About Wildmind


Wildmind’s mission is to benefit the world by promoting mindfulness and compassion through the practice of Buddhist meditation.

Wildmind is run by Bodhipaksa, a Buddhist teacher and author who has been practicing within the Triratna Buddhist Community since 1982 and has been a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order since 1993. Bodhipaksa previously taught meditation in the Religious Studies department at the University of Montana.

Wildmind’s activities include:

  • Providing free meditation instruction on the internet in a variety of languages
  • Publishing news stories, articles on meditation, and reviews in our blog
  • Responding to questions about meditation through the comments on our articles
  • Publishing guided meditation CDs and MP3s
  • Conducting online classes in meditation and other forms of Buddhist practice
  • Building a spiritual community in Wildmind’s Google+ Community

Wildmind began life in 2000 as a project that Bodhipaksa undertook while studying for a Masters’ degree at the University of Montana, having realized that at that time there was a dearth of reliable information about meditation on the web.

The website was launched on 11 November, 2000, and in the spring of the following year Bodhipaksa began offering his first online meditation course. Since then Wildmind has continued to expand, and now offers a number of online courses and free instruction in a variety of languages.

There are various ways to keep up with our activities:

  • You can have our posts delivered to your email in-box once a day by subscribing through Feedblitz.
  • You can follow us on Google+.
  • You can follow us on Facebook, although Facebook will probably hide most of our posts from you. Be sure to click on the “Liked” button on our Facebook Page and then select “Receive notifications.” You can also add the page to an interest list. Lastly, Facebook hides our posts if you don’t show an interest in them by occasionally clicking “like” or leaving a comment.
  • All our posts are published on Twitter.
  • You can subscribe to our email newsletter, which goes out roughly twice a month, and which contains links to the most significant articles of the previous two weeks or so.
  • We’re on Pinterest as well, although not all our articles get published there.
  • You can follow our RSS feed if you use a feed reader.
  • You can even subscribe to our blog on your Kindle.

Wildmind is ad-free, and support, in the form of one-time donations or (even better) recurring contributions is vital to our success, and helps us to bring the benefits of meditation to more people. Please feel free to contribute to our work.

  • Why “Wildmind”?
  • How to use this site
  • About Bodhipaksa
  • About the Triratna Buddhist Community
  • Help support our work
  • Support our translation project

    • View Comments

    • Hi there,
      well i was really happy to see the comments from those who have taken the courses here - i know it is possible to have deep friendships online - there is a time i wouldn't have believed that possible - but i now know it to be true. And I wanted to mention, some of us suffer from anxieties and phobias and even if we can find the time - sometimes we just cannot get out and be among people. The only thing stopping me from taking this course at the moment is financial, and if that changes someday I will be so delighted to become a student here - far less alone then merely reading books and trying to learn completely on my own!!
      This is a lovely site. Thankyou. :)

    • Hello Lotus! Thanks for your words of appreciation about the site. And thanks also on behalf of the students who wrote in.

      I just wanted you to know that we've almost never turned someone away because of an inability to pay. The rare exceptions have been when our classes have been very full. So when you're ready to join a class feel free to drop us a line via the "contact" link above. All the best, Bodhipaksa.

    • Hello,
      I came across this site today whilst looking for something else and was very interested to see the messages here. I wanted to express my thoughts. I was a teacher for many years. With regard to Liza's and Johnathan's comments, I know from my own experience that a person's spiritual journey is extremely precious to them. When we are deeply involved in our own journey we can become attached to one way of doing things because it has suited us. Having taught for many years I just wanted to say that there are many ways of learning new skills, and no one way suits everybody. Some children are visual learners, others auditory, yet others learn by "observation" and others by "doing". Adults too learn in very different ways. For you Liza, and for Johnathan, one to one meditation classes working alongside a teacher has obviously been a powerful and important aspect of your meditation/spiritual journey. But that's not necessarily the case for everyone. It isn't "how" a person learns the skill that matters so much as "what" they learn. Isn't it better that people have the opportunity to choose what is best for them? The format of a person's learning experience will make that experience different from another, so learning online is different to learning face to face. So what? Trust is an important part of each person's spiritual journey. Trusting that our journey will unfold for us in the way it is meant to is very important. Choosing what feels right for ourselves is an important part of developing trust in ourselves and the Universe as we progress on our spiritual journey. Does it really matter whether we become spiritually aware through the internet as opposed to working face to face? I don't feel that one way is more valuable than the other if the outcome is a deeper connection to ourselves, each other and the Universe. I actually find it very uplifting (rather than fearful) to know that I can make contact with caring, supportive meditation teachers quickly and easily online.
      With all good wishes,
      Emma

    • When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Is it fair for us to judge in which way the teacher appears..or how each pupil finds their way. If a seed is planted..it will grow..As important as it is to be mindful on our journey, I believe it is just as important to trust that as we take our next step, the ground will be there under our feet, without having to constantly look down to see the road. Much better to have faith in the road, and be looking around, in that moment. May each of us continue to take steps along our journey...each and every journey as unique as each of us.

      I am indeed one of those people, that due to a variety of circumstances does not at this time have face to face instruction or guidance..i have gratitude for the time and effort taken to provide information and inspiration, which I am finding a blessing to my life and to my journey.

      Namaste

    • That's a very good point. There are many paths to the same destination. As I follow my own path, I do not wish to to be judged nor to judge anyone who chooses differently. (By the way, I was quite thrilled to learn of these classes.)

    • It's good to know that WildMind is still going strong Bodhipaksa - you've done a splendid job and have created an invaluable resource for many people to share. I have used your CD over many years - what I learnt has stayed with me and helps 'centre' me whenever my mind becomes busy!

      Having reviewed with interest the various comments contained here, I've taken a moment to consider the points that were expressed and wonder if perhaps there is an opportunity to provide information of meditation centres and/or organisations that would harmonize your own teachings, so that anyone wishing to develop themselves further by visiting a meditation centre could do so?

      I appreciate that you have a link to http://www.shambhala.org.uk - are there any other Orgs that you are able to support and could this information be contained somewhere within the site?

      Just a thought... ;o)

    • WildMind is a breath of fresh air to those of us living in the "heart of Dixie." Outside of the larger Southern Metro cities there is a dearth of anything that is not based in Southern Baptist theology -- namely meditation. This online format fills a need where it is impossible to have one-on-one daily contact. With the price of gas, driving to Atlanta has become a major expense that is out of reach for some. Thanks for being there! In Gassho....

    • We've just converted to the One True Faith and will shortly be deleting all this heathen Buddhist nonsense so that we can save more souls from Satan's machinations. No, just joking.

      Seriously, we're delighted to hear that we're able to provide inspiration to spiritual seekers in the Bible Belt. I had a friend who lived in a large town in Tennessee and there was simply nothing available for non-Christians.

      All the best with your practice,
      Bodhipaksa

    • Hi,

      I just discovered this website and I am enjoying it tremendously. I'm wondering if you offer any workshops in the southern NH area? Feel free to respond to me directly.

      Many blessings,
      Deb

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