Bodhipaksa - A Year of Buddhas Wisdom: Daily Meditations and Mantras to Stay Calm and Self-Aware (A Year of Daily Reflections)

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Paperback ISBN: 978-1-63878-300-8 | eBook ISBN: 978-1-63878-241-4
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To my children, who make me want to be a better person.

Contents

Introduction

WELCOME TO A YEAR OF BUDDHAS WISDOM. I vividly remember the day I first encountered the Buddhist scriptures, and how impressed I was by how clear and practical they were. Even though I was still in my teens, I knew at once that I wanted to spend my life exploring these teachings, which are known as the Dharma . Only a few months later, I attended my first meditation class, which confirmed I had stumbled across something very special.

When I first learned to meditate, I was a moody and angry young man, but learning to understand and work with my mind in the decades since has helped me become immeasurably happier and kinder. Ive found the Buddhas teaching so helpful that I have spent almost my entire adult life sharing it with othersin rural retreat centers and urban meditation centers, in schools, prisons, and on the internet. Seeing others change and become happier as they learn to understand and work with their minds is my greatest source of happiness, and so Im delighted that you and I will be spending a whole year together exploring the Buddhist path.

Over the next 365 days, Ill be sharing wisdom teachings in the form of simple meditations, powerful mantras, illuminating reflections, and perspective-shifting quotes from the Buddhist scriptures.

The meditations are practical guides to help you train your mind to be calmer and more compassionate. I encourage you to set aside at least 10 minutes a day for your meditation practice. Longer would be better, if you can manage it, but 10 minutes is enough to bring about significant change. Id suggest setting a timer with a gentle sound before each session; these can be downloaded as smartphone apps, usually free of charge.

The mantras are simple but powerful tools to help you connect emotionally with the qualities of the enlightened mind. You can recite them mentally as you go about your day, or you can chant them as a meditation practice. For those who need it, Ive included a pronunciation guide with each mantra. Following these guides wont have you pronouncing Sanskrit and Pli words perfectly, but itll get you close enough.

The reflections are simple phrases you can bear in mind in the busyness and complexity of your day, helping guide your mind toward clarity, stillness, and compassion.

The quotes from the words of the Buddha will encourage you to reflect on what it means to live well and to live meaningfully. In the back of the book, youll learn where you can see these quotes in their original contexts.

The Buddha urged us to remember that our time here is brief and that we should make good use of it. You dont need to wait until January 1 to get started, so feel free to plunge in. Ill be with you every step of the way as you explore A YEAR OF BUDDHAS WISDOM .

JANUARY

SOFT EYES MEDITATION

Sitting quietly, let your eyes close gently.

Let the muscles around your eyes relax. Let the focus within them become soft, almost as if you were staring into space.

Notice how this acts as a trigger to calm your mind and to slow and deepen your breathing.

Turning your attention inward, notice not just air flowing through the body, but also notice any and all sensations connected, however indirectly, to the process of inhaling and exhaling.

Continuing to let your eyes be soft, observe how you are able to be mindful of the many different sensations of breathing at the same time.

JANUARY

AM I MINDFUL RIGHT NOW?

From time to time as you go about your day, let the question arise in your mind: Am I mindful right now? As soon as the question appears, so too will mindfulness. The purpose of the question is not to make you doubt yourself, but to encourage mindfulness to happen.

JANUARY

Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life, even so should one cultivate a boundless love towards all beings.

THE BUDDHA (SUTTA NIPTA, 1.8)

JANUARY

KIND EYES MEDITATION