In Mahayana Buddhism, the paramita of ethical conduct—known as Sila—is far more than a mere set of prohibitions. It is a dynamic, living practice that forms the ethical backbone of the bodhisattva path. Sila guides us toward a life of genuine compassion, integrity, and non-harming, serving as both a personal compass and a communal bridge to uplift the wellbeing of all sentient beings . At its core,  Sila  in the Mahayana tradition is not about rigidly following rules but about embodying a...

So, today I’m going to talk about the fourth Paramita, diligence or Virya in the Pali.  There are probably a number of synonyms including devotion, attentive care, or heedfulness.  When I started examining Virya I felt a little bit of a conundrum.   If you’re like me, you might look on diligence as a form of perseverance that is demanding of us psychologically and physically.  You know the old football coaches’ phrase – When the going gets tough the tough get going!  But, maybe there’s a...

Sometimes I have writer’s block – like today.  Other times, when I’m preparing a dharma talk, I feel a little like professor Irwin Corey,...