Author: Carina Barbosa

“If you wish to understand the Universe, think of energy, frequency and vibration. “ Nikola Tesla Many Buddhist mantras don’t have concrete meaning because they were created in a language no longer known. Therefore they carry some incomprehensible syllables. These oral teachings allow the mind to achieve a…

Tibetan Buddhism is the branch of Buddhism characterized by a more mystical nature. It is also known as Vajrayana or Lamaism (The name Lama means master, since this branch focuses a lot on lamas and disciples). Tibetan Buddhism is a western term. In the eastern cultures, believers don’t…

Buddhism was not originally created as a religion, rather it was developed as a philosophy. Today, in the west the general perception is that Buddhism is a religion. Matthieu Riccard is the one that reminds us that this doubt only fits in the western world, for in the…

Zen Buddhism is a school derived from the Mahayana Tradition. It follows the same basic teachings of the Buddha, and it has found a very fertile soil in Japan and later in the western world. It has incorporated some of the Japanese traditional arts into its practices as…

When we talk about the Buddha, we talk about prince Siddhartha, who left a life of luxury and comfort to seek a way to end human suffering. After a long and arduous journey, Siddhartha accomplished his goal, and became known as Buddha (the awakened one). He decided then…

Many of our world’s most famous philosophies have been built with this question in mind. Others did not give much thought or attention to it. Buddhism has touched briefly on the topic, in an esoteric style though. Quantum Physics and Buddhism Quantum physics is a modern branch of…

I’ve always seen suicide as an act of great courage. But I respect those who consider it an act of great cowardice. I believe it takes courage to leave life, to know the pain we will cause to those left behind. Most of all, it takes courage to…

Buddhists are normal ordinary people, and since showing off is not something they like to do, you might be close to one and won’t even know that they’re a Buddhist. There won’t be rituals or prayers, pictures or outfits. Those people in special outfits are the monks and…

When he was among us, Siddarta was not called Buddha. The name came long after his enlightenment, but we can find in the writings of his disciples, the Tripitaka, the mention of the three main virtues he developed, morality, deep concentration and wisdom  And these are the virtues…

Any break up, no matter how it happens, brings some pain and sorrow. These are normal emotions. Buddhists are normal people so they feel the same as everyone else. The difference lies in their perception of the break up, Buddhists are encouraged to refrain from extending their suffering.…