Präsenz und Achtsamkeit im Sexuellen Leben  von Gil Fronsdal  Sexualität ist mehr als ein Lebensbereich, in dem wir kein Fehlverhalten begehen sollten, betont der Dharma- und Meditationslehrer Gil Fronsdal. Im sexuellen Ausdruck sieht er eine komplexe Form der Kommunikation. Psyche, Geschichte und Kultur spiegeln sich darin ebenso wider wie unsere Sichtweise von uns selbst und unser Verständnis von anderen. Grund genug, auch die Sexualität buddhistisch zu erhellen.   Sexualität ist tief in jedem menschlichen Leben verankert. Deshalb stellt die…

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The Buddha as an Activist By Gil Fronsdal What has been taught by the Buddha is to act for the welfare of many people, for the happiness of many people, for the benefit, welfare, and happiness of many people.[1]   The Buddha clearly and actively advocated for the welfare of the whole world, including encouraging his followers to work for “the benefit, welfare, and happiness of many people.” In this way, he was an “activist.” However, living in the Bronze…

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In Buddhist practice, acquiring liberating insight goes hand-in-hand with mental cultivation. We cannot have deep insight without developing the mind, any more than a nearsighted person can see clearly without glasses. And we cannot benefit from insight without inner strength, any more than a hiker can climb a mountain without physical strength. The three core insights of mindfulness practice are impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and not-self. Because of their importance, these “three characteristics” are often taught enthusiastically without reference to the mental…

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“A wise person is motivated to benefit oneself, others, and both self and others.” —The Buddha Some people live focused on benefiting themselves and those to whom they feel close. Some people are devoted to benefiting others, sometimes at the expense of themselves. To the Buddha, a wise person is someone who wishes for the good of all. Our lives are so interconnected that it is not possible to benefit oneself while neglecting others. And one can’t be of much…

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The Buddha’s teachings describe an accessible path to liberation. The ancient Buddhist metaphor of a path draws on the idea of a cleared passageway that allows one to move through an otherwise impassable forest. Just as a person brings his or her entire body along when walking on a path in the forest, so a spiritual practitioner enters the Buddha’s path by engaging all aspects of who he or she is. Yet while a physical path exists whether we walk…

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Anger is one of the most common human emotions and perhaps the most dangerous. Regardless of whether the anger is directed toward ourselves or others, it can be painful and cause a great deal of suffering. While the danger of mild anger may only be discomfort for the person who is angry, rage and simmering hostility can lead to significant pain and distress for ourselves and others. The danger of anger increases dramatically when it’s acted out: relationships can be…

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Buddhist practice involves engaging in actions on a path to freedom and awakening.  Action, in other words, is key. Reading about Buddhism is not the same as taking up the practice.  If we learn about Buddhist practice but don’t change any of our behaviors, we won’t experience the benefits of the practice.  Unless we actually take up the activity of mindfulness, mindfulness practice will have no role in our lives. If we decide we want to meditate but fail to…

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by: Gil Fronsdal At the Insight Meditation Center, and soon, at the new Insight Retreat Center, we offer our residential retreats freely at no cost to anyone who participates. We do so because we believe Buddhist practice unfolds best in a field of generosity, gratitude, and goodwill. We also believe the freely given aspect of retreats exemplifies the remarkable inner freedom that Buddhism champions. By demonstrating an alternative to the dominant materialism and acquisitiveness of our culture, we hope these…

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by Andrea Fella When we go on a residential retreat, we often hope that our meditation will result in a deepening of concentration: a quality of composure, collectedness, of settled attention. But unfortunately, we can’t force concentration to happen! We can, however, support the conditions that allow it to arise. This simple fact has been really helpful for me to remember. In our meditation practice, we often bring along the cultural baggage of an “I’m going to do this” mentality,…

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