Welcome, Introductions, Winnie and Marcia: opening remarks/short Dharma talk, Winnie: Refuges and Precepts discussion and offering

A broad and detailed overview of the teachings and the practice for developing Samatha/Concentration. Exploring the process and the fruits of developing the mind through cultivating concentration.

Patience is the most important and necessary quality that is of great benefit in relation to the development and blossoming of the practices of Concentration and Mindfulness. Exploring the various manifestations and fruits of cultivating the mind and heart of Patience in this morning reflection.

Guided Sit: “Allow yourself to enter into and experiment with this approach to developing concentration ...which is a VERY simple, direct & potentially powerful practice…though while it’s simple, it’s not always so easy.” A one hour, very clear guided sitting meditation, leading one through the initial process of developing concentration via the practice of Anapanasati with learning to clearly and gently focus the attention on the ‘anapana spot’.

Exploring the release of the contractions of the heart…the past pains, the hurts, the anguish that we’ve taken in and taken on, as ‘mine’, as ‘me’, as ‘“I am”. This is what binds the mind & heart. Our commitment to our practice, our willingness to take the journey, is what affords the transformation. There’s a tremendous fullness of energy which is constituted by confidence, strength & clear straightforwardness that comes from a heart filled with Metta.

Our heart/mind can make a heaven of hell or a hell of heaven…and so we cultivate and incline the mind towards the development and blossoming of a pure, wholesome and beautiful heart/mind. This reflection includes a reading of 'The Mind’ from the Dhammapada by the Buddha.

Exploring the wholesome and beautiful factors of mind that are associated with the development and fruits of concentration, metta practice and with the deepening and fruits of Vipassana practice with an emphasis on the Abhidhamma basket’s clear and refined disclosure of what happens in the mind through meditation practice.

What is equanimity? How is it cultivated through meditation practice? What are the two understandings that are the root of equanimity? All of this and more is explored in this Dharma Talk.

This talk was offered during a month-long concentration retreat. It summarizes some area of retreatant learning during this extended practice period.