Why do we do or spiritual practice, and what exactly do we do? In this talk Eric Kolvig attempts to sum up the living essence of the Buddha’s teachings and practice in the vipassana tradition, so that we have a clear motivation for our practice and can make clear effort in it.

“In separation,” the Buddha said, “lies the world’s great misery.” This talk shows how awareness dissolves our personal sense of being separate selves. It also shows how awareness deconstructs the misery-making effects of social constructions that cause us to feel separate, and that we also take to be “self”: race, gender, sexual identity, and class.

By bringing a surrendering presence to mental, emotional and physical domains, we undo the trance of separation and discover our true nature. This talk explores the practices that cultivate the non-resisting space of presence, and the flavors of our essential being that are revealed: open awareness, love and a vibrant flow of awareness.

Bodhicitta: Awakening human potential Blurb The energy of bodhicitta, the awakened heart/mind, is a beautiful counterbalance to the energies of the three poisons; greed, ill will and delusion. This talk begins with a short analysis of the institutionalization of the three poisons in our culture and then explores the inherent power of bodhicitta to help ameliorate suffering on all levels.