If you have read about or studied Buddhism at all, you’ve heard the idea that part of the Buddhist path is to “overcome desire.” This can be a bit off-putting, because it leaves us with the impression that wanting things is bad, and on the one hand this sort of seems true, but on the other hand, if we entirely give up on wanting things, won’t we starve? The confusion actually boils down to the difficulty of translating Pali or Sanskrit to english: “desire” means more than one thing.
Read MoreWe all have a powerful mental function, the problem finder, that looks for potentially life-threatening problems in our environment and brings them to our attention. In most of us, it is tuned way too high, and so it’s always telling us stuff that not only don’t we need to know, but that will actually make us feel unsafe and insecure and even worthless. What to do?
Read MoreHow do I become the person I wish I were? How do I even know if the person I wish I were is who I would want to be if I were that person? There is no perfect answer to this question, but here’s some thoughts about it.
Read MoreSometimes when we don’t want to do something, it’s because we’re struggling with resistance. Sometimes it’s that it’s not what we need to do.
Read MoreYou may have encountered the Buddhist idea that all suffering comes from the three poisons: desire, hatred and ignorance. Honestly, this sounds kind of judgy. Am I supposed to never want anything? But more importantly, I’m not a hateful person, so why am I suffering from that? Actually, “hatred” isn’t the best translation.
Read MoreHelen asked how meditation provides comfort and validation. This is an attempt at an answer.
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