Few things drain our energy like repeated exposure to toxic behavior—constant criticism, emotional manipulation, or uncontrolled anger. Psychology often describes three common reactions: we fight back, we shut down, or we avoid and withdraw. All three are understandable. All three cost us something. The Dharma points to a fourth way. The Gift You Don’t HaveContinue reading “How to Deal With Toxic People by Setting Boundaries With Loving-Kindness”
Category Archives: Buddhist Lifestyle
How to Stay Peaceful and Compassionate in an Unstable World
In a world that feels unstable, it can be hard to remember that peace is a choice we can return to. Staying peaceful and compassionate is not about avoiding anger, grief, or difficulty. It is about recognizing them, seeing them clearly, and deciding, moment by moment, not to let them control us. There is aContinue reading “How to Stay Peaceful and Compassionate in an Unstable World”
My Renunciation at Christmas Time
I was still a child when I first felt the tug toward renunciation—though I didn’t have the full language for it then. I had already encountered Buddhism, just enough to sense that life is shaped by causes and conditions, by samsara’s looping patterns, and by the quiet power of choosing differently. Something in me understood—instinctively—thatContinue reading “My Renunciation at Christmas Time”
When Strength Isn’t Enough: A Lesson from the Great Monkey King
AI image A story from the Jataka Tales — the early Buddhist tradition of teaching through past-life stories The Jataka Tales are among the oldest narrative teachings in Buddhism. They describe the Buddha’s previous lives—not as a distant figure, but as someone cultivating wisdom, compassion, clarity, and responsibility over countless lifetimes. One of these storiesContinue reading “When Strength Isn’t Enough: A Lesson from the Great Monkey King”
Giving Thanks to a Departure Marked by Quiet Gratitude
The Pause Before a Threshold There are mornings when the world seems to pause just long enough to remind us what matters. The air is quiet, the light soft, and even familiar paths feel charged with possibility. My last day at Gyuto Monastery was one of those mornings. It was not an ending, but aContinue reading “Giving Thanks to a Departure Marked by Quiet Gratitude”
How to Find Warmth in the First Snow
Outside, snow falls steadily, folding the world into white. Sound softens, muffled by trees and rooftops. Frost gathers on branches and windowsills, bending the light into subtle patterns. Each breath carries a quiet stillness, a gentle weight in the chest that draws attention inward. The first snow offers a pause, a threshold between what hasContinue reading “How to Find Warmth in the First Snow”
Why the Buddhist Meditation Path is Good in the Beginning, Good in the Middle, and Good in the End
The Path Begins in Realization The Buddha’s teaching is often said to be “good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end” — and that is exactly how I’ve experienced meditation. It begins with grounded clarity, deepens through compassion, and culminates in the fearless recognition of mind’s potential. Each stage containsContinue reading “Why the Buddhist Meditation Path is Good in the Beginning, Good in the Middle, and Good in the End”
Brytningstid: Embracing Change and Letting Go with Autumn’s Grace
There’s a hush that arrives before the leaves surrender their green. A pause so small it’s almost imaginary—like the breath before someone speaks a truth they’ve kept hidden for too long. The sun’s angle grows tender, the shadows lengthen and hesitate. This threshold between seasons—what in Swedish we call brytningstid—is not a clean cut butContinue reading “Brytningstid: Embracing Change and Letting Go with Autumn’s Grace”
How Convenience Turned Us into Birds Flying Into a Clear Glass Window
We live inside a paradox. The modern world has gifted us more convenience than any era before. Food arrives with a tap. Conversations happen across continents in seconds. Knowledge, once preserved in monasteries and libraries, now rests in our pockets. It should feel like liberation. Instead, many of you, leaders not the least – tellContinue reading “How Convenience Turned Us into Birds Flying Into a Clear Glass Window”
Why are you acting like a Robot? Reclaim Your Humaness Through the Power of Sati
The Morning Begins with Awareness of Your First Breath The first breath of the morning is a doorway. On one side lies sleep, on the other, the day. What we do in that threshold matters. If the first thing we reach for is a glowing screen, we lose control of our mind. This happens beforeContinue reading “Why are you acting like a Robot? Reclaim Your Humaness Through the Power of Sati”
Lama Chimey 