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January 24, 2026 Practice Where You Are No matter how we show up, our practice is good enough.  In a recent episode of Tricycle Talks, Sharon A. Suh, a professor of theology and religious studies at Seattle University and the president of Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women, argues that being a "bad Buddhist" really means being an authentic Buddhist. It’s about showing up as you are and giving what you can give. It’s in the chaos of life that our practice lives. Reflecting on an interaction with feminist writer bell hooks at a Buddhism and feminism conference in 2006, Suh says she told hooks, “I don’t really consider myself a very good Buddhist because I have no time to meditate. I’ve got two little kids. I’m working nonstop."  Suh continues, "[bell hooks] looked at me and said, ‘You know, all you need is one or two minutes. Maybe your practice is being with the kids, going through all of this struggle. That’s the practice. So why are you struggling to fit something into your already busy life when your busy life is where the dharma is?’” Listen to the episode to hear more about what it means to Suh to be a “bad Buddhist,” the pitfalls of equating Buddhism primarily with meditation, and what she’s learned from bell hooks. Listen to the episode » Also this week: Are We One, this month's Film Club feature by Dónal Ó Céilleachair, is an exploration of interfaith dialogue through the lens of American Catholic priest and Zen Master Robert Kennedy.   Browse our updated Buddhism for Beginners resources for a comprehensive introduction to Buddhist history and traditions.   A new Tricycle online course starts February 9! Learn more about The Path of Dharma Friendship and enjoy a free meditation from the course to see if it’s right for you.

Meditation Month Day 24

 

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PRACTICE PROMPT Is anything outside of the ultimate?   If there is no distinction between subject and object, if everything is one, then the pine tree in the courtyard is the ultimate, isn’t it? What else could be the ultimate? How about this very moment, the people you dislike, or the sound of traffic outside your window. Are any of these outside the ultimate?

Related Content The Nature of Concepts In an excerpt from The Experience of Insight where he uses Plato’s cave as a metaphor for seeking nirvana, meditation teacher Joseph Goldstein discusses the relative and ultimate nature of reality. Read more » Mind of Embracing All Things An excerpt from Popular Buddhism in Japan, Shin Buddhist Religion & Culture, from the 1999 issue of Tricycle, features a reflection on going beyond dualism.   Read more » Follow Us

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Practice for Others Practice is never for oneself alone. We sit to return the fruits of practice to others. What we discover in meditation has meaning only when we bring it back into the world. Anna Maria Shinnyo Marradi, “The Discipline of Compassion” CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE

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RIGHT EFFORT Restraining Unarisen Unhealthy States Whatever a person frequently thinks about and ponders, that will become the inclination of their mind. If one frequently thinks about and ponders unhealthy states, one has abandoned healthy states to cultivate unhealthy states, and then one’s mind inclines toward unhealthy states. (MN 19) Here a person rouses the will, makes an effort, stirs up energy, exerts the mind, and strives to restrain the arising of unarisen unhealthy mental states. One restrains the arising of the unarisen hindrance of sluggishness. (MN 141)

Reflection Sluggishness, also sometimes called sloth and torpor, is one of the five hindrances that prevent the mind from becoming tranquil and alert. Like any natural system, the mind operates best within a certain range, and its effectiveness drops off when there is too much or too little energy. Here we are being encouraged to take what steps we can, such as rest and nutrition, to ensure that the mind is working optimally. Daily Practice Explore in your own experience the distinction between tranquility and sluggishness. The mind can get sleepy or lazy or dull, but this is very different from the calm tranquility of a peaceful mind. To be relaxed, you must also be alert. When you start to feel sluggish, take a deep breath or open your eyes wide or do something to stir up energy. Then put that energy to work, paradoxically toward calming the mind. Tomorrow: Establishing Mindfulness of Body and the First Jhāna One week from today: Abandoning Arisen Unhealthy States Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

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Meditation Month Day 23

 

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PRACTICE PROMPT That which knows and that which is known are one and the same.    Choose an object right in front of you. Do you experience the knowing of the object as something separate from the object itself? Are there two different experiences, or only one? If you begin to think about it, it may seem that there is a difference between the object and the awareness of the object. Look more carefully: are there really two separate entities here, or just one experience?

Related Content Getting Rid of the “Little I” A practitioner reflects on a private interview with her Zen teacher wherein she learns more about dropping her own self conception and connecting with expansiveness. Read more » Four Buddhist Teachings on Emptiness In an article about sunyata, writer and researcher Simeon Mihaylov explains the perspective of “no subject-ojbect” in Yogacara, the mind-only school of Mahayana Buddhism.   Read more » Follow Us

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