Become An Everyday Buddhist

It is actually very easy to create habits. It only requires sustained, repetitive behavior. For both good and bad habits, the mechanism is the same: repetition. This process is known as Neuroplasticity. We create new neural pathways in our minds as we repeat behaviors, and each time it becomes easier to travel down those same pathways. Luckily, this is simply how the brain works. It requires no willpower or special training.

The easy path is not for the lazy. You’ve probably noticed how much easier it is to do something you really want to do compared to what you think you should do. Faith is like desire, and when you want something, you’re motivated to work for it.

What if the thing blocking your spiritual growth... is trying too hard? Janet Anwyl explores why faith feels effortless — and why getting there is anything but.

Incense is not simply something burned during rituals. It carries a long cultural, artistic, and spiritual history. This article invites you to appreciate the history and varieties of kō, even its surprising use in contemporary cooking, before turning to Shinran Shōnin’s beautiful teaching of the “fragrance of Nembutsu.”

Think about something that disturbed you. Maybe it was a critical comment, an unexpected change, a person who gets under your skin. Our typical impulse is to analyze the situation. What happened? Who's to blame? How do I fix it? But Buddhism suggests turning the gaze around. What story did you tell yourself? What did you assume? What does your reaction reveal about you?

As a Jodo Shinshu convert, it sometimes takes me a while to fully appreciate the depth and beauty of certain Japanese traditions—especially Obon and Hatsubon. When I first joined the Vista Buddhist Temple sangha, I made a simple commitment: just show up, join in, and trust that understanding would come in time.