Namchak Community Blog

The Story of Asanga and Maitreya

Long ago, in ancient India, a Dharma student named Asanga had a goal: to see the Future Buddha Maitreya, who was already a great bodhisattva

How to Stay Motivated to Meditate

If a teacher yells at a child when they do something they’ve always done before, the teacher is not going to have a very good student.

The Buddhist Story of the Monkey Mind

pages 40-41, from Ancient Wisdom for Our Times. Tibetan Buddhist Practice: Wisdom & Compassion (Starting with Yourself) (c)2021 Lama Tsomo LLC. Published by Namchak Publishing Company LLC, USA.

Getting Started with Shamata or Tranquil Abiding

We refer to Shamata as Calm or Tranquil Abiding. It serves as the foundation for all other practices and is suitable for those just starting to meditate as well as experienced practictioners

What is Karma in Buddhism?

Karma: Urges, Actions, and Results Explained      Karma is one of the most complex and misunderstood topics in Buddhism. We’re here to shed a little light on it! Translated from Sanskrit, it means “action.” Generally speaking, karma refers to the actions that naturally grow out of thoughts and feelings.The thoughts and feelings...

The Path to Happiness

In her book Why Bother? An Introduction, Lama Tsomo discusses why she bothered with meditation and the benefits she has experienced

The Compassion in Action Fellowship 2022 in Review

The Three Jewels of Buddhism are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Each jewel holds an invaluable place on the path. Today we’d like to take a moment to reflect and hold dear one particular segment of our Sangha or community; the Compassion in Action Fellows.

The Bodhisattva Path to Enlightenment

The demands and pace of modern life tend to leave us with little time to think through all of our decisions and actions. Even on normal-seeming days, we wake up to a mountain of decisions: what to eat, what to wear, how and with whom to communicate, and how we show up at work and with our loved ones. With this constant decision-making, it’s easy...

Compassion in Action Student Spotlight: Yulie

Name : Yulie School : UC Berkeley Tell us a little about yourself. I am a first-generation immigrant from Korea and the younger of two daughters. I like to honor my culture through food and speaking Korean with my parents. I am in my last year (now month!) of undergrad, after which I will be starting out as a software engineer. I have a deep love...