Some early Buddhist texts denounced music. Claiming it was nothing more than a sensory distraction pulling practitioners away from their meditation practice. Theravada Buddhist precepts prohibit monastics from singing, dancing or even listening to music. In spite of these ancient rules, there have been countless songs inspired by the ancient…
Tag: mindfulness
Video Games
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Loving-Kindness: Dalai Lama’s RF Switchbox for Compassion and Life XP
Sshhhhksshhh! If your birth year starts with “19” you’re probably familiar with this iconic sound. It’s the soft hiss of channel 3 on a CRT TV before you fire up your retro gaming console of choice. For those of you born in this century, before HDMI cables, you had to…
Lifestyles
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Forest Bathing: Modern Shinrin-yoku in the Digital Age
You’ve probably heard the term “Forest Bathing” being tossed around on TikTok or your social media platform of choice lately. But what you might not know is that it’s a relatively modern term that originated in Japan in the 1980s. It has since been rebranded, repackaged (you can almost say…
Home and Garden
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Shojin Ryori: Everything You Need To Know About Buddhist Vegetarian Cuisine
Shojin Ryori is the traditional cuisine of Zen Buddhist monks. It is historically vegetarian, and usually vegan, due to its roots in the Buddhist concept of non-violence. But some modern iterations include animal products like milk and cheese. Each meal is typically made up of several small bowls with an…
Lifestyles
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Why Film Photography Is the Ultimate Zen Practice for a Mindful Life
Pull out your cell phone and open up your photo gallery. Do you have ten to fifteen nearly identical versions of every picture on your digital camera roll? If the answer is yes, read on. We’ll teach you how to pare down that massive photo library while simultaneously living a…
literature
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Best Buddhist Print Magazines You Can Subscribe to Today
Picture this: It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon. You turn on the kettle to make yourself a little afternoon pick-me-up of your favorite coffee or tea. You sit down on the couch ready to enjoy a little rest and relaxation. Before you can stop yourself your monkey mind has you reach…
Home and Garden
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Dogen’s “Instructions To the Tenzo”: Buddhist Wisdom For Family Dinners
Parents today are more stressed, overworked and pushed to their limits than ever before. Feeling like finding time for a traditional sitting meditation practice is out of reach? You’re not alone. In today’s modern world there simply isn’t enough time in the day to sit in silence for busy parents….
Home and Garden
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The Best Part of Waking up is The Buddha in Your Cup
It’s Saturday morning. You roll out of bed and wipe the sleep from your eyes. You stumble to the kitchen and fire up your trusty Mr. Coffee machine. The aroma of coffee fills your kitchen as the anticipation of your first cup O’joe drips closer and closer to completion. That’s…
Home and Garden
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Samu and Soil: Finding Mindfulness in Your Garden
In today’s modern world your meditation practice can take a backseat to the demands of everyday life. At times it can feel nearly impossible to find the time for a traditional sitting practice. Work, school, family and the tasks of everyday life are sometimes so overwhelming that carving out 15…