Hi, I’m Bodhipaksa, and I set up Wildmind in 2001 with the help of several friends who offered me their time and technical support when I was a grad student with no financial resources at all. I’m a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order, I’ve been a practicing Buddhist since 1982, and I’ve been teaching meditation since the late 1980’s.
I’m the author of Wildmind: A Step-by-Step Guide to Meditation, a book called Living as a River, which explores the Buddhist teaching of not-self though a traditional reflection on interconnectedness called the Six Element Practice, and Vegetarianism: A Buddhist View, which is a book on Buddhism and the practice of vegetarianism. Additionally, I’ve written I Can’t Believe It’s Not Buddha! (a book on fake Buddha quotes), This Difficult Thing of Being Human (on self compassion), and A Year of Buddha’s Wisdom (which is a collection of daily readings, reflections, and meditation suggestions). I’m also the author of ten audiobooks of guided meditations.
In Oct 2012 gave a TEDx talk on compassion.
I was given the name Bodhipakṣa when I joined the Triratna Buddhist Order in 1993 (although at that time it was called the “Western Buddhist Order”). “Bodhi” means enlightenment and “paksha” (there’s a dot under the “s” which gives it a “sh” sound) means “wings.” So my name means “Wings of Enlightenment.”
I was born and brought up in Scotland, although I now live in the US. For three years, I was the director of Dhanakosa retreat center, in the Highlands of Scotland, and after that I ran the Edinburgh Buddhist center. For three years, I taught Buddhist meditation in the Religious Studies department at the University of Montana, before moving to New Hampshire.
I love teaching meditation. It’s had a tremendously positive effect on my own life, and I’ve seen it have an equally large effect on the lives of my students. Over and over again, students have told me how learning to meditate has changed their lives.
For many years I’ve been excited by the potential for bringing the benefits of meditation to millions of people over the Internet. That enthusiasm is what led to me setting up Wildmind.
Wildmind started as a project while I was completing a Masters degree in Montana. Supported by a grant from the American Council of Learned Societies, I worked with Dr. Alan Sponberg to develop an innovative Internet based meditation course for the University of Montana, and that experiment formed the basis of Wildmind.
I hope you find these materials useful, and I’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to drop me a line using the comment form below. If you want to write more privately use the “contact” link above — the message will get to me.
I also have a personal website where you’ll find links to all my publications, YouTube videos, etc., as well as information about the meditation coaching that I do. It’s at Bodhipaksa.com.
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Hi, dreams.
Quite the contrary. I care very much about the outside world. There are some things I don't care very much about -- status, cars, money, just about anything that's on television -- but there are many things I care about very deeply.
Hi Bodhipaksa, I am a therapist in northern Virginia and I wanted you to know how helpful I have found your cd's in my work with clients. I routinely try to introduce aspects of mindfulness meditation in my private practice and talk to clients about what the research says on its effects on the brain, body, and sense of well-being. For my clients with anxiety and depression in particular I prescribe your cds--even the most diehard "I don't have time to meditate" people can do your 10 minute practices. Usually what I do is loan them one of my personal copies so they can try it out at home, and invariably they bring it back saying how much they love your voice and gentle way of instruction and that they have bought a copy of their own! I just got back my copy of your cd for stress reduction from a client who is now incredibly enthusiastic about the idea of practicing your meditations and learning about "this whole new world" she never knew existed!
Thank you for what you do!
Vivien B.
Thank you!
Dear Bohipaksha
I am very much impressed with your noble agenda to promote peace and calmness in the minds of people. According to the Buddha's doctrine people become ill and unhealthy because of mental reasons 80%. Meditation can reverse this condition for them. I must therefore fully commend the noble effort you have taken with your web site.
Looking at the areas that you have gone in to address the beneficial effects of meditation is amazing! Congratulations sir!
Bodhipaksa,
I practice meditation everyday and it so nourishes my life. So thank you for your guidance. My question...I find myself living in the past much as of late with my ex boyfriend. The...if I were younger, prettier, better, maybe he would have been different and we would still be together. Even though I know in my heart it's better we are not together, I still miss him and a part of me obviously wishes we things could be different. How can I come into acceptance and let this go...it really affects my days...I'm ready to let this go...my mind thinks otherwise.
Blessings!
Hi, Shelly.
You didn't mention what you do when you meditate, so I'll just throw a few things out there. It sounds like a lot of lovingkindness practice would be useful -- especially the first stage of self metta. In particular I think it would be helpful for you to bring to mind the pain you experience with regard to this past relationship, and to wish your pain well. (Really this is compassion meditation, rather than metta, but that's OK.)
Also, you might want to say to yourself, when this relationship or these ideas ("if I were younger, prettier, better") pop into your mind, the words "My happiness does not depend on this." And read the article that phrase comes from.
It would also be helpful -- but only if you have a good basis of lovingkindness practice -- to reflect on impermanence. All things come into being, age, and pass away. That applies to people, things, and relationships. Pick anything, and visualize it coming into being, aging, and passing away. Apply this to other people, to objects, to relationships, to yourself. Really, don't do this unless you have an established lovingkindness practice, because otherwise you'll run the risk of depressing yourself.
I started using your Guided meditation cd about 8 years ago during a long period of illness. I used your cd almost daily for quite a while until I could sit in silence for 30- 45 mins or so. I have just finished studying the Anapanasati Sutra and that is where my meditation is heading. I love the affect meditation has had on my life and consequently on those around me. Your cds provided a very stable foundation to my personal vipassana journey and I just wanted to say thank you. I regularly read your posts.
I have severe problems getting to sleep and spend 80% of my time on sleeping pills. i have long thought that meditation may help me relax my brain so that i can sleep. what cd would you recommend for someone starting out on this journey.
Hi, Mike.
I've found that meditation definitely helps me sleep. It's very rare these days that I can't fall asleep very quickly. I make some specific suggestions in this article on Meditation and Insomnia, but any kind of body scanning or mindful breathing will be helpful.
thanks Bodhipaksa, i have heard of the stomach breathing before. i have tried it and it sometimes helps. i also do progressive relaxation exercises most nights. I find if i do them slowly and relax for a long time between each exercise that i quite often dont finish the exercise and sleep. this happend last night. My biggest problem now is that i become stressed over nothing. i mean levels well below normal and then my head locks up and i cant sleep at all. not even five minutes and i can remain like this for weeks. the only answer has been to take sleeping pills. unfortunately the effectiveness of them is wearing off and i fear when one day i cant sleep and sleeping pills dont work. eventually you wi8ll die if yu dont sleep a all. thats why doing these exercises are very important to me. im thinking that next time i cant sleep at all i might get out of bed and listen to some relaxation cds untill iam sleepy again. it might work, and maybe i will be able to live a normal life again. I am doing alot of positive things at the moment and am booked in for a mindfullness and a dificulty sleepig psychological courses. i notice you have alot of cds for sale on your site. do you have any that you can recommend for relaxation and sleep. ive definitely taken note of what you have already said ad will put all the techniques to practice. i have just bought a personal cd player that i can play in bed. i have a mindfullness cd to start with. thanks for your help.
Hi, Mike. Sorry i don't have much time this morning, so just a quick note. We have a CD that sounds good, called the The Yoga of Sleep. It uses a variety of approaches with helping people to sleep, including mindfulness, which would be useful for you. All the best, Bodhipaksa.
hello bodhipaksa,
i have been following mindfulness in everyday life but i want to know how to release the past ( a traumatic event ) , is it the right approach that is letting the release happen without judging it or do i need to solve it ,( which i cant as it creates more problems ) thanks a ton
There's a lot of material on this site that can help you, Sean. Mindfulness and lovingkindness are practices that would be helpful, and I'd highly recommend reading the articles we publish by Tara Brach and Rick Hanson.