As we develop awareness of the objects of our experience, it is also important to be aware of our attitude to them. Is there greed, aversion or delusion; or is there non-greed, non-aversion or non-delusion?

This talk is about understanding what mindfulness is and why it is helpful to practice it

When we are identified with these five mind states they are called hindrances to seeing the way things actually are. Each one is explored along with skillful antidotes to overcome them.

Suffering becomes a noble truth when it is fully understood. Then it is seen as a universal experience that connects us through compassion with all beings.

The practice of mindfulness is like swimming upstream against the habits of mind. We can learn to trust mindfulness rather than the habits.

The voice of the inner critic is a huge source of suffering for many people. Learning to work skillfully with this voice allows us to develop an sense of respect and trust in ourselves that is essential for the deepening of our spiritual practice.

As human beings, we often try to understand our experience by asking the question “why”. But instead exploring “what” is happening, we can come to know the “why” of the present moment which opens to an understanding of the cause and effect nature of experience, and points towards to freedom.

Conditions in our life are always changing and out of our control. We search for peace in the conditions rather than realizing peace comes from accepting that they change and ultimately, we cannot control the way things are.

Emotions are expressed through a mood, body sensation, and thoughts. Mindfulness of these aspects is illustrated in the talk for desire, anger, sadness, and fear.

The liberating wisdom of impermanence.

Nature of Insight

The seven factors are beautiful qualities of mind that can be developed to support our meditative practice.

We usually view difficulties in our life as obstacles or inconveniences, but when we turn toward them as our path to awakening, the expression of our understanding is Compassion.

The second noble truth points to craving (tanha) as the origin of suffering. The talk describes three kinds of craving: for sense pleasures, existence and non-existence.

Mudita or the practice of sympathetic joy opens us to the possibilities of increasing our sense of well-being and happiness. The haqppiness of others when directed towards ourselves, is manifesting as gratitude for the blessings in our life

The creation of concepts and the view of self.

In the teaching on Transcendent Dependent Origination, the Buddha gives us a map for our spiritual journey, beginning with the common human condition of suffering, which, when opened to with wisdom, leads to faith and many other beautiful qualities. These qualities support the deepening that leads to liberation.

Exploring the pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral feeling tone of our experience, we have the opportunity to witness the birth of reactivity to that feeling tone, which allows us to deeply understand the nature of our suffering. In this understanding of suffering are the seeds of freedom.

Our mind becomes obsessed with three views that define who we take ourselves to be, me, mine and myself. Born from confusion about the way things are, we see ourselves and others in a narrow, contracted way and lose contact with our deepest nature. This talk is a clear and candid exploration that encourages practicing with awareness to find out what is true about this person I take myself to be.

This talk explores the third noble truth, or the end of suffering, also described as Nibbana. Nibbana is seen as a transcendent dimension of our being accessible in any moment. Practices that approach this unconditioned element are described also.

This is a 45 minute introduction and a guided meditation on Equanimity. By repeating certain phrases, we can decondition our reactive attitude and open our heart to the way things are.

Questions and Answers

This talk explores two of the Buddha's discourses that teach how to establish equanimity associated with insight. He teaches us what leads to more happiness and what leads to more suffering, and essentially, how we can cultivate more pleasure in our lives.

The four divine abidings show us a way to hold all the joys and sorrows of life. This talk focuses principally on the qualities of loving-kindness, which overcomes isolation and connects us to all of life; and gratitude, as a form of appreciative joy that leads to greater contentment and well-being.

The world spins around the alternating pairs of gain and loss, praise and blame, fame and disrepute, and happiness and unhappiness. When we bring them into our awareness, we see how much of our time and energy is spent trying to create and hold on to the positive ones, and avoid or get rid of the negative ones. If we see with wisdom, we realize that these conditions are always operating no matter what we do, and that the skillful way to respond to them is to come to a clearer understanding of what actually brings us true happiness and a sense of well-being, and to cultivate that, rather than chase after gain, praise, fame, and superficial happiness.