The essence of Tantric sadhana, or yogic practice, is refinement of the body-mind. Like other dimensions of Tantric yoga, the Churning of the Milky Ocean is a powerful myth that allows us to examine the ways in which yoga allows us to lead a richer, happier, and more meaningful life. This myth is also a wonderful metaphor for the ways in which plant medicine like Soma allows us to answer these same questions.
Read MoreYoga is a process of refinement. Working with plant medicine such as the Soma is the same. It invites us to carefully dial up or dial down the two separate levers of the process, the masculine and feminine aspects, and understanding this balance is ultimately allows us to wake up in this reality.
Read MoreThe Kingdom of Heaven arises when the mind ceases to turn outwards towards gratification in impermanent objects and turns inwards to rest in its own place. That radiance already exists within ourselves. It's our very essence. So ask yourself, what if the Kingdom of Heaven is always and already here and now, if only I had eyes to see it?
Read MoreAwakening is the movement of consciousness becoming conscious of itself. Psychedelics and plant medicines do not offer a path for awakening but they can serve as powerful accelerators along the journey. This article examines the path to awakening as described by Dzogchen, Mahamudra, and Shaiva Shakta Tantra and the role that plant medicines can play in it all.
Read MoreWe need a clear path to awakening that addresses both our desires for freedom and connection. Typically, spiritual paths have focused on masculine ideals of transcendence without the acknowledgement of our embodied experiences. Tantra, alternatively, represents the rise of The Divine Feminine and offers us a perspective on how archetypal feminine values can balance archetypal masculine ones.
Read MoreThe term “Tantra” evokes the image of a loom, for it points towards the way in which everyone and everything are intricately interwoven. An awakened mind clearly sees that tapestry and understands that the undertaking of awakening is ultimately a collective endeavor. This is why bodhicitta, the intention to wake up for the benefit of others, is essential for continued unfolding along the path.
Read MoreWe need to seek until we find, which usually only happens when the desire to keep seeking outward exhausts itself. Samsara is the wheel of desire that keeps us spinning around and around. It is an endless state of wandering and only when we become exhausted, can the mind finally stop searching for happiness and peace outward in external appearances and turn inward to rest in its own place.
Read MoreThe ability to hold a paradox is central to the practice of meditation and the journey of awakening. Life is full of paradoxes. However, we overlook them for the simplicity and clarity of dualistic categories. In meditation, one important paradox is the importance of both effort & effortlessness. Neither is right nor wrong in an absolute sense, but the issue is what to emphasize at any given time.
Read MoreThere are many reasons to practice meditation, but out of respect for the cultures that developed these practices, I’d like to underscore the deeper promise: awakening to our true nature. If you’re allergic to terms like religion or spirituality, as I used to be, then you can approach awakening through Ken Wilber’s Integral Model of growing up, cleaning up and waking up.
Read MoreThe purpose of meditation is to recognize that the deeper causes and conditions for happiness and well being have far more to do with how your mind is relating to experience, rather than having the right kind of experience. Ultimately, the promise of meditation is to awaken to our true nature and to see clearly what makes us happy and what makes us suffer.
Read MoreWhat does democracy have to do with Buddhadharma? Historically, nothing. But this is changing in the fourth turning of the Dharma. This article explores the intersection of Dharma and political activism for the Western Dharma practitioner and the impact that embracing Dharmic values might have in supporting the struggle for democracy in Thailand.
Read MoreThis article will address what I like to call, the “enlightenment or bust” phenomenon. It’s an attitude that often arises in contexts in which renunciate forms of yoga predominate in society and in short, describes the perspective that because enlightenment cannot be reached, there is less of a willingness to engage in contemplative practices such as meditation.
Read MoreWhat are the practical implications of translating ancient contemplative code that was designed for monastics into a contemporary context for householders? In this article, we explore the significance of understanding the history and context of meditation and why questioning the assumptions and values that underlie this path is imperative for a modern Buddhism practitioner.
Read MoreThe renunciate’s and householder’s spiritual paths need to be clearly distinguished. A Buddhist renunciate is a monastic or a wandering yogi and someone who has “renounced the world.” Householders, alternatively, are people who wish to “live in the world.” This article explores differences between the two and why some of the practices and views inherited through renunciate teachings might not apply to those who are householder practitioners.
Read MoreThis post builds on the origin of “Redesigning THe Dharma” and elaborates in more detail what this project might entail. It offers some insight into the choice behind the name and concludes with what I see as an essential development within this project of Redesigning the Dharma, which is a more Integral approach to Dharma.
Read MoreRedesigning The Dharma is an open platform where people can critically discuss meditation, awakening, and the teachings of The Dharma with neither attachment nor aversion towards any religious language, belief, or identity. This project explores the necessity of adapting the teachings of The Dharma to meet the needs of today’s particular time and place.
Read MoreRedesigning The Dharma is an open forum for discussion and we highly recommend that our readers comment and engage on any blog posts or podcast episodes such that we can broaden the discussion around what a contemporary practice of Buddhism looks like.
Additionally, if you have any questions, topic suggestions, or are looking to get involved, please feel free to reach out.
