Rather than rely on prayer, the Buddhist path to salvation is based on deeds including cultivation of the mind in the form of meditation, whereby it is important to maintain the right balance between the three components of wisdom, morality and mental culture. Meditation is thus an essential Buddhist practice, with a distinction being made between mindfulness mediation and insight meditation.

Whereas the quality of mindfulness as such is not considered something inherently Buddhist, the function of mindfulness as one of the awakening factors, on the other hand, is, as these factors are considered to be indeed something only revealed…

Utilitarianism is a moral theory which posits that an action is morally right only if it produces the most utility (i.e. pleasure or happiness) for the greatest number of individuals. Unlike other utilitarians at the time, Jeremy Bentham strove to devise an exact method to calculate utility and turn economics, legislation and ethics into genuine sciences. He believed that the morally right act is the one act among all those the individual can choose from, which will, or is likely to, lead to the greatest amount of pleasure overall in the world. …

With a history of childhood trauma, anxiety and other ailments, therapy had been a godsend for me. Luckily, I hit the jackpot with my very first therapist, Sheryl, and felt I really connected with someone for the first time. It all went well for a few years —until one day she suddenly announced she was about to retire.

I felt like the rug had been pulled out from under my feet. In a panic, I went therapist shopping, trying to find a replacement, but no other therapist seemed the right fit. It just didn’t feel right. They weren’t her. …