Teachings

Articles

The Four Noble Truths

The Five Precepts

The Five Precepts constitute the basic Buddhist code of ethics.

Forgiving the Unforgivable: 9/11

by Phillip Moffitt

Forgiveness practice can help you find meaning in life's worst events and free you of the inner violence of your own rage.

Working Mindfully with Anger

by Phillip Moffitt

By applying mindfulness to your moments of anger, you realize that it is impermanent, and this insight releases you from the prison of your anger.

Reconcilable Differences

by Phillip Moffitt

When you feel at odds with others, practicing this reconciliation meditation can help you accept their differences and find harmony within.

Setting Personal Boundaries

by Phillip Moffitt

Developing and maintaining healthy boundaries is vital to your psychological growth and spiritual liberation.

Are You the Judging, Comparing, or Fixing Type?

by Phillip Moffitt

Knowing whether you are the judging, comparing, or fixing “type” will free you from compulsive behavior.

Fundamental Dharma Teachings

The Gift of Generosity

by Phillip Moffitt

The Buddhist practice of dana or generosity liberates you from feelings of separateness and alienation.

Maintaining Mindfulness in Daily Life

by Phillip Moffitt

We all have a tendency to rush to interpretation in our lives, and that can present a challenge to being mindful of our experience.

The Heart's Intention

by Phillip Moffitt

Setting intentions is not the same as making goals. Understanding the difference can lead to more skillful living and less suffering.

Freedom from Wanting More

by Phillip Moffitt

When we measure our self-worth by how well we succeed in meeting our desires, we organize around always striving to have more of whatever it is we want.

Healing Your Mother (or Father) Wound

by Phillip Moffitt

If you have unresolved feelings about your mother (or father), making them part of your mindfulness practice can transform what has been a hindrance in your life into a teacher.

Starting Your Day with Clarity

by Phillip Moffitt

What your mind does right after awaking strongly affects you throughout the day. Therefore, the first moments after waking up is the perfect time for grounding yourself in your intentions.

In Search of Meaning

Phillip Moffitt

If you can truly commit to “don’t know mind,” you can explore the question of whether life has meaning in a purposeful way.

Making Major Life Changes

by Phillip Moffitt

Does your desire to make changes in your life come from wholesome motivation or unresolved issues?

"Relaxed Attention to Freedom," interview with Ajahn Sumedho

by Phillip Moffitt

Healing Your Mother (or Father) Wound

by Phillip Moffitt

If you have unresolved feelings about your mother (or father), making them part of your mindfulness practice can transform what has been a hindrance in your life into a teacher.

Living with Disappointment

by Phillip Moffitt

If you choose to consciously accept life's disappointments, you will discover meaning in your suffering.

Practicing Nonviolence Toward Self

by Phillip Moffitt

Find freedom from self-violence caused by fearful or wanting mind-states through the practice of mindfulness.

Getting Past Fear

by Phillip Moffitt

When you're caught in fear, you're clinging to a perception that is merely painted on the walls of your mind

Understanding Your Sense of Identity

by Phillip Moffitt

Through the Buddhist practice of mindfulness you realize that clinging to your sense of identity creates a separate self, which the Buddha said is the source of all suffering.

Opening to Love

by Phillip Moffitt

Practicing loving-kindness and compassion allows you to be at peace in the midst of suffering.

Setting Personal Boundaries

by Phillip Moffitt

Developing and maintaining healthy boundaries is vital to your psychological growth and spiritual liberation.

Balancing Priorities

by Phillip Moffitt

If you hope to find lasting happiness, you must answer the question, what is your true priority—your inner life or your outer life?

Realizing Your True Nature

by Phillip Moffitt

The Buddha taught that your true nature is emptiness and when this true nature is realized, the divine states of loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity emerge.

Cultivating Clear Comprehension

by Phillip Moffitt

One of the benefits of practicing mindfulness is that you develop the ability to make wise distinctions in both thoughts and actions.

Striking a Balance between Effort and Ease in Yoga & Life

by Phillip Moffitt

It takes a certain amount of will to practice yoga, and the same is true in life. But excessive willfulness creates tension. Finding the balance between will and acceptance in life is what you are learning in your yoga practice.

Ten Values Associated With Well-Being

Getting Past Fear

by Phillip Moffitt

When you're caught in fear, you're clinging to a perception that is merely painted on the walls of your mind

Working Mindfully with Anger

by Phillip Moffitt

By applying mindfulness to your moments of anger, you realize that it is impermanent, and this insight releases you from the prison of your anger.

Beyond Happiness

by Phillip Moffitt

In the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha focused primarily on suffering as a gateway to liberation. But he also taught that mindfulness of happiness can provide the same liberating insights as suffering.

Striking a Balance between Effort and Ease in Yoga & Life

by Phillip Moffitt

Cultivating Clear Comprehension

by Phillip Moffitt

One of the benefits of practicing mindfulness is that you develop the ability to make wise distinctions in both thoughts and actions.

Gratitude in Daily Life

by Phillip Moffitt

Cultivating thankfulness for the interdependent nature of life builds your capacity for forgiveness.

Are You Willing to Be Changed?

by Phillip Moffitt

When you allow yourself to be changed by change, you end up feeling more like yourself.

The Yoga of Relationship

by Phillip Moffitt

Cultivating mindfulness can help you face the inevitable difficulties and disappointments that arise in relationship with equanimity, compassion, and loving-kindness.

The Challenges & Rewards of Commitment

by Phillip Moffitt

In order to move beyond your fear of commitment—whether it’s to your spiritual practice, a relationship, or your career—you must first evaluate what is worthy of your commitment.

Being in Your Body

by Phillip Moffitt

The inner experience of integrating what you learn in yoga class into your daily life experience is what's referred to as "being in the body."

Forgiving the Unforgivable

Forgiveness practice can help you find meaning in life's worst events and free you of the inner violence of your own rage. -

Making Major Life Changes

by Phillip Moffitt

Does your desire to make changes in your life come from wholesome motivation or unresolved issues?

Surrendering to Suffering

by Phillip Moffitt

If you wish to develop understanding, kindness, and clarity, you must willingly surrender to dukkha, the inevitable pain of life.

When the Student is Ready

by Phillip Moffitt

Finding the right spiritual teacher begins with knowing what you need at each stage in your spiritual development.

Still Mind, Moving Body

Andrea Miller

Andrea Miller profiles five teachers who combine hatha yoga and Buddhist meditation. is this the perfect mind–body practice?

Setting Personal Boundaries

by Phillip Moffitt

Developing and maintaining healthy boundaries is vital to your psychological growth and spiritual liberation.

Practicing Self-Restraint

by Phillip Moffitt

These three renunciation practices will bring you greater happiness and inner peace, without having to give up all your worldly possessions.

Sharing the Mat: The Synergy of Yoga & Buddhism

Shambhala Sun Interview

Three well-known teachers and practitioners of yoga and Buddhist meditation discuss the benefits and pitfalls of bringing both to your mat.

Healing Your Mother (or Father) Wound

by Phillip Moffitt

If you have unresolved feelings about your mother (or father), making them part of your mindfulness practice can transform what has been a hindrance in your life into a teacher.

Practicing Self-Restraint

by Phillip Moffitt

These three renunciation practices will bring you greater happiness and inner peace, without having to give up all your worldly possessions.

Knowing Regret

by Phillip Moffitt

Regret is a form of clinging that can be penetrated and released with mindfulness.

How Preferences Prejudice Your Perceptions

by Phillip Moffitt

What you perceive from among all the stimuli in your environment is biased by your preferences, and your preferences are conditioned by past experiences.

Where’s My Reward?

by Phillip Moffitt

The true reward for spiritual practice is in being present in this moment through living our heart’s deepest values.

The Gift of Generosity

by Phillip Moffitt

The Buddhist practice of dana or generosity liberates you from feelings of separateness and alienation.

Starting Over

by Phillip Moffitt

If you want to make lasting change in your life, practice starting over.

Lost in Doubt?

by Phillip Moffitt

The antidote to doubt is faith, an active willingness to suspend self-judgment and to see for yourself what is true.

Forgiving the Unforgivable: 9/11

by Phillip Moffitt

Forgiveness practice can help you find meaning in life's worst events and free you of the inner violence of your own rage.

The Pursuit of Happiness

by Phillip Moffitt

When you organize and measure your life by how well you follow your intentions instead of getting what you desire, your moments of happiness are enhanced and your difficult moments are more bearable.

The Pursuit of Happiness

by Phillip Moffitt

When you organize and measure your life by how well you follow your intentions instead of getting what you desire, your moments of happiness are enhanced and your difficult moments are more bearable.

Freedom from Fear

by Phillip Moffitt

Being mindful of your fear allows it to become your teacher and gives purpose to what is otherwise meaningless suffering.

Living with Disappointment

by Phillip Moffitt

If you choose to consciously accept life's disappointments, you will discover meaning in your suffering.

Starting Your Day with Clarity

by Phillip Moffitt

What your mind does right after awaking strongly affects you throughout the day. Therefore, the first moments after waking up is the perfect time for grounding yourself in your intentions.

Living an Authentic Life

by Phillip Moffitt

Mindfulness is crucial for knowing what’s true for you, which in turn can help you be authentic moment-to-moment.

Releasing the Past through Investigation

by Phillip Moffitt

When you respond to difficulty as if it is a moment of dharma, it frees you from suffering.

Starting a Mindfulness Meditation Practice

by Phillip Moffitt

Through the practice of mindfulness meditation, you can develop the ability to be fully aware moment-to-moment in daily life.

Freedom from Fear

by Phillip Moffitt

Being mindful of your fear allows it to become your teacher and gives purpose to what is otherwise meaningless suffering.

Taking in the Good Meditation

by Phillip Moffitt

When you are experiencing difficulty in some aspect of your life that is clouding your mind and causing you to contract, practicing this meditation can help soothe your suffering and clarify your thinking.

In Search of Meaning

Phillip Moffitt

If you can truly commit to “don’t know mind,” you can explore the question of whether life has meaning in a purposeful way.

Trust Issues

by Phillip Moffitt

Trust in the eternal now can help you find freedom from the endless cycle of fear and wanting.

Healing Your Mother (or Father) Wound

by Phillip Moffitt

If you have unresolved feelings about your mother (or father), making them part of your mindfulness practice can transform what has been a hindrance in your life into a teacher.

Living with Disappointment

by Phillip Moffitt

If you choose to consciously accept life's disappointments, you will discover meaning in your suffering.

Living an Authentic Life

by Phillip Moffitt

Mindfulness is crucial for knowing what’s true for you, which in turn can help you be authentic moment-to-moment.

Practicing Self-Restraint

by Phillip Moffitt

These three renunciation practices will bring you greater happiness and inner peace, without having to give up all your worldly possessions.

Awakening in the Body

by Phillip Moffitt

Mindfulness of the body is a profound, though often overlooked, opportunity to deepen your meditation practice and develop insight.

Core Values and Essential Intentions

In Buddhist Psychology, your path to well-being begins with understanding the values and intentions you want to live by.

Trust Issues

by Phillip Moffitt

Trust in the eternal now can help you find freedom from the endless cycle of fear and wanting.

Establishing a Daily Home Practice

by Phillip Moffitt

An attitude of surrender is a prerequisite to making a commitment to a daily yoga and meditation practice.

Reconcilable Differences

by Phillip Moffitt

When you feel at odds with others, practicing this reconciliation meditation can help you accept their differences and find harmony within.

Meaning of the Pali Word "Dana"

Dana is not payment for goods or services rendered; it is given from the heart.

Selfless Gratitude

by Phillip Moffitt

The Buddhist practice of cultivating gratitude leads to the direct experience of the interconnectedness of all of life.

Start With Your Body

Buddhadharma Interview

Cultivating awareness in the body can lead to the realization of your true nature.

The Perfect Yoga Pose

by Phillip Moffitt

The goal of doing asana isn't to achieve perfect poses. The point of hatha yoga is to be present to the actual experience of your body and mind.

Our Addiction to Preferences

As we start to see our preferences for what they truly are, just preferences, we begin to realize that we have many more choices in how we meet each moment of life than what our preferences dictate.

Knowing Regret

by Phillip Moffitt

Regret is a form of clinging that can be penetrated and released with mindfulness.

Are You Willing to Be Changed?

by Phillip Moffitt

When you allow yourself to be changed by change, you end up feeling more like yourself.

Forgiving the Unforgivable: 9/11

by Phillip Moffitt

Forgiveness practice can help you find meaning in life's worst events and free you of the inner violence of your own rage.

Managing Fatigue with Mindfulness

by Phillip Moffitt

Most of us dislike being fatigued and aren’t fully open to experiencing it. However, when we practice vipassana, we use mindfulness to see the dukkha (suffering) in all of our experiences; therefore, we can treat fatigue as one more experience that can be known.

Releasing the Past through Investigation

by Phillip Moffitt

When you respond to difficulty as if it is a moment of dharma, it frees you from suffering.

The Gift of Generosity

by Phillip Moffitt

Practicing generosity is the intention to find release from attachment to gratifying our ego needs by giving freely of what we have that is of value.

Opening to Love

by Phillip Moffitt

Practicing loving-kindness and compassion allows you to be at peace in the midst of suffering.

Forgiveness Practice

You may feel that you can't possibly forgive, but it is your intention to forgive that you are cultivating in forgiveness practice.

Decision Time

by Phillip Moffitt

It is possible to relieve your mental suffering around making decisions by applying the Buddhist practice of mindfulness.

Do the Right Thing

by Phillip Moffitt

Practicing doing the right thing in small ways builds the potential to do the right thing in big ways.

Beyond Happiness

by Phillip Moffitt

In the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha focused primarily on suffering as a gateway to liberation. But he also taught that mindfulness of happiness can provide the same liberating insights as suffering.

Are You the Judging, Comparing, or Fixing Type?

by Phillip Moffitt

Knowing whether you are the judging, comparing, or fixing “type” will free you from compulsive behavior.

The Heart's Intention

by Phillip Moffitt

Setting intentions is not the same as making goals. Understanding the difference can lead to more skillful living and less suffering.

Starting a Mindfulness Meditation Practice

by Phillip Moffitt

Through the practice of mindfulness meditation, you can develop the ability to be fully aware moment-to-moment in daily life.

The Gift of Generosity

by Phillip Moffitt

Practicing generosity is the intention to find release from attachment to gratifying our ego needs by giving freely of what we have that is of value.

Starting Over

by Phillip Moffitt

If you want to make lasting change in your life, practice starting over.

Beyond Happiness

by Phillip Moffitt

In the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha focused primarily on suffering as a gateway to liberation. But he also taught that mindfulness of happiness can provide the same liberating insights as suffering.

Starting Over

by Phillip Moffitt

If you want to make lasting change in your life, practice starting over.

The Body As Spiritual Path

by Phillip Moffitt

Body awareness can be both a path to the realization of the dharma and a means for learning to stay present in every moment.

Gratitude in Daily Life

by Phillip Moffitt

Cultivating thankfulness for the interdependent nature of life builds your capacity for forgiveness.

Knowing Regret

by Phillip Moffitt

Regret is a form of clinging that can be penetrated and released with mindfulness.

Practicing at Your Edge

By Phillip Moffitt

What does it mean to go “to the edge” in your spiritual practice?

Releasing the Past through Investigation

by Phillip Moffitt

When you respond to difficulty as if it is a moment of dharma, it frees you from suffering.

Freedom from Fear

by Phillip Moffitt

Being mindful of your fear allows it to become your teacher and gives purpose to what is otherwise meaningless suffering.

Opening to Love

by Phillip Moffitt

Practicing loving-kindness and compassion allows you to be at peace in the midst of suffering.

Practicing Nonviolence Toward Self

by Phillip Moffitt

Find freedom from self-violence caused by fearful or wanting mind-states through the practice of mindfulness.

Managing Fatigue with Mindfulness

by Phillip Moffitt

Self-Soothing during Difficult Times

by Phillip Moffitt

Through the skillful application of mindfulness, we can learn to self-soothe whenever life knocks us off balance.

Self-Soothing during Difficult Times

by Phillip Moffitt

Through the skillful application of mindfulness, we can learn to self-soothe whenever life knocks us off balance.

How Preferences Prejudice Your Perceptions

by Phillip Moffitt

What you perceive from among all the stimuli in your environment is biased by your preferences, and your preferences are conditioned by past experiences.

Decision Time

by Phillip Moffitt

It is possible to relieve your mental suffering around making decisions by applying the Buddhist practice of mindfulness.

The Tyranny of Expectations

by Phillip Moffitt

Without realizing it, your expectations may be undermining your happiness.

Self-Soothing during Difficult Times

by Phillip Moffitt

Through the skillful application of mindfulness, we can learn to self-soothe whenever life knocks us off balance.

Practicing Nonviolence Toward Self

by Phillip Moffitt

Find freedom from self-violence caused by fearful or wanting mind-states through the practice of mindfulness.

Getting Past Fear

by Phillip Moffitt

When you're caught in fear, you're clinging to a perception that is merely painted on the walls of your mind

Opening to Love

by Phillip Moffitt

Practicing loving-kindness and compassion allows you to be at peace in the midst of suffering.

Taking in the Good Meditation

by Phillip Moffitt

Beyond Happiness

by Phillip Moffitt

In the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha focused primarily on suffering as a gateway to liberation. But he also taught that mindfulness of happiness can provide the same liberating insights as suffering.

The Three Wholesome Exchanges of the Heart

by Phillip Moffitt

These exchanges are specific ways in which we interact with others that can bring about transformative change within ourselves.

Reconcilable Differences

by Phillip Moffitt

When you feel at odds with others, practicing this reconciliation meditation can help you accept their differences and find harmony within.

Forgiving the Unforgivable: 9/11

by Phillip Moffitt

Forgiveness practice can help you find meaning in life's worst events and free you of the inner violence of your own rage.

The Tyranny of Expectations

by Phillip Moffitt

Without realizing it, your expectations may be undermining your happiness.

Lost in Doubt?

by Phillip Moffitt

The antidote to doubt is faith, an active willingness to suspend self-judgment and to see for yourself what is true.

Our Addiction to Preferences

As we start to see our preferences for what they truly are, just preferences, we begin to realize that we have many more choices in how we meet each moment of life than what our preferences dictate.

Starting Over

by Phillip Moffitt

If you want to make lasting change in your life, practice starting over.

How to Meditate

Mindfulness meditation begins with learning to concentrate your attention on an object, typically the breath, which enables you to notice how your mind is reacting to what it is experiencing.

It's Not Personal!

Yoga and meditation teach you that life is not personal, and they enable you to be with your experience just as it is. Therefore, your life becomes much more peaceful and harmonious, because you're not always reacting to events.

The Challenges & Rewards of Commitment

by Phillip Moffitt

In order to move beyond your fear of commitment—whether it’s to your spiritual practice, a relationship, or your career—you must first evaluate what is worthy of your commitment.

Finding Forgiveness: A Meditation for Cultivating a Generous Heart

The Roots of Suffering: Greed, Aversion, and Delusion

Freeing the Mind and Heart

Audio Dharma Talks

Q&A from Marin Sangha, 6-2-2013

Once a month Phillip Moffitt answers questions from members of Marin Sangha about the dharma and about living the dharma in daily life.

Meditations

Uniting the Breath with Peacefulness

Study Guides

The Antidote to Doubt	Personal Boundaries
Freedom from Fear	Emotional Chaos to Clarity Study Guide For Book Groups
The Rewards of Right Action	The Need for Renunciation
Mindfulness in Relationships	The Fruits of Forgiveness
The Dharma of Disappointment	Mindfully Making Changes
Happiness Here and Now	Integrating Right Intention in Your Life
Mindfulness of the Body	Being and the Brahma-viharas

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