelmed by our mental states, such as anger, jealousy, pride, without noticing it. We can start to change by following the process I have called ‘Eliminate what is...

During the pandemic, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had something that will improve our sleep, digestion, immune and respiratory functions, while reducing our blood pressure, fear, and anxiety? The good news is there is something and it is called ‘breathworks.’ By learning to direct your attention to your breath, you can condition yourself to shift out of the fight or flight mode and into the rest...

We human beings tend to focus on what we want or what we don’t want, but very rarely take time to appreciate what we have. Conscious gratitude is a simple way for us to count our blessings, build relationships and help strengthen our mental and physical wellbeing. Gratitude is an attitude. Gratitude is a choice. And gratitude is a habit. When we consciously practice being grateful for what we have...