From the Pure Land Podcast

No words can describe it No example can point to it Samsara does not make it worse Nirvana does not make it better It has never been born It has never ceased It has never been liberated It has never been deluded It has never existed It has never been nonexistent It has no limits at all It does not fall into any kind of category. --Dudjom Rinpoche on the nature of mindThanks to my dharma friend and fellow blogger Chodpa for reminding me of that quotation in his September 25 blog post, which you can

I won’t claim that I invented the meditation I’m about to guide you through. It’s adapted from other sources. For example, here’s a video of an hour-long dharma talk called “Taking Refuge in the Island Within Ourselves” by Sister Chân Đức in the Plum Village monastery and retreat center in France: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5J4N989CeUI’ve added a twist or two I haven’t seen before, even though I’m sure I’m not the first to think of them, and combined it all into a guided meditation. I’d

After three decades of practicing Theravada (foundational) and Mahayana (second wave) Buddhism, I was still confused about one thing. As far as I could tell, every form of Buddhism teaches that all beings have the Buddha Nature within or at least the potential for enlightenment, but it always seemed distant—not within reach.I certainly didn’t consider myself a Buddha, but my meditative experiences had convinced me that Buddhahood or some form of enlightenment was closer than I had been led to

In the 1980s or ‘90s, Thich Nhat Hanh and his longtime companion, Sister Chan Khong, turned a ritual called the Five Prostrations, with roots in Theravada Buddhism, into a profoundly healing meditation they called Touching the Earth—one easier for Westerners to practice. I’ve had the privilege of doing the meditation led once by Thich Nhat Hanh in Vermont and once by Sister Chan Khong in Virginia. It brings me into vivid touch with interconnectedness and my place in the world whenever I do it.I've

The perfection of loving-kindness is the wish to provide for the welfare and happiness of the world, accompanied by compassion and skillful means; literally, it means benevolence. —Insight Meditation CenterHere's a 20-minute Metta (loving-kindness) meditation for beginners as well as the more experienced. Get full access to From the Pure Land at melpine.substack.com/subscribe