You don't have to be a Buddhist to use these techniques to overcome your anger and move forward gracefully, skilfully, and peacefully.In this short "dharma bite," I provide five concise techniques that come from Buddhism that anyone (Buddhist or not) can use in-the-moment or after-the-fact to help reduce the heat of discontentment and cool the flames of anger. This article includes a short guided meditation.
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Vedanās: A Complete Guide to Feelings in Buddhism (and How to Actually Use This Teaching To Be Happy) — Part 1
by Anagārika Pasannacitta (Anagārika Michael Turner) 
What are vedanās (feelings) in Buddhism? Definitively clearing up this oft-misunderstood subject and understanding how to apply this teaching in everyday life to practically lay the foundation for contentment, peace of mind, and actual progress toward nibbāna.
Vedanā Series Overview — PART 1 —
Dear subscribers and visitors, I will be posting less frequently to this teaching blog while I work on some new Dharma teaching projects. I nevertheless remain available as a teacher, personal coach, volunteer, consultant, and counsellor. Please feel free to contact me, subscribe, or just stay tuned.
What does the Dhamma-Vinaya have to say about monastics who employ wrong speech when sharing or discussing the Dhamma? Is this ever OK?In this short "dharma bite," I answer this single question. 
Using Tonglen meditation to ease suffering, overcome problems, cultivate the brahmavihārās, and attain Buddhist awakening (streamentry)In this dharma talk I dive into the details of a somewhat-lesser-known meditation technique that anyone can use to overcome mental suffering, physical pain, and generate deep and transformative states of compassion and gratitude. I also cover the importance of Right Effort, determination, and good teachers, and how these are critical to cultivating resilient states of contentment and to making spiritual progress. 
Everything is made up of Earth, Water, Fire, Air (and Space) Elements – even in the 21st CenturyIn this teaching we dive into the details to review the Four Elements of physical formations, what they are, and how they are relevant to 21st century Buddhist practice and cultivating our understanding of anattā, the Buddhist concept of Nonself. 
How to generate genuine feelings of love and compassion while meditating.Most people are doing mettā meditation (i.e., loving-kindness meditation) ineffectively. Why is this? Because there are very few people who are actually teaching others how to do it correctly, and many of them are hidden away in Buddhist monasteries. In this article + audio dharma talk I provide clear instructions to make your practice more effective for progress toward Buddhist Enlightenment. 
How to use Buddhist Right SpeechIn this teaching, I share how Buddhists can use the teachings of Buddhist Right Speech and Mindfulness to offer unsolicited advice to others, skilfully and kindly, and in ways that promote harmony, mutual respect, and appreciation from and for the people whom we have around us. 
Stop falling asleep while you try to meditate.Do you find yourself getting drowsy or falling asleep when you are trying to meditate? Unfortunately this affects many people. In this brief teaching, we will review the value of meditating with purpose and how to address the common complaint of "I keep falling asleep when I meditate, what can I do to stay awake?" And what to do if your attempts to stay alert fail. 
Stress and anxiety are signs that you're doing something wrong.In this article, we will cover what the Eight Worldly Concerns are and how they relate to your pursuit of happiness and your freedom from worry, stress, and anxiety. 
What is Karma really? Is our life predetermined or do we have agency? And what does it have to do with who we are or what we experience?
'What is karma' explained by a Buddhist teacherIn this short article, we will cover what Karma is and what it isn't; how it relates to destiny and free-will; and, its relationship to your happiness and your peace-of-mind. 
If you aren't using your heart, you are doing Mettā meditation wrong.In this teaching you will find a detailed explanation, complete instructions, and a rich example recitation script of the equalising Mettā Meditation on Loving-Kindness and Compassion. Plus, a bonus sutta that can be used to close your meditation session. 
How to practice Buddhism explained by a Buddhist teacher - Enlightenment is a real thingIn this reply to a student question, I cover the basics of making real progress with your dharma and meditation practice; how to cultivate it; and, why doing so is so important to attaining Awakening and Enlightenment. Because this is an email to a student, it assumes a certain understanding of Buddhism on the part of the reader.
Each one of us has the seed to be unshakeably happy and peaceful; and you don't have to be a Buddhist to have it.
(Alt. Title: Recognising and connecting with your inner-goodness cultivates happiness) 
Buddha Nature explained by a Buddhist teacher.In this article, we will cover what Buddha Nature is, how to recognise it, nurture it, cultivate it, and leverage it for happiness and Enlightenment.  In this Q&A, we will learn about how Buddhists view and approach the teachings on kindness, tolerance, acceptance, and patience with others.
Compassion vs Pity Explained by a Buddhist TeacherCompassion and pity are commonly misunderstood. And this is equally relevant to both Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. While entire schools of Buddhism are anchored on the concept of compassion, and many compendia have been written on the topic, in this article we learn what they are, how they affect you, and how to adopt an easy way to spot the difference between them. The Altruistic Intention: What People Get Wrong About Buddhism, Enlightenment, and Bodhisattvas.11/1/2020 
What everyone gets wrong about The Altruistic Intention explainedIn this article we will (1) learn about the Buddhist Altruistic Intention: what it is, what it isn't, and how it applies to Bodhisattvas and to your practice. We will also briefly (2) review what Buddhist enlightenment is and what it means to be "enlightened." 
Stop meditating wrong.In this article, we will cover what's wrong with western meditation, how to fix your practice, and why it's so important to attaining Awakening and Enlightenment. 
Buddhist Renunciation explained by a Buddhist teacherIn this short article, we will cover what Renunciation is and what it isn't for lay-practitioners; how to cultivate it; and, why it's so important to attaining Awakening and Enlightenment. 
Struggling to understand Emptiness? Read this.Emptiness is an challenging topic for the uninitiated and it presents an almost impossible learning curve to beginners who are just starting to explore the Buddhist path. In this article we make some sense out of it and understand its place in your practice toward Buddhist Enlightenment. 
Embracing Life by letting go of DeathWhat is the point of thinking about death? Is it morbid or is it useful? And how can it be used by non-Buddhists to cope with dying, death, or loss? 
What is analytical meditation and how to do it correctly?Analytical meditation is a very powerful, yet simple-to-understand practice. In this article we discuss what it is, how it works, and why it's such an important part of any mediation practice. 
How to practice Buddhism explained by a Buddhist teacherA brief article on how to use Buddhist texts to make progress in your practice. a simple sing-along or chant that can be used as a teaching tool or a reminder practice.  I was asked by a student to write a short mantra that she could remember to use with her children (and herself) as she saw fit, so I took a ubiquitous and popular children's song and I tweaked and reinterpreted it with deeper Buddhist meanings.  Forgiveness is really not about someone else’s harmful behavior; it’s about our relationship with our own past. When we begin to work on forgiveness, it's firstly a self-care practice for ourselves.
Forgiveness and patience are critical to being able to cultivate your ability to develop inner peace-of-mind and happiness. |
The Sagacious Buddhist Blog
by Anagārika Pasannacitta The Teacher
Anagārika Pasannacitta
Hi! My name is Michael Turner (my Dhamma name is Pasannacitta).
I am a pre-monastic sakadāgāmi, early Buddhist teacher, enlightenment and streamentry (awakening) mentor, resilience and happiness counsellor, meditation instructor, transformative personal coach, and full-time Buddhist anagārika. I've spent more than 30 years learning and cultivating what I do, and what I do goes far beyond meditation and dharma. I work with Buddhist practitioners of all levels to help them attain measurable spiritual progress toward Nibbāna. This special kind of one-on-one training isn't readily available to lay practitioners and I hope to do my part as I prepare to prepare to become a monk and enter into full-time Buddhist monastic life. Our Dhamma-vinaya student community is donation-funded and I'm available for serious and dedicated practitioners of meditation-and-dharma to course-correct their views, understandings, and practices to help them overcome the challenges and problems that hold them back from making progress along the path toward Buddhist enlightenment. This isn't hocus-pocus, this is practical- and applied-Buddhism, and your progress will be the result of dedication and effort. It is worth noting that what is on-offer here is very special. I am a skilled pre-monastic early Buddhist ācariya and I will be a Buddhist monk, scholar, and teacher. There are few people outside of authentic Buddhist monasteries who can genuinely offer this kind of applied guidance and advanced training to lay practitioners. Please visit my home page and my about me to learn more about my style and what it is that I teach. "The only thing that prevents people from attaining Enlightenment and experiencing Nirvana directly is insufficient instruction and/or practice." Categories
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Wise (formerly Transferwise)
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Michael Turner is a full-time Buddhist anagārika and ariya-puggala; he is also a deeply accomplished streamentry mentor, dharma teacher, and, c-level leadership advisor and personal success coach. He emphasises and teaches practical techniques and teachings for our everyday lives to overcome the problems that stand in the way of making veritable progress toward our goals and happiness; he is particularly adept at explaining them in ways that can be easily understood and practiced in the West. He has been meditating and cultivating views and techniques that generate indestructible resilience, inner-strength, and direct experience for more than 30 years and has helped countless numbers of students and clients course-correct their practice to make veritable progress toward happiness, success, and nibbāna.
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do good. be kind. help others. be peaceful.™
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