Social Justice
Posted on07 Oct 2025
The Social Justice Standards and the BEA Framework Introduction Middle Way Education (MWE), inspired by the framework of the Social Justice Standards... Read More
Framework Dispositions
Posted on07 Oct 2025
The 12 Dispositions of the BEA Framework 1. TRUST AND KINDNESS Wishing for all beings to experience happiness and wellbeing while cultivating... Read More
Opanayiko
Posted on01 Oct 2025
*Opanayiko* is a Pali word which defines a quality of the dharma. It describes the way the dharma invites us on a personal, inward journey, leading us towards freedom, ease, and contentment.
This idea reminds us that the teachings of the Buddha are meant to be applied directly in life, serving as a mirror and a method to turn the mind inward. Rather than offering answers to be memorized or accepted at face value, the dharma encourages a process of deep reflection, inner investigation, and direct experience.
Noticing this quality of *opanayiko* when putting the dharma into practice can help build confidence in its reliability and goodness. It brings an understanding that the path of practice is not primarily about external rituals, theoretical intellectual analysis, or blind belief. It is about cultivating awareness, insight, and transformation within one’s own heart and mind.
This approach is like experiential education, where the truth of the teachings becomes clear through lived experience, inviting one to turn inward, guiding us toward deeper clarity, compassion, and wisdom.
*Lila* and *Mudita*
Posted on01 Oct 2025
The Sanskrit word for play is *lila*, which also means sport, spontaneity, or drama. *Mudita* is a Sanskrit and Pali word that refers to a feeling of boundless joy or pleasure derived from being happy for another person's success or good fortune. Young children and animals often engage in play with evident joy in the moment, while adults sometimes seem to forget this spontaneous state of play.
Improvisation is the act of creating or doing something spontaneous, using whatever is available without expectations. In the performing arts, improvisation refers to a performance that happens without specific or scripted preparation. It involves being aware of and not blocking the flow of creativity, movement, activity, playfulness, and energy. The skills of improvisation can be applied across many fields, including artistic, scientific, physical, cognitive, academic, and non-academic disciplines.
Impermanence (*anicca*) is one of the three characteristics commonly referred to as *the three marks of existence*. Everything is constantly changing or in a state of flux. Recognizing impermanence can enhance spontaneous creativity by reducing attachment to outcomes and plans. Contemplative practice helps us remove the filters that prevent us from recognizing the unexpected opportunities all around us.
Mindfulness practices can cultivate this attitude by training the mind not to grasp thoughts or expectations. The unskillful side of spontaneity is impulsivity. Spontaneity should not be confused with impulsivity, which involves acting without thought, often driven by strong emotional reaction.
"First thought, best thought" is a Buddhist maxim that encourages this kind of spontaneity. In the *Bhaddekaratta Sutta*, the Buddha said, "You shouldn't chase after the past or place expectations on the future. What is past is left behind. The future is as yet unreached. Whatever quality is present you clearly see right there, right there."
Contemplative Arts
Posted on01 Oct 2025
Contemplative arts are a form of mindful awareness, meditation, or mind training. They are a form of ritual, which blends movement with awareness and presence to help develop insight into one's own mind. While it is possible for anyone to do some form of contemplative art by reading the instructions in a book, it is very helpful to have a living teacher.
Contemplative arts encourage reflection and mindfulness, and call upon artists to attune themselves to the truth of the present moment, directly encompassing both their inner and outer experiences. Unlike conventional art that may focus primarily on self-expression or aesthetic beauty, contemplative arts use the creative process itself as a vehicle for meditation and awakening. The arts naturally help bring our awareness into the present moment, where creation occurs, and encourage our authentic expression of what we discover.
Examples of contemplative arts and practices include *ikebana* and *kyudo* from Japan; calligraphy, common across Asia; *charya* dance in Nepal; the Indian classical dance *Bharatanatyam*; tea ceremonies; *cham* (Tibetan ritual dance); and more. Contemporary forms might include mindful drawing, meditative pottery, conscious photography, or any artistic practice approached with full presence and noble intention.
Note: This topic is vast and has regional implications—we recommend that specialists in the area of contemplative arts be brought in to help illuminate the local practices as well as practices from other cultures.
Wise Attention
Posted on01 Oct 2025
Along the path, *wise attention* helps develop insight and wisdom by encouraging careful, skillful attention to our thoughts, actions, and experiences. Closely related to mindfulness *sati*, it involves recognizing the nature of our mental and emotional states in a clear and discerning way. By distinguishing between wise and unwise attention, one can reduce suffering and cultivate a mind that is free from confusion.
Wise attention differs from ordinary attention in its quality and direction. Unwise attention (ayoniso-manasikara) involves dwelling on thoughts that increase mental afflictions, such as obsessing over past regrets, anxiously projecting future scenarios, or feeding resentment through repetitive negative thinking. In contrast, wise attention deliberately focuses on what supports insight and wholesome mental states, such as reflecting on impermanence, interdependence, or the consequences of actions.
This practice involves learning to recognize mental patterns that lead toward or away from clarity. When faced with challenging emotions or situations, wise attention examines the underlying causes and conditions rather than getting caught in reactive cycles. It asks questions like: "What is actually happening here?" "What assumptions am I making?" "How might this situation teach me about the nature of mind or reality?"
Wise attention helps us see things more clearly by noticing causes and effects in our experiences. Learn how bringing this kind of attention into daily life supports the growth of positive qualities, gradually leading to greater insight and inner freedom.
Buddhanature
Posted on01 Oct 2025
*Buddhanature* refers to the intrinsic quality of awakening that is present in all sentient beings, without exception. The teachings on *buddhanature* affirm the innate goodness of all beings, emphasizing that buddhanature is primordially present in everyone, though temporarily obscured. Buddhanature is not something to be developed but rather uncovered, like polishing a mirror that is inherently clear but temporarily clouded. This view reinforces that the path toward enlightenment is a process of revealing, rather than acquiring, awakened qualities. This innate goodness is not an addition to who we are; it is the very nature of our being. Understanding this encourages a compassionate and hopeful outlook on life, as it highlights the potential for growth and awakening within every individual.
When compared to other religious or philosophical beliefs, buddhanature offers a unique perspective that focuses on intrinsic goodness and the possibility of transformation from within. Recognizing this innate goodness can transform relationships by fostering empathy, patience, and respect for the inherent value in others, even in the face of difficulties or differences.
The *Paramita* of *Dhyana*/Meditation
Posted on01 Oct 2025
*Dhyana*, or meditative concentration, is the fifth of *the paramitas*. When perfected, this represents a mind free from distraction, dullness, and afflictive emotions.
The term *samadhi* also describes meditative absorption, and can be translated as "application" or "contemplation." It can be understood as "collecting" or "bringing together," implying the unification or concentration of the mind with phenomena. In Pali, the term samadhi translates to "unifying the mind and directing its awareness toward a specific object." Samadhi represents the final step of *the eightfold path*.
In life there are many benefits to cultivating meditative concentration. This skill enables us to focus more effectively on what we are doing, and it can also help us approach tasks without feeling overly eager or anxious about the outcome. We become more attentive to others and can respond to their needs more effectively.
The *Paramita* of *Prajna*/Wisdom
Posted on01 Oct 2025
The sixth paramita is *prajñaparamita*, the perfection of wisdom. *Prajña* (Sanskrit) or *panna* (Pali) is frequently translated as "wisdom." However, a more accurate interpretation would be insight, non-discriminating knowledge, or intuitive apprehension. Prajñaparamita is considered to be the foundation or source of the other paramitas. It refers to transcendent wisdom that leads to Buddhahood. Prajñaparamita is traditionally subdivided into four additional aspects, bringing the total to ten paramitas. These four are: skillful means, aspiration, power, and primordial wisdom.
The perfection of wisdom is the realization of emptiness, the ultimate nature of all things. *Sunyata*, or emptiness, is the teaching that all phenomena lack self-essence or independent existence. Everything we see and hear is interconnected; each moment is a gentle expression of one continuous, ever-evolving landscape. Everything exists in a constant state of arising and passing away, eternally “becoming” and never truly “being.” Ultimately, sunyata is something that is realized directly through practice, but until then, a conceptual understanding is helpful. Fully understanding emptiness requires time and consistent practice of both shamatha and vipassana. This wisdom cannot be grasped through intellect alone, we realize it through the practice of the other perfections: generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, and meditation.