A friend once asked, “What would Buddha do?”- echoing the familiar “What would Jesus do?” I retorted, “What Would G Bu Do?” (G Bu short for Gotama Buddha), which eventually became the name for this site.

This site began as personal notes on mindfulness, meditation, and Buddhism. I continue to revise and expand it based on feedback, conversations, readings, and ongoing practice; it’s meant to be an accessible guide for anyone exploring these ideas—whether spiritual, religious, or secular.

Overview

This site has a few main areas with a variety of subtopics:

Feel free to click on any of the items above or any tab in the menu 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 religious belief system to benefit from mindfulness or meditation.

The concepts and practices here are intended to help observe and understand mind, develop mindfulness practices, cultivate peace and mental clarity, and, if possible, ease suffering.

A few simple but profound ideas are at the heart of these:

  • Life includes "suffering" (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 which lead to dukkha

  • Awareness, through mindfulness and meditation, helps us see these patterns and potentially change them, creating the possibility of peace and freedom from dukkha

Conditioning

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, and experience freedom. With this practice, we can shift from being driven by the mind to understanding it.

The Nature of Self

One of the more challenging (and liberating) insights explored is that the “self” is not fixed or independent.

If we look closely, we are:

  • Constantly changing

  • Interconnected with everything around us

  • Interdependent on 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, like clouds in the sky or leaves floating down a river

  • 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, from any source, simply because they sound right, they are believed by others, or you are told they are “truth.” Explore them. Practice them. Question them. Let them go. 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, addiction, 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, feel free to contact me.

a very large star in the middle of the night
a very large star in the middle of the night

Overview and Commentary