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The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
 
Retreat Dharma Talks

Finding the heart of freedom

This nine-day retreat provides an opportunity to explore the Four Noble Truths that form the heart of the Buddha’s teaching. These teachings invite us to examine our relationship to dukkha: stress, distress, unsatisfactoriness, suffering, on deeper and deeper levels.
Most of us though, have an instinctive resistance to suffering, so we need to practice working skilfully with the different obstacles that often show up along the path to freedom. As we learn how to release these obstacles, we’re able to live with greater ease, happiness, and peace, and to connect with the wisdom and compassion that are our true nature.

2021-03-10 (10 days) Te Moata Retreat Center

  
2021-03-11 08 talk: six supports for deepening retreat practice 43:05
Jill Shepherd
Safety, Silence, Solitude, Simplicity, Slowing down and Stillness (note: this talk was completed the following day due to a technical error)
2021-03-12 13 talk: the clinging-aggregate of feeling tone or vedana 38:24
Jill Shepherd
2021-03-13 16 talk: the Two Wings of Awakening, wisdom and compassion 37:07
Jill Shepherd
How wisdom and compassion work together to support progress towards freedom, with an exploration of some of the challenges to cultivating compassion and self-compassion
2021-03-14 21 talk: the five hindrances 41:07
Jill Shepherd
2021-03-15 24 talk: impermanence 33:23
Jill Shepherd
An introduction to the three universal characteristics of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and not-self, focusing on impermanence then briefly touching into death contemplation
2021-03-16 27 talk: anatta / not-self and the five clinging-aggregates 44:10
Jill Shepherd
2021-03-17 32 talk: working with afflictive thought patterns 52:01
Jill Shepherd
Looking at common afflictive thought patterns such as lack mind and comparing mind, using the wisdom of anicca dukkha anatta to help them release, and the practice of mudita, appreciative joy, to help prevent them from re-arising
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