Ask a Monk | Do Buddhists Pray?

When was the last time you were truly content? Not "fine." Not "doing okay." Truly at peace, with nothing missing and nothing to chase?If you had to think about it for more than a second, this video is for you.The Four Noble Truths are the heart of the Buddha's teaching — and one of the most misunderstood teachings in the world. They are not commandments. They are not a creed. They are a diagnosis of the human condition, and a treatment plan, from a teacher who described himself not as a god but as a physician.In this episode, we walk slowly through all four — what they actually mean, where the common translations go sideways, and how to begin applying them in an ordinary life with bills, group chats, traffic, and a phone that will not stop buzzing. No incense required.By the end, you'll have a clear understanding of:– What dukkha actually is (and why "suffering" is a weak translation)– The three flavors of craving driving most of your daily restlessness– What the Buddha meant by the cessation of suffering — and what he definitely didn't mean– The Noble Eightfold Path, demystified– One simple practice you can begin tonight, before you sleepIf this was useful, please share it with someone you love. Subscribe so you don't miss the next one — we'll be going deeper into the Eightfold Path, beginning with Right View.May you be well. May you be safe. May you be at ease.#Buddhism #FourNobleTruths #Dharma #Mindfulness #Meditation #BuddhistTeaching #Dukkha #EightfoldPath #SpiritualPractice #InnerPeace

Dharma on Demand | Ep15. Thanksgiving Blessings On this Thanksgiving day, we reflect on our blessings and happiness using the Mangala Sutta (Sutra on Happiness). We reflect on what exactly is happiness and what should count as blessings. On this episode we recognize that blessings aren't the things that happen to us, but on the things that we do to create those blessings. #thanksgiving #blessings #happiness #dharmaondemand #dharmatree

Dharma on Demand | Ep14. Mantras Mantras. What are they? Why use them? What do they mean? We'll talk about all that and more, and discuss why having a personal mantra is important. #DharmaOnDemand #Mantras #DharmaTree

Ask a Monk | Do Buddhists Pray? On this episode, we explore what Buddhist prayer is and why we pray or chant in Buddhism.

Dharma on Demand | Ep13. The Eightfold Path: Right Concentration Right Concentration (Samyak Samadhi) is to cultivate a mind that is one-pointed. On this episode we will explore the two kinds of concentration and about the Jhanas (mental absorption).

Dharma on Demand | Ep12. The Eightfold Path: Right Mindfulness Right Mindfulness (Samyak Smriti/Sati) is at the heart of the Buddha's teachings. The Buddha says that the Dharma, the ultimate truth or things, is directly visible, timeless, calling out to be approached and seen. The ultimate truth, the Dharma, is not something mysterious and remote, but the truth of our own experience. It can be reached by understanding our experience, by penetrating it right through to its foundations. This truth, in order to become liberating truth, has to be known directly.

Dharma on Demand | Ep11. The Eightfold Path: Right Effort/Diligence  Right Effort is the kind of energy that helps us realize the Noble Eightfold Path. The purification of conduct established by the prior three factors serves as the basis for the next division of the path, the division of concentration.

Dharma on Demand | Ep10. The Eightfold Path: Right Livelihood Right Livelihood means that one should abstain from making one's living through a profession that brings harm to oneself or others. The sutras usually define Right Livelihood as earning a living without needing to transgress any of the five precepts; not dealing in weapons, in the slave/human trafficking, the meat trade, or the sale of alcohol, drugs, or poisons.

Dharma on Demand | Ep9. The Eightfold Path: Right Action Right Action means right action of the body and refraining from unwholesome deeds that occur with the body as their natural means of expression. The Buddha mentions three components of right action: abstaining from taking life, abstaining from taking what is not given, and abstaining from sexual misconduct.

Dharma on Demand | Ep8. The Eightfold Path: Right Speech Right Speech is based on Right Thinking. Speech is the way for our thinking to express itself aloud. The Buddha dives Right Speech into four components: 1) abstaining from false speech, 2) abstaining from slanderous speech, 3) abstaining from harsh speech, and 4) abstaining from idle chatter, exaggeration, and embellishing.