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A reflection, not an answer

Ask the Dharma

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Tell it what is on your mind — anger at small things, a loss, a decision you keep circling — and receive a short reflection drawn from Buddhist teaching, with one small practice to try. It is offered for reflection, in the spirit of the everyday-life guides on this site, not as advice or therapy.

Share what's on your mind, and receive a reflection drawn from Buddhist teaching. This is for reflection, not medical or psychological advice.

How to use it well

Be concrete: “I snapped at my daughter and now I feel ashamed” gets a more useful reflection than “anger”. Read what comes back slowly, and take the practice it suggests as an experiment rather than an instruction. Then go further on the pages it points to — on anger, grief, anxiety or letting go — where every teaching is traced to its source. For a wordless version of the same pause, try The Second Arrow.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Ask the Dharma?

A reflection tool. You describe what you are facing in a sentence or two and receive a short reflection drawn from Buddhist teaching, with one small practice to try. It is for reflection, not medical or psychological advice.

Is this therapy or counselling?

No. It does not diagnose, treat or replace professional care. If you are struggling, please speak to a doctor or a licensed mental-health professional; if you may be in danger, contact your local emergency number or a crisis line now.

What happens if I write about wanting to harm myself?

The tool will not offer a teaching. It replies with real routes to help: your local emergency number, findahelpline.com, and the helplines named in the wellbeing note on this page. That check runs before anything else, every time.

Is what I type stored?

No. The text is sent to our server and on to Anthropic's API to generate the reflection, is not attached to your identity, and is not logged by us. Anthropic may retain API inputs for up to 30 days under its data-retention policy; see our privacy page.

Are the teachings it quotes real?

It is instructed to name a source only when it is certain of it and never to invent a quote or reference. Treat any reflection as a pointer to read further on this site, where every claim is traced to a named text, not as scripture.

Where the helpline numbers come from