Transforming the mind of anger

“Anger is the ultimate destroyer of your own peace of mind.” His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama of Tibet For many people anger or any of its siblings – frustration, impatience, annoyance and irritation, exasperation or touchiness – represent giant hurdles...

What is love, actually?

Love is such an evocative word. Throughout the ages countless poems and songs have been written about it. In many cultures, it’s seen as essential for spiritual growth, and deep down most of us want to know love. However, often the ‘love’ referred to in literature...

Compassion, the wellspring of happiness

When asked to write this, I pondered: what value are words about compassion? Especially as everywhere you look in life, actual kindness shows its wonderful face. Like the sun breaking through a cloudy sky, its presence is pervasive and irrepressible. You see it in a...

Introduction to Tantra (Part 1)

In September 2023 the Tibetan Buddhist Society is hosting a Medicine Buddha empowerment bestowed by a qualified tantric master, in this case Venerable Geshe Doga of Tara Institute. In this article we address some of the questions commonly asked about taking initiation...

Making meditation real

Many long-term meditators have had the experience. We put time and effort into meditation sometimes over many years – and the question comes up: Is it really making a difference?  We often find our way into Dharma practice because there are things we’d...

Hanging on to Impermanence!

In Buddhism, impermanence refers to the idea that everything, from the smallest subatomic particle to the largest galaxy, is in a continuous state of flux, constantly arising and passing away. Things we see in our day-to-day life may appear solid and unchanging but...