This post lists some basic child raising philosophies. The format of the post is a bit unusual in the sense that it is in the form of a letter written by someone with a child, to someone who was to care for the child, from time to time. I think the premise of the letter is a great idea and the points made are even better. I have changed the name of the child in the letter to protect the family’s anonymity and edited it slightly so as to better suit the format of the post. If this post helps so much as one child have a healthier, happier upbringing, then it will be a success. Read more…

How often do we talk negatively of other people? We speak negatively of others for a variety of reasons but we commonly do it so as to prop ourselves up by putting others down, whether we choose to admit such motives or not. Read more…

There may be character and physical traits that we don’t like about ourselves, even if we have an overall good self-esteem. Many people have low self-esteems and therefore can’t stand many of their personal traits. I am all for changing that which we do not like about ourselves providing that the changes are possible and for the better. There are certain traits however that we will not be able to change and still others that will take some time. So, why not be kind to yourself while you’re trying to change that which can be changed and learn to accept that which cannot? Read more…

My wife has told me more than once to think before I talk. My wife speaks English with a Spanish accent and her grammar is less than perfect so her exact words to me were “think before to talk” We were both told once by an elderly monk that before we speak to each other, we should take a deep breath in, exhale and then smile. Now imagine if everyone in this world took a deep breath and smiled before speaking. Read more…

Metta is a Pali word meaning Loving-kindness or universal love. Anger and ill-will are common roadblocks to happiness. Metta is one of the solutions for our ill-will and anger. I understand that some anger may very well be justified but that does not mean that is helping you or others around you. Please read my post titled “Resentment” for more about justified anger. Read more…

Part II of How Well Do You Treat Others?

Now that you’ve read Part I of this post, there is no going back. You have the knowledge. You know what needs to be done and how well you treat others has been brought into the light. Read more…

Part I

If you want to be happy, you must not only be good to yourself, but you must treat others well too. How often do we blindly plunge forward in our lives without thinking about the consequences that our actions may have on other beings? Most of the work we need to do to be happy pertains to our spiritual and psychological conditions. Here’s the catch…we do not live in a vacuum so we must practice the spiritual principles that we learn in our lives. In case you haven’t noticed, our lives include other beings Read more…