Knowing I practiced meditation and studied Buddhism, a friend once asked me, “What would Buddha do?,” similar to the familiar phrase, “What would Jesus do?” I thought of and replied “What Would G Bu Do?" (G Bu being short for Gotama Buddha) which eventually became the name for this site.
This site began as a personal collection of notes on mindfulness, meditation, and Buddhism. I continue to revisit, edit, and expand it. It is intended to be an accessible guide for anyone interested in exploring these ideas, whether from a religious, spiritual, or secular perspective.
Overview
This site has a few main areas:
Mindfulness & Meditation
Benefits (and risks) of Mindfulness, Meditation, and Mindful Movement
Practices such as an 8 Week Mindfulness Plan, MBSR and Vipassana
Possibilities for customized plans and mini-retreats
Buddhism
Applied Mindfulness
Mindful movement (including yoga, qigong, tai chi)
Further Explorations
References & Practice Tools
Feel free to click on any of the items above or in the menu tab to explore the site.
COMMENTARY
Some people hesitate to explore meditation or Buddhism because of religious concerns. But meditation is not inherently religious and one does not need to be a “Buddhist” to benefit from Buddhist ideas. Meditation has appeared across cultures and traditions for centuries (including Christianity), and you don’t need to adopt any belief system to benefit from mindfulness or meditation.
This site includes concepts and practices to:
Observe and understand the mind
Develop mindfulness
Cultivate peace and mental clarity
Reduce suffering
The Heart of the Practice
Much of what is presented here points back to a few simple but profound ideas:
Life includes dukkha (often translated as suffering, but can be the subtlest of dissatisfaction, anxiety, uneasiness, etc.)
The mind becomes entangled in patterns of thought, habit, and conditioning, often related to desire, ill will, or lack of awareness, which lead to dukkha
Awareness, through mindfulness and meditation, helps us see these patterns
Seeing these things clearly creates the possibility of freedom from dukkha and inner peace
Basic ideas in Buddhism, including the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, focus on these and are tools to explore and test in your own experience.
Beyond Belief Systems
Ideas from Buddhism, Christianity, and other traditions often point to similar themes:
Look within
Seek truth through direct experience
Discover inner freedom
Cultivate compassion and wisdom
Words, doctrines, and systems in Buddhism and other traditions are not the destination—they are simply guides. Like a finger pointing to the moon, guides are meant to direct us, not something to cling to.
Look Within
We are shaped by conditioning—family, culture, education, media, and personal experiences. Over time, the mind learns to generate and reinforce patterns of thought, often without our awareness. Through mindfulness and meditation, we can:
Observe these patterns
Understand how they contribute to suffering/ dukkha
Rewire conditioned patterns and patterns of reactivity
Cultivate inner peace
Experience freedom
In doing so, we shift from being driven by the mind to understanding it.
The Nature of Self
One of the more challenging (and liberating) insights explored in Buddhism is that the “self” is not fixed or independent.
Instead, we are:
Constantly changing
Interconnected with everything around us
Interdependent with non-self
A dynamic process rather than a static identity
This perspective can be approached philosophically, experientially, or even through modern fields like Neuroscience and Physics.
A Practical Path
You don’t need to commit to any ideology.
You can simply:
Sit quietly and observe your breath
Notice thoughts as they arise and pass
Bring awareness into daily activities
Act with a bit more patience, clarity, and kindness
Over time, small shifts in awareness can lead to meaningful changes in how life is experienced.
Closing Thoughts
Don’t accept any ideas simply because they sound right. Explore them. Practice them. See what happens.
And perhaps, in that process, the question changes from
“What would Buddha do?” or “What would Jesus do?” to something more immediate:
What is happening right now—and how will I respond to it?
A Cautionary Note
Mindfulness and meditation can be beneficial, but they are not a cure-all. Individuals with a history of anxiety, depression, trauma, or other conditions should speak with a qualified healthcare professional before beginning or deepening a practice. Please read the disclaimer page (click here).
This site is a work in progress. It will continue to evolve over time. If you notice errors, omissions, or outdated information, your understanding is appreciated.
