Blog
Hello and welcome to my blog!
This blog will be about Buddhism. ‘Oh! not another one,’ I hear you say. Well, yes but…
There are many great blogs on Buddhism as a religion and even more on Buddhism as a philosophy. I am writing about Buddhism as a way of life, which means there is no Buddhist jargon or dogma. It is not based in the metaphysical world, but has its feet planted firmly on this planet. It is easy to follow and practical. I use the Buddha’s early teachings as the blogs foundation, and explain them in a way that is relevant to your life today. You will find some of what I am going to write about in my books, ‘The Best Way To Catch A Snake’ and ‘Life’s Meandering Path.’ You may also follow Buddhism Guide on Facebook and Twitter. I hope you enjoy the blog. Feel free to give me feedback, as I love to hear other people’s views.
Who am I?
We all identify with something. It may be a football team, your school, job, country, friends and so on. The list is endless.. Once your mind gets entangled with your identity, which includes your body, your thought process and emotions, then spirituality is not...
Looking Back, So You Can Move Forward
Many years ago when I first moved to India, I went to see a Buddhist teacher to get a personal instruction. We chatted for around thirty minutes, and then he told me at the end of each day to sit quietly and review all my actions, thoughts, feelings and emotions for...
Who Gains From Forgiveness?
The act of forgiveness is an important one, but sometimes seems virtually impossible to do. This is because we think of forgiveness as an act we do for someone else. We feel like we are removing a burden from the other person, when in fact, we are actually removing a...
The Green-Eyed Monster
In the Jataka Tales there is a story about jealousy, called The Curse of Mittavinda, which is about a monk who lived in a tiny monastery in a little village. His alms food was always provided by the rich man of the village. In fact, all of his needs were looked after...
Reflect on your values
I was born into a Christian family and so was taught the ten commandments from a very early age. I never liked being told 'Thou shalt not do this' and 'Thou shalt not do that,' it all seemed so final and restrictive. These commandments are fine if the world was black...
Becoming your own best friend
I recently released a guided meditation practice entitled 'Befriending Yourself.' It got a huge reaction. Most of it positive, but some were asking questions like 'Why was it needed?' 'Isn't it a bit self indulgent?' and 'Is it the same as self esteem practices?' I...
Keeping your mind positive
It is not possible to avoid negative thoughts entirely, because our brains are wired that way. However, it is possible to reduce their impact by being mindful. If we are aware we will be able to catch the negative thoughts and let them go. I have written a few...
Is Buddhism Against Euthanasia?
Euthanasia, taken from a Greek word meaning a good death, refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life to relieve pain and suffering. There are two different types of euthanasia, namely voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary euthanasia is when death is hastened...
Rebirth Doesn’t Matter
I was born into a Christian family and so my early experience of religion is being told I must be 'god fearing' and 'god moves in mysteries ways' - neither of these things moved me in any way.I attended church for christenings and weddings and found them to be bleak,...
A Big Pot of Merit
Merit is a concept commonly found in Hinduism and Buddhism. In a lot of Buddhist circles people believe if they do good in this life it will mean a good rebirth. This is how they see merit, it is something to accumulate. However, this implies that you score points by...