About
Within the first moments of my first meditation, the fog I had spent my entire life in cleared. Hearing about the two truths crumbled my conceptual walls. Living in and running a Buddhist retreat centre showed me the limits of existing approaches to teaching and practice. Completing my Masters in Applied Buddhist Studies gave me the words to share the view I have been living for decades.
Who I am
My name is jojo, I am currently living in Melbourne, Australia. I built this website to share the fruits of my learning and practice of madhyamaka, and invite you into it. I have degrees in Western philosophy (Bachelor of Arts, Australian National University) and Buddhist theory and practice (Master of Arts, Applied Buddhist Studies). I have also been learning and practicing Buddhist meditation and philosophy since 2010. I lived at a Buddhist retreat centre for 5 years, participating in many retreats and running them for others too. There I was able to meditate frequently, read Buddhist philosophy, talk with teachers and practitioners, and eventually, see the limits of the traditional approaches that we have to choose from.
Unaffiliated by Design
I have great respect for the many different lineages of Buddhism that have developed across Asia for 2500 years. But it is clear to me, and becoming clearer to others too, that their methods, models, assumptions and understandings do not fit the western context that I was born, raised, and live in. In some ways this is a good thing; it provides an alternative to my culture's greedy selfish excess. But in other ways it makes people like me feel like outsiders. So, I don't write from any established Buddhist tradition; I don't have a single 'teacher'; I belong to many different Buddhist and secular meditation groups.
I also have great respect for the many bright and talented academics working in the vast field of 'Buddhist studies'. In academia, 'Buddhism' can be: a philosophy, a religion, a historical and linguistic culture, an art style, a literary style, an ethical imperative, and so much more. These are each rich and deep. But one thing they explicitly choose to omit is practising. The idea is that a practice would remove the arm's length 'objectivity' required to do successful academic inquiry. Perhaps they are right… but that approach does not interest me. So I also do not come with any academic post or position, instead I come with a lived practice of madhyamaka.
Not anchored to a lineage, a teacher, an academic approach, or an objective theory; we have this freedom to explore madhyamaka together in a way that no one else is providing.
This is for you if…
You are a Buddhist who has hit a ceiling, knowing there is more depth there but unsure of where and how to mine it. Madhyamaka is the foundation of every mahayana tradition, and any 'lineage' tree will feature its founder and commentators. It is also emphasised differently by different traditions, schools, and individual teachers. We can work together to give you the tools to understand the depth of Buddhist philosophy, and live it.
You are interested in exploring the most careful and detailed philosophy that Buddhism has to offer. Buddhism is a devotional religious practice for many, but that is not all it offers. Madhyamaka is the crown jewel of Buddhist philosophy, ruthlessly deconstructive, it offers no ground of permanence to stand on. It refutes substantial existence, of time, of causation, and specifically of 'self'. Philosophy is a vast ocean, and not everyone wants to swim at the same beach… but for those who discover this clear and bright paradise, you will want to understand it and share it too.
You are a serious and earnest meditation practitioner, and want to know the path of the middle: between extremes. Meditation is a joy, perhaps the best thing to come into secular modernity from ancient Indian traditions. There are a lot of methods though, and they certainly contradict each other. It is easy to get lost, and it's easier to stay lost. Madhyamaka offers a view of meditation that is different to everything else out there. If you are interested, I'd love to explore this practice with you.
Get in touch
Email me: jojo@madhyamaka.life
Bluesky: @madhyamaka.life
YouTube: @madhyamakalife
I look forward to connecting with you.
jojo