the Buddha says…

When asked to summarize his teachings, the Buddha said…

“Nothing should be clung to as I, me or mine.”

Buddhism and Children

I have found very few links or websites that talk about how to present buddhism to your children and how to be a buddhist parent.  If there is such a thing.  I have specific questions about meditating with children and explaining basic concepts to them through stories.  How young is to young to sit?  Are there childrens books out there designed for this purpose?  Any ideas or links or suggestions from more experienced practitioners would be appreciated. THX.

thoughts

As a novice meditation practitioner, when I sit, my mind is flooded with thoughts.  According to the instruction I received last night at the Shambhala meeting, in Shambhala, when you realize you are thinking, you are simply to label it “thinking” and bring your mind back to the breath.  Maybe it is my ego placing more importance on my thinking than is due, or perhaps it is my Western desire to psychologize and question the causes of these thoughts, but I can’t help but think that by stepping back and watching the thoughts as they slide in and out of my consciousness I may be able to learn something.  To be looked into.

 Further reading:

• The Removal of Distracting Thoughts (Vitakka-Santhana Sutta; Majjhima Nikaya No. 20)
• Don’t Feed the Monkeys

a lovely poem

courtesy of gregor @ entering the path

I read this poem and it seems to talk about happiness.  There is no true happiness in the outside, in things, in other people.  True happiness is inside of us, and needs to be discovered there.

anger and impatience

Tonight I had a sudden and irrational outburst of anger with one of my children and then, a few hours later, experienced extreme frustration and impatience with my infant son.  Let me tell you what happened and then perhaps make an attempt at some inner work.