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by storm. Western people are
looking for new and diverse ways
to improve their health and well-
being. The Buddha’s teachings work
with the mind at a deeper level.
Meditation is a progressive training.
I do not have to coax or drag people
into Buddhist mindfulness. I think
anybody who comes to learn
meditation already has a connection
Offering to the Devalokas on zoom, Winter 2022
with us somehow.

become clearer. Mahāyāna enhances begin to understand it. If teachings I do, of course, strongly recommend
one’s practice. It can deepen one’s are given only through texts or people to adopt mindfulness in
devotion to walk on the Bodhisattva orally then they remain abstract their daily lives, whether it is by the
path. In today’s world, I believe we concepts. With meditation, one Western secular approach they are
need that kind of strong devotion; directly experiences these abstract already using, or in accordance with
we need more people with a concepts: the impermanent, the Buddhist tradition. Either way
Bodhisattva vow to be able to serve changing nature of the mind, the brings so much personal calmness
humanity in a better way. physical and mental feelings, the and peace. Those qualities radiate
non-self existence. from serious practitioners and
I don’t think my Western students
eventually attract and influence
are confused by my teaching It is important to point out that
others in the community and
Theravādin and Mahāyāna together. non-self and emptiness does
society. If the world had more calm
I think they find it interesting, and not mean that there is no self. It
and peaceful people, through any
they can correlate those teachings does means that everything is
means, wouldn’t that be better?
themselves with guidance. They dependently arising and changing.
can see the similarities between With an established meditation People who develop a peaceful
these two schools - and can see the practice, people start to look calmness through secular meditation
independence of each given their inward at themselves, and at their eventually want to look deeper to
origination. surroundings and relationships. find teachings that support, explain,
They can easily see the truth and verify their experience. Some
The editor also asked me to discuss
of impermanence, the truth of naturally progress to explore theory
how I can explain a Buddhist
anattā (non-self) and the truth and teachings. But such serious
worldview to people who are
of śūnyatā (emptiness) through investigation without support and
steeped in a Judeo-Christian culture
meditation. There is really no guidance is difficult. The Buddha’s
and belief system. People often
need for me to explain this view teachings are complete in this sense.
come to explore the Buddha’s
of non-self and impermanence. Of Through exploration of the ancient
teachings with doubts or questions
course, I do teach it, but I encourage teachings, together with continued
about God or the existence of God.
students to really explore it on a meditative experience, students
They are ready to explore. In this
personal experiential level through begin to understand that there is
situation I encourage students to
meditation. That is the most direct more to mindfulness meditation
pursue the path of meditation.
and obvious way to fully grasp the than simply a personal calmness or
With meditation, when the mind
experience. de-stressing effect.
becomes still and mindfulness
becomes strong, one experiences Mindfulness meditation, what we Mindfulness meditation is really
impermanence directly and can call sati in Pāli, has taken the West a practice for us to transcend,