A skillful life.

Our practice is not only about sitting in meditation, it is about all the times we are not sitting in meditation.

To establish our daily life on the habit of meditation is a wonderful foundation for developing our Dhamma heart, but if we leave our peace and joy on our cushion it has very little value.

Always I speak about Dhamma as a living practice and not simply an escape from the world for half an hour a day and the Buddha reminds us of this when he tells us that this beautiful way of love and awareness can be practiced in the four postures of sitting, standing, a walking and lying down. This means that there is never an obstacle to our path except the ones the mind creates with it's excuses and laziness.

However, we do need to be aware of our old habits and the quiet power of them as in reality, changing our life is mostly about remembering to be different - different from simply following the mind wherever it leads us and then so often pointing the finger of blame at someone else for what we do and how we feel.

The value of the cultivation of Love cannot be over estimated and I emphasize its practice at all times. To wish all other beings without any exceptions happiness and peace in their life, even if we don't like them or approve of their actions. To reflect upon our life and how much we contribute to the pain and suffering in the world through our speech and actions, and then what we can to to refine our behaviour.

Entering into a vegetarian or better, a vegan lifestyle is good for you, than animal kingdom and the planet we are all part of. Burgers might be a convenient food choice, but the life of an animal has been taken simply for that convenience.

Love and compassion are shown in many different ways, not always by something dramatic in our life, but more often the simple recognition that all beings have the capacity to suffer. Once we understand the pain of suffering for ourselves the heart cannot deliberately inflict that same pain onto any other being, whether it is by our own hand or someone paid to do it on our behalf.

Before awakening our life is always about ourselves. It is our first thought in the morning and our last thought at night, and always phrased in the silent question, 'how can I be happy?'

However, as the heart opens that very thought naturally becomes less intense as we realize that the true feelings of love, compassion and interconnectedness with the universe are part of is where true happiness really lives.

All beings fear pain and death.

Remembering that we are one of them,

we will neither hurt nor kill.

(Dhammapada vs. 129)

May all beings be happy