Kshanti, or patience, is described in three unique ways. Today I want to talk about patience as gentle forbearance. Gentle forbearance is probably what we most readily think about when we think about patience. It’s that quality of being non-reactive, of breathing deep instead of raging…
For the month of November, I’ll be practicing the paramita kshanti, which means patience. It is also translated as forbearance. Kshanti is the quality of being steadfast, regardless of what’s happening around you. It’s steadiness and endurance and has the sense of a kind of peaceful…
“Ethical discipline is an adornment which suits everyone.” – Geshe Sonam Rinpoche At the beginning of this month, the one word I wasn’t expecting to use to describe discipline is beauty. One of the most surprising things I noticed in my readings on practicing discipline was…
This month, for the Paramita Project, we’re going to be practicing shila (or sila) which is translated as discipline, self-discipline, ethics, or morality. Basically, shila is the act of living so that your values are reflected in your actions. It means trying to be a person…
The beloved Buddhist teacher Pema Chodron says generosity is the act of practicing three things: giving material things giving the gift of fearlessness driving away the darkness of ignorance Giving Material Things Material goods are the easiest for us to overcome–or, at the very least, the…
“The result of generosity is always richness. The result of miserliness is always poverty. This principle is constant.” Sakya Pandita, 13th century Tibetan monk I want to talk about the underbelly of generosity today. I’ve been grappling with this quote for a couple of weeks now,…
In a stroke of serendipity during my month of practicing generosity, it happens to be World Gratitude Day today. Gratitude and generosity are deeply intertwined. As Tara Brach says, gratitude is our in-breath and generosity is our out-breath. To put it another way, gratitude is something…
This post is part of the Paramita Project where I’m practicing one quality every month for ten months. This month I’m practicing how to be generous. You can learn more here and read my first post on generosity here. Halfway through my month of practicing generosity,…
This month, I’m being intentional about practicing generosity as part of the Paramita Project. I’d love for you to join me! The first of the ten paramitas is generosity, and it’s considered the foundation of all the other qualities. Generosity requires an openness to others, and…
