Meditative Inquiry

Socrates said that "the unexamined life is not worth living". About the same time, the Buddha started teaching a way towards Socrates examined life, attained through the practice of meditative inquiry.

Meditative inquiry is the practice of dropping a question in the mind in such a way that it causes the mind to distance itself from conditioned thinking, making space for our own innate wisdom to arise.

As the Buddha said, "there are wise questions that help free the mind from suffering — and unwise questions that keep us mired in confusion."

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Compassion Sees Through All Suffering

Constance Kassor, a scholar and teacher of Buddhist philosophy, comments, "If you are genuinely able to have compassion toward all sentient beings without exception, then this means that you are also able to recognize the suffering of all sentient beings all the time." This statement directly highlights the profound connection between compassion and the recognition of suffering in her statement. According to Kassor, if an individual possesses the remarkable capacity to genuinely extend compassion to all sentient beings without any exceptions, it implies an inherent ability to perceive the suffering experienced by all sentient beings incessantly. This perspective emphasizes the deep interdependence and interconnectedness of all beings, suggesting that a compassionate heart is not selective in its concern but extends boundless empathy to all. By acknowledging and embracing the suffering of every sentient being, one can cultivate a compassionate mindset that transcends boundar...

Sound and Stillness In Our Practice

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Recreating Your Own Life

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