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Enjoy the top 10 blogs of the week free in our e-newsletter.


The Trick To Getting What We Want.

by on May 22, 2013

For many of us, there are obstacles that stand in the way of how to get what we want. Why is that? It should be easy, right? Unfortunately, for some, it is not easy. Believe it or not, some people just don’t know what they want. They have no idea how to think outside the [...]


Medicine Buddha

Jyotish {Vedic} Horoscopes for the Week of 5.20.

by on May 21, 2013

Weekly jyotish {vedic} horoscopes for the week of 5.20.13


Photo: Enver Rahmanov

Do not kill Buddha; thou would Bury the Dead. ~ Enver Rahmanov

by on May 15, 2013


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10 Reasons to Have More Sex.

by on May 15, 2013

It’s not a secret that sex sells or that just the mention of sex gets everyone a little hot under the collar. Humans were designed to be sensual beings and are drawn to sex as a profound vehicle to connect, feel, experience pleasure and euphoria, make babies and love others. When the time and space [...]


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What Buddha Might Say To Deepak Chopra.

by on May 14, 2013

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” ~ The Buddha Many years ago, we were teaching a meditation weekend in Plymouth, England. On the Saturday, after the program was over for the day, Carole, one of the attendees, told us she had just been with Deepak Chopra, that he had walked out of the [...]


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The Impossible Paradox of Life & Death.

by on May 8, 2013

A few days ago, my wife and I found out that my little friend and life companion has terminal cancer.


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Jyotish {Vedic} Horoscopes for the Week of 5.06.

by on May 7, 2013

weekly jyotish vedic horoscopes for the week of 5.06 by swati jr jyotish


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The Wife vs. The Mistress.

by on May 6, 2013

Yes, she was part of a decision that ruined my family. Yes, she is culpable and must live with her decisions. But, sitting in front of me is a woman with her own demons to wrestle with. I can scream and curse at her. I can cut her with my words. She is sitting close enough I can reach out and strike her physically. I choose not to. Compassion has allowed me the privilege of finding happiness again.


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The Dance of Ritual & The Unconscious. ~ Jyoti Wind

by on May 5, 2013


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10,002 Ways to Pray “Help.”

by on May 1, 2013

I hold them as if they might speak to me through my arterial walls, though I’m not fluent in that. They are silent as a feather landing in a hammock.


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Crazy Sexy Cleanse: A Review. ~ Jenna Penielle Lyons

by on Apr 30, 2013

The cleanse started at a time when it felt good. I needed a cleanse. My roommate’s girlfriend and my new friend Heather suggested that we do the Crazy Sexy Adventure together. At first, I was like, “What the hell?”


You're in Good Hands

The 3 Qualities of Awareness.

by on Apr 26, 2013

If we let go and rest in this wakeful openness, we discover how awareness relates to form: When anything comes to mind—a person, situation, emotion—the spontaneous response is warmth or tenderness. This is the third quality of awareness: the expression of unconditional love or compassion. Tibetan Buddhists call this the “unconfined capacity of awareness,” and it includes joy, appreciation, and the many other qualities of heart.


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Why We Need to Live Like There Is No Tomorrow.

by on Apr 24, 2013

Don’t wait until it is too late to do and say everything that means something to you.


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Do Religious Traditions Condone Animal Suffering? ~ Mariann Sullivan & Jasmin Singer

by on Apr 23, 2013

The way to live the message of compassion that underlies each of these traditions is to truly extend that compassion to animals. With 84 percent of Americans identifying as religious, and 97 percent agreeing that animals deserve protection from harm and exploitation, why do so many religions continue to ignore, or even encourage, practices that [...]


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The Fire Inside You.

by on Apr 23, 2013

And maintaining all these channels, this posture, this structure…it all takes ENERGY. And energy keeps you warm. Yesterday I didn’t have a mat to root myself on. I had dirt, pine needles, boulders, water, trees, roots. Sunshine. And I was warm. Grasping onto these things…trying to balance on soft, uneven tufts of grass. Gazing upward at the sun. Finding the light. Plants do this every day, and they live. They thrive. Feeling my own blood coursing through my veins kept me warm.


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The Only Place in the Universe.

by on Apr 23, 2013

The Buddha called the deepest dimension of the Self, and the deepest dimension of Reality, the “Unborn” or the “Uncreated.” In his profound teaching of meditation, the direct experience of this depth dimension was the source of spiritual liberation.


Photo: Simthsonian Freer Sackler Gallery

What the #$&% is Actionless Action? ~ Matthew Gindin

by on Apr 19, 2013

On action, liberation and violence in the Bhagavad Gita. In 2006, I spent a summer studying the Bhagavad Gita as part of a Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) program in a Canadian ashram. Previously, while living as a Buddhist monk, I read the Gita maybe a dozen times in different translations, as well as spent a [...]


Portrait of Lama Yeshe, 1975

Finding Ourselves Through Buddhism. ~ Lama Thubten Yeshe

by on Apr 15, 2013

To become their own psychologist, a person doesn’t have to learn some big philosophy. All they have to do is examine their own mind every day.


photo by Scotty Lyons

Shelter from the Storm & Spider in Your Ear. ~ Jenna Penielle Lyons

by on Apr 15, 2013

Enter the spider in the Buddha’s ear. The Buddha, still contemplative, serene, calm, and loving, offers refuge, yet stays still…strong. He offers safety and love–compassion–yet stays true to his own intention and his own self. Don’t ever compromise yourself or who you are or what you believe in for someone else. Give love and compassion to them, but not at the expense of yourself. You can redeem all the evil in the world with your own intention.
दृष्टि.


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The Ways You Pray.

by on Apr 8, 2013

Do a dance. Paint. Bake. Eat kale. Ride your bike in the rain. Talk with strangers. Smile at birds. Pick up ladybugs and praying mantises. Watch butterflies. Feel rivers on your feet. Feel wind in your hair. Drink good coffee–because bad coffee is gross and you deserve a warm moment every morning. Feel the sun rising every day. Fall in love and let it take you where it takes you. Walk your dog…be it furry and barking or downward facing. Take a hike. Hear your own heartbeat…and maybe, someday, the beat of another’s as you sleep.


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Buddha Doodles: Surrender What’s out of Your Control. ~ Molly Hahn

by on Mar 31, 2013

…whimsically illustrated reminders of the inherent happiness and wisdom that we carry with us at all times. As a spunky cartoonist with a knack for spirituality, this is my way of being of service to the world on a daily basis.


Source: via Lasting Light on Pinterest

Go Now & Begin Your Practice: An Interview with Youngbear Roth. ~ Sidney Bennet

by on Mar 29, 2013

Love is the story. God is the story. Realizing your complete being is the story. Look, everything else that we celebrate, chase after, suffer with are all footnotes. They’re valid and interesting, but they are not the story.


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I Had to Talk Life Directly—This Was the Understanding: An Interview with Youngbear Roth. ~ Sidney Bennet

by on Mar 27, 2013

Reminding myself of the yogic infinite overview kept me from emotionally drowning in the midst of a hopeless finite life.


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elephant Recommends: Touching Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh. {Free Download}

by on Mar 22, 2013

elephant is proud to partner with Better Listen…enjoy! Touching Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh. Developing upon teachings on the art of mindful living begun in Being Peace, Thich Nhat Hanh shows the connection between inner peace and peace on earth. Recorded live in New York in 1991, he teaches us how mindful breathing and awareness [...]


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Living on the Edge of Everything.

by on Mar 19, 2013

Those who seem to be most alive, most in touch with life and their own creative powers, are individuals who are demonstrating what it means to live on the edge of their own potential. They may be musicians like the Stones, or they may be artists, writers, politicians, engineers, scientists, philosophers, or mystics.


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The Four Noble Truths & Daily Living: The Eightfold Path.

by on Mar 19, 2013

The fourth Noble Truth or the path to freedom can be presented in a variety of ways. The classical presentation is known as the Eightfold Path. This article explores the Eightfold Path in modern, practical terms.


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The Beauty of Buddha. ~ Brian Holihan

by on Mar 11, 2013


Why is the Buddha Smiling? (And How You Can Too.)

by on Mar 4, 2013

                    When you look at a statue of the Buddha or the image of a great yogi with their serene smiles, it’s easy to think that they never experienced the same reactive emotions or negative thoughts that swirl around in your mind. But, you’d be wrong. [...]


Photo: Ian Bothwell

Inventing Yourself with Yoga (and a Little Help from Jesus, Buddha, Einstein & Marley). ~ Sumya Anani

by on Mar 1, 2013

Everyone on this planet has a great mission. Yoga helps us discover what our purpose is. Yoga is the practice of understanding and realizing the Self. But what does that really mean? Yoga taught me that all of life is thought. All the masters teach us how to train and discipline our minds. But why is [...]


Take the “A” Train: Follow Your Dharma.

by on Feb 28, 2013

Source: weber-street-photography.com via Isa (www.isatoutsimplement.org) on Pinterest 10,000 Joys, 10,000 Sorrows You are meeting a college roommate at noon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You haven’t seen her in 25 years and you were surprised when she sent you a friend request on Facebook. She’s driving into the city from Greenwich and you’re going [...]


The Tao of Anxiety. ~ Nicole Markardt

by on Feb 27, 2013

I was a fear junky. When I googled the term “junky” it read: a person hopelessly addicted to a controlled substance. My drug of choice was fear. I became addicted to fear after a passionate fight and murder attempt by what seemed like the “perfect” relationship in my teens; I was nearly paralyzed and had [...]


Painting: David G Arenson ND

Why Suffering is Noble. ~ Stacey Campbell

by on Feb 26, 2013

Suffering comes in many forms. It can be experienced emotionally, mentally, physically and even spiritually. Suffering can show up in our lives unexpectedly. It can be experienced as heartache when someone close to us leaves, as anxiety when we replay the same worst case scenario over and over in our minds, as a stomachache because [...]


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Tony Robbins & the Buddha Compare Notes.

by on Feb 25, 2013

What would it be like if the historical master of enlightenment, Gautama the Buddha and the legendary personal development coach Tony Robbins had a conversation about higher human development?


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Chickpeas with Alan Watts.

by on Feb 23, 2013

I would be pissed that you seem to have an answer for everything, except the answers you have are so damn good. You are awesome, Alan. Simple as that.


Give Yourself the Love You Need. ~ Cori Lassahn

by on Feb 23, 2013

Source: via Stephanie on Pinterest   “You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” ~ Buddha Say I love you to yourself. Drop away any notions of this being new-agey or woo-woo, close your eyes and just say it. Then notice how you feel in your body as you [...]


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The Serial Killer with a Heart of Gold. ~ Andrew Cvercko

by on Feb 20, 2013

 “Some prisoners are tamed with punishment of a stick, or a hook or a whip. I was tamed without a stick or a weapon. I was tamed by the kind words of the Compassionate Buddha.” Angulimala was one of the historical Buddha’s monks and followers. He was known for being stringent in his practice, sublimely [...]


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How to Move Forward When Our Heroes Have Fallen. ~ Kevin Macku

by on Feb 17, 2013

Now is the winter of our discontent. I never cared much for basketball, but I always liked Michael Jordan. I mean, did you see Space Jam? Yes, his legend was romanticized. Yes, Michael Jordan and others profited from it; the silhouette of his slam dunk sold shoes undoubtedly made by some other nation’s kids in [...]


Non-Conceptuality for Dummies: We Are All in a Huge Time Out.

by on Feb 16, 2013

We are happier than that time you scored a basket against all odds and everyone jumped out of their seats to cheer and your mom and dad were both there and the teacher who thought you were Bozo Incarnate even had to admit “Shit, nice shot!”


Stop Reality.

by on Feb 15, 2013

What is reality?  Merely conditioning, based on beliefs? Or something more? The real reality is within. What you see is an illusion, and only reflects what your brain is capable of showing you via its own mechanisms. Technically and physiologically speaking, you’re unable to see the truth that you live in an illusion that can [...]


Source: piccsy.com via Cansu on Pinterest

Refueling After Compassion Burnout. ~ Andrew Cvercko

by on Feb 6, 2013

This starts, like many of my stories do, with a very young me reading comic books. When I was about eight, I was reading a Superman comic, one in which Superman was explaining to Lois Lane that he is very selective about using some of his powers, such as super hearing and x-ray vision. If [...]


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Brand Buddha: The Over-Commercialism of Spiritualism. ~ Jennifer Cordero

by on Feb 6, 2013

The teachings of Buddhism are never more relevant than today, but I can’t help but feeling that nine times out of ten, it’s more a marketing mechanism than any statement of belief.


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I’ll Bet Even the Buddha had Bad Days.

by on Feb 6, 2013

“I am not this hair, I am not this skin, I am the soul that lives within.” ~  Rumi I found myself a bit ‘uninspired’ the other day—listless, lost, and perhaps, just a little drained. My brain had become a muddled mess of itself—the result of equal parts flu and of misery. And in that [...]


Morality, My Ass.

by on Feb 5, 2013

You are every song they ever wrote, played expertly in riverwater and fire.


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The Four Noble Truths & Daily Living: Prayer & the 3rd Noble Truth of Freedom.

by on Feb 5, 2013

Prayer is the basis of religious practice. The spiritual journey is initiated by this eruption of intention. It is the calling out of the claustrophobic mind to the vitality of the body.


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Celebrating the Divine Feminine: Guanyin East & West. ~ Deborah Bowman

by on Feb 4, 2013

In celebrating an image of the female Buddha we challenge the old myth with a new myth. We play with form to shake up habituated thinking and honor diverse paths to Buddhahood. The old storyline is full of guys in charge. The new script is written with a real heroine on the trail of Osama [...]


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An Interview with Buddhist Author & Death Row Inmate Jarvis Jay Masters.

by on Jan 30, 2013

I had the fear of not wanting to tell people about it, you know, telling people I’d become a Buddhist in the joint.


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Sh*t Gentrifiers Say.

by on Jan 29, 2013

At a recent meditation retreat in Woodstock, our teacher, Lama Kathy, play-act illustrated grasping. She pretended to be a person who has paid for a candy from a vending machine, and failed to get one. She got down and pretended to reach way up into the machine. She spoke of how stupid people look, when [...]


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Stop Lying to Yourself. ~ David Procyshyn

by on Jan 27, 2013

Source: letsrendezvous.tumblr.com via Lindse on Pinterest   Yoga and The Sacred Principles: Living Satya “The person that I am talking to is boring.” “My father was mean to me.” “I wish my husband expressed his love to me more often.” “I no longer want this person to be my friend.” “I’m sorry that I hurt [...]


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Karma Through The Django Movie Lens.

by on Jan 26, 2013

Sometimes, our basic goodness is what certain perspectives might label “bad.” Fuck ‘em.


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Yoda, Jedi Bodhisattva From Hell.

by on Jan 22, 2013

“The fear of loss is a path to the Dark Side.”~ Yoda Do you think Yoda was a Buddhist? Because my boy is so onto it here. The jedi master has his hands firmly around the concept of grasping; letting go of desires, wishing well for others before self, is huge, like King Kong in [...]


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