Category Archives: Blogs
Let’s get serious …..
Let’s Get Serious
What are we serious about?
How serious are we about Life, how serious are we about our life?
My sense is that most people do not and are not taking life and their life serious enough.
We do not even take the things in our life serious enough. Things like our health, both physical and mental; our relationships – intimate and otherwise; our work – be it self employed or employed by others; our potentials and life possibilities.
It appears that...
Read More
Read More
Make Meditation about Meditation ……
We need to make our meditation about meditation!
Our meditation may include awareness of the body and certainly may help relax and heal the body, but it is not about the body but about the mind.
And as the mind, our meditation is not about the thoughts, memories, stories and ideas about our self.
Our meditation is not about the self’s wishes and wants, worries and woes.
Our meditation is not about being caught in the mental content of our mind, but about...
Read More
Read More
John interviewed by Tweed Daily News
John was recently interviewed by Tweed Daily News at The Brain Mind and Memory Centre at Tweed Heads, discussing how you can improve the brain and wellbeing through mindfulness, meditation and Buddhist wisdom.
Watch the unedited video below
https://youtu.be/ixNmiHH37QI
In this interview you will also discover how and why John became a Buddhist monk and then a psychologist years later.
The above photo is of John as a monk in Switzerland.
Read More
Read More
Wisdom Talks 20 – The 4 Jhana (deeper meditative states)
In this episode of Wisdom Talks John Barter discusses the “The 4 Jhana” - translated as The 4 States of Meditation in Theravada Buddhism. To encourage and inspire the possibility of refinement of consciousness and deeper states of mind; and appreciate that there is great joy and peace beyond just worldly pursuits.
(more…)
Read More
Read More
Wisdom Talks 19 – The Power of Trust (Saddha)
In this episode of Wisdom Talks John Barter reflects on a teaching of the Buddha called “The 5 Bala”- translated as The 5 Powers (or Strengths). In particular the first power or strength called Saddha - translated as Trust or Faith
(more…)
Read More
Read More
Wisdom Talks 18 – The 4 Stages of Enlightenment
In this episode of Wisdom Talks John Barter reflects on the ‘The 4 Stages of Enlightenment” as categorised in Theravada Buddhism. They relate to psychological factors that hold the mind back or hinder the mind from being completely free from stress, distress, angst, unease and suffering.
(more…)
Read More
Read More
Wisdom Talks 16 – The 4 Pairs of the Ways of the World
In this episode of Wisdom Talks John Barter explains how the world runs on and is fuelled by 8 conditions, namely: Gain and Loss, Happiness and Misery, Praise and Blame, Fame and Non Fame. These 4 pairs of worldly conditions are termed by the Buddha as the Loka-Dhamma.
(more…)
Read More
Read More
Wisdom Talks 14 – The 4 V’s
Are you wasting a lot of time, energy and relationships by not aligning with what’s important to you?
In this episode of Wisdom Talks John Barter shares a teaching called “The 4 V’s”. This teaching is important in make sure our doing aligns with our being and our sense of self.
(more…)
Read More
Read More
Wisdom Talks 13 – The 4 Elements
In this episode of Wisdom Talks John Barter reflects on ‘The 4 Elements’ that make up our body and physical existence – Earth, Water, Fire and Air.
(more…)
Read More
Read More