emptiness – Human Values Institute

Exam who we are

Not getting what you what is a blessing in disguise. When we are very disappointed and let down, just like when we are falsely accused, our sense of self is right there in our face. […]

Forgiveness is the spice of life

Forgiveness is the spice of life. Without it, life is bland at best. Forgiveness opens our heart and allows us to breathe fully. It brings a smile, and fills the heart with joy. Keeping hurts […]

Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul

Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul died today. She sang like she was channeling a higher power, maybe God, or maybe the innate luminosity potential for total goodness, beauty, and happiness. Even mosquitos have this […]

Forgiveness and gratitude

Our default position whenever possible is forgiveness and gratitude. Forgiveness counters arrogance and ego. This moves us towards insight and wisdom. Gratitude opens our heart to compassion. Wisdom and compassion lead to the two bodies […]

We all have this potential

Forgiving ourselves creates a beautiful cake called a ‘torma’ in Tibetan. On a deeper level this “cake” is actually the enlightened mind of a Buddha. We all have this potential. Forgiveness helps ripen this. So […]

Polishing the tarnished love we all have inside

Love makes the world go around. It moves mountains. It brings inner peace not only to oneself but also to those around us. It is the deepest nature of the mind, inseparable from wisdom realizing […]

The 8 worldly concerns

As I review some of my posts I realize they are all interconnected. We keep circling back to similar interrelated topics albeit from different perspectives. This is awesome! The Buddha’s teachings are like a giant […]

8 Verses of Mind Training

Congratulations to all of you who have the courage and tenacity to read all the last 8 posts explaining the ‘8 Verses of Mind Training’ by Geshe Langri Thangpa. It is not easy, especially the […]

Practicing gratitude enhances our happiness even further

Now that we have at least considered practicing forgiveness, practicing gratitude enhances our happiness even further. Both practices rely on mindfulness, to know when we are not practicing, and to remind ourselves what specifically to […]

Complementary and not contradictory

The Buddha taught many different teachings to suit the disposition of different disciples and guide them along the path. This is particularly true regarding the teachings on selflessness, which is emptiness. Since people of his […]