Ayyā Medhānandī

We humans share this journey of birth, old age, sickness and death. Sometimes we succumb to fear or sorrow; sometimes we are exhausted or disoriented as if lost on a perilous path. Seeing this universality of suffering and knowing its causes, we ask: “What...

We are on a miraculous voyage in the fragile vessel of a body that ultimately dies. This is the Noble Truth of our suffering. To unravel its mystery and rescue ourselves, we must navigate the inner sea of the heart. We explore how in...

How can we rescue ourselves from the obstacles to our happiness? We must not disregard the power of awareness in the present moment to vanquish suffering. For in this very moment is everything we need to know. All moments, whether tainted or blessed, are...

We are on a mountain with a tremendous view. Let the breath speak to us. Stay present and watch both the joy and the suffering. We investigate wisely and patiently like a parent whose child may object or run away. Trying to see the...

What else is there to do in this life but know the truth of what we are and deepen in wisdom and compassion. Our spiritual map leads us out of the darkness to a purity and clarity of understanding. Here we are, secure in...

How can we tread the path of nonviolence that rises above anger, blame, and mistrust? Try choosing compassion, kindness and forgiveness. For inner peace is nowhere to be found if not within your own heart. Even in the throes of tempestuous life situations, draw...

Listen to the interior silence with audacious selfless attention and see how pure awareness catapults us into a dynamic intuitive presence. We connect to the Dhamma without obstructions. Silence is formless, soundless, complete. We are witness to an emptiness beyond attachment where the burdens...

The Buddha realized a state of pure awakened consciousness. We try to emulate his moral excellence by turning inward to bring the mind to silence. We relinquish habitual unwholesome and harmful thoughts, and reveal the same universal moral essence within us – just as...

Joy can come with wise reflection and a pepper of difference. I learned this standing in town with my alms bowl as a mendicant nun one morning. Living for the sake of what is highest within us, we can each know the beauty, brilliance,...

Was the Buddha a Buddhist? The Buddha was fully awakened, having realized the truth beyond convention, beyond worldly identities. We want that – to fully awaken; and to understand our experience at its core through the purification of the heart. When the mind is...