American college student explores Buddhism

One of the main things I've been thinking about with this concept is the idea of skillful vs unskillful helping. Going into humanitarian work there are a plethora of examples of unskillful helping (NGO's that build playgrounds no matter what they local people actually need). But I think this idea of skillful helping is important to keep in mind. One of my favorite examples that I tell my friends are the worms on sidewalks on a rainy day. Sometime people will kick them back into the grass thinking they are saving the worms life, however the worms get stranded on the sidewalk for a reason. Putting them back in the dirt actually hurts them because they now have to expend the energy to get back to the sidewalk. 

If only all your student were ordained we would be your sangha:)

Radically Re-Imagine Relationship

I always think of this first in terms of mindfulness and letting go. One must be able to let go of their current preconceptions of their relationships in order to be mindful of allowing them to flourish.

Radically Re-Imagine Relationship

The state of full enlightenment.

Another key aspect of mindfulness is acceptance. When one is paying attention it is also important to pay attention with an open mind/heart. When one practices mindfulness, ones thoughts tune into sensory experiences in the present moment rather than revisiting the past or imagining the future.

The Middle Way

a suggestion about how one can live life in order to bring dukkha to a minimum. The eightfold path encourages one to look inward rather than following a preset code of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’

The Middle Way: The Eight Component Course