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Thomas Bien
- Dec 25, 2020
- 1 min
The Treasure of Mahakassapa
One day the Buddha stood before a community of 1250 monks. He held up a flower before them and smiled. Time ticked by, and the monks...
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Thomas Bien
- Dec 25, 2020
- 1 min
Energy
Energy Energy, sometimes translated as diligence, is the 3rd of the Buddha’s seven factors of enlightenment. In that context, it is said...
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Thomas Bien
- Dec 25, 2020
- 2 min
A Glimpse of Nirvna
A Glimpse of Nirvana Our human capacity to use symbols and language is, from one perspective, a great miracle. It enabled us to band...
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Thomas Bien
- Dec 25, 2020
- 1 min
Taking refuge
Taking Refuge The world can seem dangerous and uncertain. All of us need a sense of basic safety. All spiritual traditions provide for...
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Thomas Bien
- Dec 25, 2020
- 1 min
Evolution Doesn’t Care if You’re Happy
Things are probably not as bad as they seem. Evolutionary psychology tells us that our brains evolved with a particular kind of quirk. ...
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Thomas Bien
- Dec 25, 2020
- 2 min
The Here and the Now
The Buddha taught that the past is gone and the future is not yet here. The present moment is the only moment in which life can be...
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Thomas Bien
- Dec 25, 2020
- 1 min
Look Where You’re Going
I have a friend who loves mountain biking. She told me that when you are learning to mountain bike, you are taught to focus on where you...
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Thomas Bien
- Dec 25, 2020
- 1 min
The Island of Self
At the end of his life, the Buddha told his attendant, Ananda, that he should take refuge in the island of self. Later, Buddhists would...
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Thomas Bien
- Dec 25, 2020
- 2 min
Mindfulness is the Art of Happiness
Sometimes when we are trying to live more mindfully we may find ourselves straining, approaching it as though it were a difficult and...
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Thomas Bien
- Dec 25, 2020
- 2 min
Let Go of Knowledge
Normally, we think of knowledge as something valuable. This almost goes without saying, and since it goes without saying, it also passes...
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