Author: Selfless Anatta
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What is Buddhist Samsara?
Samsara refers to the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, characterized by suffering, impermanence, and the perpetual cycle of existence. In nature, nearly every process we observe exists in a cycle. It begins, grows, peaks, fades, and ends, most often repeating over and over again. Celestial bodies, like stars, have a life cycle. When they…
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Mindfulness Meditation Mastery: A Journey to Observing, Directing, and Sustaining Mental Focus
The ability to observe the mind, control its focus, and sustain concentration are the key practices of mindful meditation. A personal journey From the time I was very young, I observed the activity of my mind. I was an only child, growing up in a rural area, so I had plenty of alone time, often…
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Tibetan Buddhist Lamrin: Actions and Their Effects
Understanding Karma, morality, and personal responsibility For every action a person takes, there is an inevitable response, a consequence that will follow, connecting the action back to the source. Just as a spider’s web provides support while also ensnaring the spider, individuals reap the rewards of their wise choices and endure the consequences of their…
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Tibetan Buddhist Lamrim: Refuge Practice
Finding support in religious figures, religious teachings, and the community of believers. Where do people look for guidance and support when circumstances are challenging? For much of the last 2,500 years, many have turned to organized religion. Generally, major religions instruct their followers to seek inspiration, guidance, and support from their Gods, holy books, and…
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Autism and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: Unmasking the ‘Snake Oil’ Claims
The US Food and Drug Administration has published a warning for parents to beware of false or misleading claims about HBOT for treating autism. I know a family who purchased a hyperbaric oxygen chamber for their home to treat their son with autism. It was expensive. A cheap one costs about $10,000, and some go…
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Tibetan Buddhist Lamrim: The Dangers of Lower Rebirth
Is it possible that you could have been born a creature other than a human? All the major world religions use some form of a carrot-and-stick approach to motivate good behavior. The carrot is a reward for good behavior, such as going to heaven, gaining favor with God, being reborn in comfortable circumstances, reincarnation in…
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Snake Oil and Autism: The Truth About Autism Cure Scams
Searching for miracle cures fans false hopes, wastes time, and enriches con artists. Every parent wants a perfect child who grows up to have a major impact on the world and the love and adoration of the masses. Parents fantasize about living vicariously through their child prodigy, who will fulfill every dream they couldn’t in…
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Tibetan Buddhist Lamrim: Death and Impermanence
A Lamrim meditation on the transient nature of existence and the importance of abandoning attachments. Intellectually, we all know we are going to die. Our instinct is to survive, so the fact of certain death makes most people uncomfortable, and they push it away. Death is considered a downer. Western culture shields us from death.…
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From Denial to Acceptance: Parenting After an Autism Diagnosis
Reduce the time from shock to acceptance and everyone benefits. Each parent has a unique experience when they realize their child is different. For most people, it isn’t a time of rejoicing. It usually starts with suspicions because the child’s behavior isn’t typical. These suspicions lead to a period of consideration and denial, perhaps with…