Teachings on meditation and Buddhism, and notes from the road.https://paramai.net/https://paramai.net/journey/journey-102-japan/https://paramai.net/journey/journey-102-japan/I spent a week teaching the Universal Goodness 5 training at Wat Phra Dhammakaya Tochigi, a spotless retreat site in the mountains of Japan — the only teaching monk, a torn pair of shoes, a robe that would not dry, and meditation in tents in the middle of the forest.Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/mindfulness-and-wellbeing-session-for-accenture-and-ptt/https://paramai.net/journey/mindfulness-and-wellbeing-session-for-accenture-and-ptt/I guided a mindfulness and meditation session for the Accenture team consulting for PTT at the PTT Head Office on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road. About twenty people joined a talk, a guided meditation and a closing offering — part of a growing trend of nurturing economic well-being and the well-being of the mind side by side.Sat, 05 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/buddhism/the-five-acts-of-self-discipline/https://paramai.net/buddhism/the-five-acts-of-self-discipline/The pursuit of harmony in human society begins with understanding and respecting four fundamental human rights that all people hold dear: the right to life, the right to property, the right to love, and the right to truth. These rights form the bedrock of human dignity and peaceful coexistence.Wed, 12 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/buddhism/made-it-heading-in-the-night/https://paramai.net/buddhism/made-it-heading-in-the-night/The Art of Focused Visualization: A Path to Achievement. Success begins with clarity of purpose. While we often hear about the importance of setting goals, true achievement requires more than just making lists of aspirations—it demands a focused, consistent practice of visualization combined with the power of peaceful energy.Mon, 13 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/buddhism/the-law-of-attraction/https://paramai.net/buddhism/the-law-of-attraction/The Science of Successful Resolutions: Combining Vision and Energy. Creating lasting change requires more than just wishful thinking. True transformation emerges from the powerful combination of clear vision and positive energy. Let's explore how these elements work together to turn resolutions into reality.Thu, 09 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/buddhism/the-power-of-visualization/https://paramai.net/buddhism/the-power-of-visualization/At the end of the year, many people think about making New Year's resolutions. In the U.S., a majority of people say their resolution is to exercise regularly. While starting regular exercise is common, many people find it difficult to stick with it. Studies show that after just five days, a significant number of people abandon their resolutions.Mon, 06 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/happy-new-year-2025/https://paramai.net/journey/happy-new-year-2025/As we welcome 2025, or in the Buddhist calendar, the year 2568 since the Buddha's Pari Nirvana, I offer you these words of reflection and blessing.Sat, 04 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/buddhism/the-art-of-commitment-and-resolution/https://paramai.net/buddhism/the-art-of-commitment-and-resolution/Resolutions shape our lives in countless ways, from momentary decisions to lifelong commitments. In exploring this concept, which we'll call "Aditana," we discover that true resolution extends far beyond the familiar New Year's promises many often struggle to keep.Thu, 02 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/buddhism/dhutanga/https://paramai.net/buddhism/dhutanga/Dhutanga is a group of thirteen austerities or ascetic practices most commonly observed by the practitioners of the Theravada Buddhism. This monastic austerity practice helps remove defilements of the mind, one of which is attachment to things. Embarking on this pilgrimage, it is essential to travel light with the least amount of things.Mon, 27 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/2022-peace-architect-training-9/https://paramai.net/journey/2022-peace-architect-training-9/The 40 Peace Architects from 23 countries mention that this meditation retreat is a massive upgrade to their meditation experience after 3 years of hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic.Sat, 31 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/2022-fit-summit-bangkok/https://paramai.net/journey/2022-fit-summit-bangkok/I went to guide a meditation session at the fit summit. The venue is located at the Sofitel Bangkok hotel, Sukhumvit road. The meditation happened on the morning of 30th November with about 50 participants mainly international people.Wed, 30 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/2022-monk-life-thailand/https://paramai.net/journey/2022-monk-life-thailand/In 2022, I taught for five ordination programs in the Monk Life Thailand project. There were 48 ordinands from 33 countries who came to be ordained at the iMonastery, in Pa Pae, Chiang Mai, Thailand.".Wed, 30 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/monk-life-quently-asked-questions/https://paramai.net/journey/monk-life-quently-asked-questions/This is the list of Frequently Asked Questions that people ask me while I travel to teach meditation around the world. Many people don’t know much about Buddhism. Some don’t know anything about the monk’s life at all.Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/meditation/meditate-at-workplace-here-is-how/https://paramai.net/meditation/meditate-at-workplace-here-is-how/As the COVID-19 situation gets better, it's time to go back to the office once again. Having an inner peace moment at the office will help us reduce stress, anxiety, and burnout. Many people think about doing some meditation at the workplace, but they don't know how to begin. Can we meditate at the workplace while surrounded by people, and everything seems to be a rush? Here are three simple suggestions from a Buddhist monk who has taught many people to begin their meditation routine at their workplace. Let's give it a shot today!Sun, 21 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/online-meditation-with-zoom-inc/https://paramai.net/journey/online-meditation-with-zoom-inc/Dr. Sith Chaisurote invited me to guide an online meditation session with Zoom Video Communications, Inc, the most well-known video conferencing app used during the COVID-19 pandemic. The session happened around 13:00 Thai local time, and it was meant mainly for the employees who live in Asia like India, Japan, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand.Sat, 09 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/meditation/how-our-minds-affect-the-world/https://paramai.net/meditation/how-our-minds-affect-the-world/Have you ever wondered how our minds affect the world we live in? The answer is here.Fri, 27 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/meditation/is-it-better-to-meditate-alone-or-in-a-group/https://paramai.net/meditation/is-it-better-to-meditate-alone-or-in-a-group/Meditating alone allows you to choose when to do it, where to do it and a good time to do it. So, you can get your environment setup to your preferences and you don’t have to face noises and distractions from people around you as well. However, doing it alone isn’t easy or sometimes impossible for those who still lack motivation, commitment and perseverance in the practice. It’s easy to find hundreds of beautiful reasons not to meditate and nobody can help you because you are alone. If you plan to do it at home, your comfy couch, bed or pillow can become stronger attractions than your meditation cushion – not to mention distractions from TVs, phones, Internet or computer games etc.Thu, 26 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/meditation/the-best-place-to-meditate/https://paramai.net/meditation/the-best-place-to-meditate/Meditation, like many other skills, requires practice. If we are still new to it, we’ll face challenges both physical and mental that will distract the mind. Is it good to meditate in the nature? Is it better to do it in a room? Let's find out here.Thu, 26 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/amani-african-youth-training/https://paramai.net/journey/amani-african-youth-training/LP Pasura and I went to help facilitate an AMANI African Youth Training #4 **for 24 young Africans** from Algeria, Botswana, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Lesotho, Liberia, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda at Himmawan Sanctuary, Loei province, Thailand from 15-27 February 2020.Fri, 28 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/journey-95-albania/https://paramai.net/journey/journey-95-albania/In December 2019, I visited Albania to organize a series of mindfulness and meditation for psychologists in Tirana. The program is called the inner life, which is organized by an acclaimed psychologist Fleura Shkembi, endorsed by the Albanian Order of Psychologists in Tirana. The training went for 2 days with 4 meditation sessions. Who would have known that this is going to be my last international trip before a hiatus for several years.Thu, 06 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/meditation/the-myth-of-music-and-meditation/https://paramai.net/meditation/the-myth-of-music-and-meditation/We all know that music is for relaxation because it makes us feel relaxed and happy. Meditation can also make many people feel relaxed and happy as well. Are they meant for the same purpose or are they different? Is it possible to combine these two things together?Wed, 05 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/buddhism/how-to-overcome-bad-karma/https://paramai.net/buddhism/how-to-overcome-bad-karma/We can’t turn back time to correct past mistakes, so what do we do with our bad Karma from the past? Are they avoidable? Or we just have to repay the debt of bad karmas? Learn what is karma and how it works.Fri, 27 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/journey-94-latvia/https://paramai.net/journey/journey-94-latvia/In Tele2, Latvia which is a branch of one of a large telecommunication provider in Europe invited me to guide meditation and talked about Digital…Wed, 20 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/journey-93-rwanda/https://paramai.net/journey/journey-93-rwanda/My visit to Rwanda is for two purposes. The first is to join an Amandla African Youth Fellowship from October 16-18, 2019. The second is to guide meditation in various PIPO sessions in Kigali as well as other cities.Sun, 10 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/meditation/how-to-deal-with-pain-while-meditating/https://paramai.net/meditation/how-to-deal-with-pain-while-meditating/Everybody feels discomfort, no matter who we are, once we sit down, stop moving, and meditate the volume of discomfort keeps increasing. Pain usually stops people from feeling relaxed and reduces the length of their meditation practice. So, let me share some tips to help you deal with the pain.Wed, 30 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/meditation/how-to-deal-with-sleepiness-while-meditating/https://paramai.net/meditation/how-to-deal-with-sleepiness-while-meditating/Sleepiness is something we all have experienced during mindfulness and meditation practice because it is the process of balancing between concentration and relaxation. However, this balance isn’t easy to develop and maintain because usually we lack enough awareness and go off  balance many times. Here are some tips to overcome sleepiness when meditating.Wed, 23 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/journey-92-taiwan/https://paramai.net/journey/journey-92-taiwan/I was invited to give an opening speech as well as a talk on my experience in teaching meditation worldwide in the International forum of tri-tradition buddhism organised in the Grand Hotel, New Taipei City, Taiwan. The forum aims to promote unity among Buddhist schools and show possibility of how monks, Bhikkunis and laity can develop collaboration in order to disseminate peace in the community they belong to. There were 401 participants who joined the forum over the weekend. I also had a chance on guiding two short meditation sessions on the stage and the result was amazing. I hope this friendship is going to be a beginning of a new era where the the unity between all Buddhist schools will help restore peace and happiness to humankind.Sun, 06 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/buddhism/train-your-mind-to-end-your-suffering/https://paramai.net/buddhism/train-your-mind-to-end-your-suffering/People think suffering is something big such as having to live in war zone, being robbed or getting hurt and have bad wound in your body. In fact, suffering itself can range from little frustration. This is how you can end many sufferings in life just by practicing some simple mental exercises.Tue, 01 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/journey-91-ivory-coast/https://paramai.net/journey/journey-91-ivory-coast/In 2019, I visited Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) for the 2nd time to teach mindfulness and meditation in the 3rd Alafia Francophone fellowship.Sun, 15 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/journey-90-india/https://paramai.net/journey/journey-90-india/I got a priviledge to have a private audition with his holiness Dalai Lama #14 in Dharamshala on his Asia teaching in 2019. I asked also for his blessing that one day I could serve the world like him and he gave me the blessing.Fri, 06 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/buddhism/is-buddhism-a-religion/https://paramai.net/buddhism/is-buddhism-a-religion/Many people might have this question in their mind. Is Buddhism a religion? Can people who follow other religion practice Buddhism ? Is Buddhism a Philosophy? How can we explain Buddhism as? Is Buddhism about monks wearing orange robe, venerating, bowing to Buddha?Wed, 31 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/buddhism/how-to-truly-put-yourself-in-others-shoes/https://paramai.net/buddhism/how-to-truly-put-yourself-in-others-shoes/They are three things about relationship; first is understanding, second is sharing and third is space.  In this article, we will focus mainly on “understanding” how to become an understanding person to have good relationship with others.Tue, 30 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/mind-stories-the-first-volume-on-meditation-101/https://paramai.net/journey/mind-stories-the-first-volume-on-meditation-101/The mind stories book is a book about meditation that aims to guide you through the struggles in life and lead you to become better by providing core principles with examples of real meditators. With the teachings of Monk John, the book will provide you step-by-step explanation on how to start meditation and show how to apply meditation to improve other aspect of life.Mon, 29 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/buddhism/the-three-viruses-that-cause-mental-sickness/https://paramai.net/buddhism/the-three-viruses-that-cause-mental-sickness/There is something called “Unhappiness in the Mind” and this somethingcalled unhappiness in the mind, we call them different names. If you compare human to a computer, a computer has two things: hardware and software.The body can be compared to the hardware and the mind could be the software. If the software contains viruses, the computer will not work properly . There are also viruses in the mind as well which cause the mind to function incorrectly. There are three major kinds of viruses/impurities in the mind.Mon, 29 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/journey-88-usa/https://paramai.net/journey/journey-88-usa/I was invited by Aida Sanchez whom I’ve known since 2012 to teach an Hispanic community in Somerset, New Jersey, USA. There were almost twenty people from…Fri, 28 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/journey-87-ireland/https://paramai.net/journey/journey-87-ireland/After finishing the sessions in Iceland, I went to Republic of Ireland to teach meditation in several places.Sat, 08 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/journey-86-iceland/https://paramai.net/journey/journey-86-iceland/Reykjavík yoga is one of the most famous yoga studios in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. I was invited to teach a mindfulness and meditation session…Tue, 04 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/journey-85-canada/https://paramai.net/journey/journey-85-canada/My visit to Torondo CanadaWed, 01 May 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/2018-year-in-review/https://paramai.net/journey/2018-year-in-review/The year 2018 has been quite a journey and it’s sad that we have to say goodbyes and part ways here. I take a look at the new year resolution I made and I’m glad I have accomplished many of the wishes. This is my 2018 year in review.Mon, 31 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/journey-84-latvia/https://paramai.net/journey/journey-84-latvia/My thrid time in Latvia.Wed, 05 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/journey-83-czech-republic/https://paramai.net/journey/journey-83-czech-republic/I went to Yoga Lokah in Brno, Czech Republic to organise a meditation session and give a lecture about “mastering emotional intelligence”. There were 21…Wed, 21 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/journey-82-ireland/https://paramai.net/journey/journey-82-ireland/My first visit to the republic of IrelandThu, 15 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/meditation/the-nature-of-the-mind/https://paramai.net/meditation/the-nature-of-the-mind/We use the mind to meditate and without knowing its nature meditation can be harder. Learning about the nature of the mind helps us to understand and become more patient. Having more understanding and patience will lower our expectation and help us develop more inner peace while meditating. Let's learn more about the mind's nature from this article.Tue, 06 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/meditation/what-exactly-is-the-mind/https://paramai.net/meditation/what-exactly-is-the-mind/Have you ever wondered what exactly is the mind? Is it totally different from the heart? Is it something happens unconsciously? Or just curious, what is the true meaning of this words?Mon, 05 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/journey-80-slovakia/https://paramai.net/journey/journey-80-slovakia/A short recap of my meditation sessions in Slovakia during 25-30 November 2018 in 7 cities with over 600 people.Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/journey-79-kenya/https://paramai.net/journey/journey-79-kenya/A new chapter of mindfulness and meditation activites in Kenya with diverse groups of poeple: artists, university students, yoga practioners, business people, and peace activists. There are some old venues I visited before as well as some new places. I also went to give an interview in a TV program. It's amazing to see all of these squeezed into the five-day period, well tiring but memorable.Wed, 03 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/journey-78-ivory-coast/https://paramai.net/journey/journey-78-ivory-coast/In September 2018, I visited Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) to teach mindfulness and meditation in the 2nd Alafia Francophone fellowship. Since it's for Francophone participants, I taught in English but with French translation in all the sessions.Sat, 15 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/journey/journey-77-malaysia/https://paramai.net/journey/journey-77-malaysia/In August 2018, I visit the city of Kuching, which is the capital and the most populous city in the state of Sarawak in Malaysia. The city is one of the main industrial and commercial centres for Sarawak. I was invited by Kuching Buddhist Society, which is the largest Buddhist organization to teach meditation and Buddhism for three days. Their headquarter provides each floor for each Buddhist tradition.Fri, 31 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/meditation/the-art-of-meditation/https://paramai.net/meditation/the-art-of-meditation/Meditation is both art and science. But what is the art of meditation that helps meditators to find the fruit of it.Wed, 08 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://paramai.net/buddhism/how-to-love-someone-unconditionally/https://paramai.net/buddhism/how-to-love-someone-unconditionally/Have you ever wanted to be one of those people who can love someone unconditionally? Love without a scared feeling to be putting yourself out there now?Mon, 06 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT