Why Can’t “I” Be Happy?

The four noble truths tell us that to be happy we must first discover the causes of our unhappiness. This is the approach of the renowned French Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard, who says that genuine happiness is only possible after we understand the fundamental mistake that is the root of our suffering.

A Few Words Before They Drag Me Away

In and out of hospital since childhood, Diana Atkinson on a life cut to pieces.

The Karma of Happiness

In measuring and prescribing human skills for a good life, lasting happiness requires that we carefully weigh the consequences of our actions.

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Two Sciences of Mind

Barry Boyce reports on the dialogue between cutting-edge science and Buddhism's 2500-year study of the mind.

Showdown at Punk Palace

It's mindfulness versus Megadeth when Ian Prattis visits his art school son. Will hope triumph over heroin?

Lion's Roar

Forum Essays: Depression

Buddhadharma readers share their experience of Buddhist practice in everyday life as it relates to depression and mental illness.

Jon Kabat-Zinn: The Man Who Prescribes the Medicine of the Moment

Barry Boyce profiles Jon Kabat-Zinn, whose mindfulness stress reduction program has brought the benefits of meditation practice to thousands of people.

Searching for the Heart of Compassion

Marc Ian Barasch searches our society for compassion in action, compassionate people, and ways to find the compassion inside himself.

I Am Safe

Sylvia Boorstein on where safety is really found in a life with no guarantees.

Daughter Time

The time of childhood is going to go fast. I'm doing what I can to slow it down. There's still time for me to learn some of what they see and know and feel.