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What is: The four main teachings of the Buddha.
Refuge in the 3 jewels Renunciation Bodhicitta Right view REFUGE IN THE 3 JEWELS Buddhists take refuge in three different expressions of awakened mind: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Each of these is a precious and necessary element of the Buddhist path, and so they are called the three jewels. Buddha: The Teacher This refers, first, …
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What is: The 12 links of dependent origination (3 of 3)
THE LAST 6 LINKS 7. FEELING (tshor-ba). Each one of the 6 types of contact containing awareness can express pleasant, unpleasant or neutral feelings, giving a total of 18 feelings. When awareness contacts an object, there is feeling. Without consciousness (like a dead body), there cannot be any feeling. Feelings are of three kinds: Good …
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What is: The 12 links of dependent origination (2 of 3)
THE FIRST 6 LINKS 1. IGNORANCE (ma-rigpa). The belief in ‘I’ gives rise to ‘mine’ and ‘others’ Ignorance is the main cause of misconception, which is the root of samsara. We do not see or know the ultimate nature of phenomena and exaggerate the way things exist. There are 4 kinds of misconceptions: Holding impure …
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What is: The 12 links of interdependent origination (1 of 3)
INTRODUCTION The 12 links of interdependent origination (dependent arising), are one of the basis of the Buddha’s teachings, which can be found in the ‘Rice Seeding Sutra’ and are recognised in both Sutra and Tantra. It states that all phenomena are related by interdependent origination and are depicted on the outer rim of the famous …
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What is: The six perfections
First, you need to generate the Bodhicitta mind of awakening of a Bodhisattva. This refers to a being that compassionately refrains from entering nirvana/Buddhahood in order to benefit others. Once you have this wish, then the work to achieve that goal is done through the 6 perfections and the 5 paths. THE 5 PATHS: Path …
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What is:The Four Noble Truths (4 of4)
The Fourth Noble Truth – The path to the cessation of suffering. Whether I’m here or not, the absence of true phenomena is always here. Without understanding suffering, it causes and the existence of a state which is free from this suffering, there will be no use in taking the path of cessation. The root …
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What is:The Four Noble Truths (3 of 4)
The Third Noble Truth: The cessation of suffering. Suffering ends when craving ends. In our human daily life, it’s difficult for us to have a sense of renunciation for the small happiness and pleasures it brings, like Friday nights, birthdays, holidays, and parties. But this fleeting contaminated happiness arises from contaminated virtues, and it …
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What is:The Four NobleTruths (2 of 4).
The Second Noble Truth: The causes of suffering. To be free from suffering we have to abandon its causes. There are two ways of looking at the true origin of suffering: One is that our karma brings us suffering. and the other is we act under the influence of our delusions and the result of …
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What is: The Four NobleTruths (1 of 4).
The First Noble Truth: The existence of suffering. The root of suffering is attachment. We all know what suffering is, be it unhappiness, heartbreak, pain, or stress, which arises in our everyday life. So why did the Buddha bother to explain it? Because he knew how to transform it! When we talk about the truth …
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What is: Dharma?
The word dharma comes from the Sanskrit root word Dhri, which means ‘to hold,’ ‘to maintain,’ or ‘to preserve.’ In the early Vedas and other ancient Hindu texts, dharma referred to the cosmic law that created the ordered universe from chaos. This is the natural universal law, whose observance enables humans to be contented, happy and to …
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What is: Buddhism?
Most people believe that Buddhism is a religion. It is true that it does have a big monastic sangha, (community) and rituals that give it that holy vibe, but I personally feel it’s more of a philosophy of our existence and the meaning of life. In this article, I am going to give a concise …
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Why i’m offering my book for free.
A Lotus Trail was one of the hardest projects of my life and has taken me about 20 years to complete because I have written it from my life journey experiences. Also being uneducated, dyslexic, and having no time, didn’t help. I started writing part one back in 2002 in Thailand when I settled down …
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A Mudra guide
We all know how to make hand signals, be it a wave, come here, or even a middle finger, but mudras are hand signals with a deep spiritual meaning. In Sanskrit Mudra means ‘seal’, ‘mark’, or ‘gesture’. In Buddhism and Hinduism, they are symbolic gestures that are used either in ceremonies, dance, sculpture, or paintings and have …
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A Chakra guide
Sounds strange, doesn’t it? But Chakra (cakra in Sanskrit) means disk or wheel and were found in the Vedas, (a large body of religious texts originating in India) in the early traditions of Hinduism, between 1500 to 500 BCE. They are said to be shaped like flowers with many petals and are thought to be …
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A Mantra guide
We all talk to ourselves from time to time, be it in our heads or out loud, the nattering is there. So why not make it meaningful and do a mantra instead? It could be very helpful especially when you are nervous about a situation and negative thoughts are stressing you out, or just to …
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A yoga asana guide
Yoga is not about twisting your body up like a piece of spaghetti but maintaining awareness in the movements and can be practiced by anyone, whatever state of mind or health. The word ‘Yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Yuj’, signifying to join, combine or unite, by bringing together the body and mind in …
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A Pranayama guide.
From the Sanskrit words Prana (“life force” or “vital energy”) and Yama (“control”), the practice dates back to ancient India since 700 BCE. It includes a variety of breathing patterns and techniques that boost both your physical—respiratory, cardiovascular, metabolic, and your emotional—stress, anxiety, concentration health. Our breathing directly affects our nervous system via the vagus nerve, which governs our fight …
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A new years gift ~ A meditation guide
Some people think that mediation is some kind of religious mumbo jumbo or hippy stuff, but in fact, it is an ancient technique to focus and calm the mind. Once the mind is calm you can achieve mental stability, which slows down the turbulent flow of thoughts that run through your head day and night. …
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Life on the Road
Don't let a mosquito destroy your dreams
I backpacked around the world for 20 years, constantly on the move looking for new beginnings, adventure and excitement. Yet no matter how many times I packed that bag the nerves and uncertainty would come sneaking in—a nagging little voice that buzzed around my head like a mosquito. “Why are you leaving, it’s alright here, …
Life on the Road
Don't let a mosquito destroy your dreams
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Doggie Town – Temple Style
The Spice Girls, Beckham and The Street Dogs of India
I truly understood how they felt, all alone in the world to fend for themselves, and I knew I had to help them. I started by just giving them a biscuit and some love and was amazed at how docile and friendly they become, soaking up every second of my attention. They soon became the …
Doggie Town – Temple Style
The Spice Girls, Beckham and The Street Dogs of India
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Why a lotus trail?
A lotus is a beautiful flower that plunges to life from beneath the mud. As it elevates and rises it does not allow the dirt that surrounds it to affect its growth or beauty. Its spiritual symbol is of purity, enlightenment, self-regeneration and rebirth In part one of my book, which is about backpacking around …
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Why I wrote this book (part 2)
I moved to India in 2004 in search of yoga, as an alternative to a knee replacement and found so much more. Studying and practising many varieties of yoga and meditation with some of the greatest masters in holy places all over India, not only fixed my knee but also changed my mind and style …
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Why I wrote this book (part 1)
A Lotus Trail is one of the hardest projects of my life and has taken me about 20 years to write because I have written it all from my life journey. “You should write a book” most people I met would tell me, after listening to one of my many travel stories. I did think …