Episode 89: The Paramita of Meditation

08/27/24 • 7 min

[This episode originally aired on October 4, 2022] The topic of meditation reminds me of the old saying, “all roads lead to Rome” • in the Buddhist tradition, all teachings seem to lead to meditation • sometimes we think of meditation as just stillness, but as one of the six paramitas, meditation is considered to be one of the skillful actions of a bodhisattva, essential for cultivating wisdom and compassion • meditation helps us to settle and to open; it helps us to hold our mind steady and not simply react impulsively when we are challenged by other people and the pressures of life • with meditation, you can hold steady and then respond appropriately—and then you can let go and move on • in meditation practice, we begin to see through some of our preconceptions, and we witness how easily we solidify our experiences • meditation draws us out of ourselves and turns us towards others; in doing so, the inspiration to work for the benefit of others arises.

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Episode 88: The Paramita of Exertion

[This episode originally aired on September 27, 2022] In the Buddhist tradition there’s a lot of talk about practice, which is connected with the paramita of exertion • practice is something that you do over and over again, and as you do so, hopefully you get better and better, and develop more and more understanding and sophistication about what you're doing • in the paramita of exertion, the development is from a kind of self-conscious or imposed approach to a more natural approach, even reaching a point where exertion is actually joyful • instead of making a division between when we're having fun on the one hand and doing hard work on the other, the paramita of exertion is pointing to something almost upside down from that • it’s suggesting that continuing our exertion in the midst of pain or obstacles or setbacks or disappointments actually increases our happiness and well-being • exertion is just keeping going, and delighting in that keeping going.

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Episode 90: The Prajna Paramita 1 of 2

[This episode originally aired on October 11, 2022] The sixth and final paramita is the prajna paramita • the sanskrit term “prajna” means supreme knowledge: the best of knowing, the best of cognitive mind • even though the Buddhist tradition is widely known for non-conceptual practices such as sitting meditation, there is also a great reverence and respect for learning and for knowledge at all levels • prajna is not just about knowing this or that; it is seeing without bias • prajna is fresh and on the spot; it is sharp, and it is direct • prajna is a way of seeing without any capturing or storing; it is the first thought, the first insight • it is what our perceptions can be when we're not trying to hold onto them or put them in our bag of experiences • prajna is often represented by a razor-sharp two-sided sword—one that cuts through duality altogether • by cutting through dualistic thinking, a much fresher and clearer way of knowing is liberated.