Daily Dharma: A New Series of Posts
May 23, 2008 by ScottyDoo
As I searched for Dharma in the sea of Google, I came across a site and instantly fell in love with the content. Although a relatively new blog (much like us), the content is excellent and I look forward to the many posts to come. The authors name is David and his blog can be found at DailyDharma.net
I thought that the posts would be an excellent addition to Blending Zen and so I emailed David and asked if he minded if I republished his articles here on our blog. He was kind enough to give me permission, and so I will be adding the first series of his posts over the next week and will then add them as he adds to his own.
I hope to get to know David better over time, and who knows, maybe he wouldn’t mind doing some guest posts here from time to time on related content that may not fit exactly with the purpose of his site. As he states, his blog is not intended to be a Buddhist blog per se, though it pulls heavily from the philosophies of Buddhism.
Here is what he says on his ABOUT page to give you a little info:
DailyDharma.net is my project to ponder one unique way to improve ourselves everyday for a year.
We all want to be happier and healthier, yet we’re so busy and so overwhelmed with information, we often don’t know how to start improving our lives. If we do start, we often don’t have the time and discipline it takes to create lasting change.
With DailyDharma.net, I hope to make it easier to become happier and to create lasting positive change in our lives by providing one simple idea each day that you can choose to practice on that day. Each post will include a “challenge” that we can try that day.
Not every idea will be for everybody, and that’s OK. But hopefully you will find some ideas that you can practice and implement in your life, for at least a day, that can help you begin to improve yourself in your own way.
Why Dharma?
The Dharma, roughly translated as “the way”, is the word for Buddhist teachings leading to enlightenment. The Dharma can also refer to the elements that make up the world as we experience it.
While DailyDharma.net is not a Buddhist site per se, through the daily exercises presented here, the site aims to awaken everybody to three life-changing concepts: mindfulness, compassion, and peace.
Mindfulness
A key precept of Buddhism and other Eastern religions, mindfulness is the practice of concentrating your thoughts to become fully conscious. Mindfulness is being fully aware of yourself, including your thoughts, your actions, and your surroundings.
While Buddhists strive to achieve mindfulness through regular meditation practice, you do not have to identify with any particular religion to enjoy the benefits of mindfulness.
Anybody can practice mindfulness at any time by simply focusing your thoughts on where you are and what you are doing, rather than letting your mind wander or worry.
Mindfulness has myriad benefits. Mindfulness reduces stress, increases productivity, and enhances how you experience life. By increasing your appreciation for life’s simple pleasures, mindfulness can even make you happier.
Compassion
The Dharma teaches compassion in lieu of a selfish existence. By recognizing that suffering is a universal condition for all living beings, we can choose to think and act in ways that help relieve the suffering of others.
Whether it is taking time out of our busy lives to volunteer, donating a portion of our income to charity, spending time helping those around you, or simply thinking and praying for others, our compassion improves the world around us, and leads to greater satisfaction in our own lives.
Peace
Non-violence is a prerequisite for compassion. We cannot live with compassion if we wish harm upon other sentient beings. Living peacefully is more than just not physically harming others, however. To truly live peacefully, we must refrain from harming all living creatures – even a mouse, or a fly, for example. Additionally, we must take responsibility for the actions of our governments and societies. To truly follow “the way”, we must object to war and other violent actions.
About Me
I am David, DailyDharma.net’s author. I am a 27 year old man living in Massachusetts. I work as a writer and a marketing consultant. I study Buddhism as a way of life, not necessarily a religion. If you would like, you are welcome to contact me.
Thanks for reading.
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