This talk links the concerns of our life, the tendencies of our minds, and the practice of meditation. Martin explores the way our conditioning and mental attitudes colour all our perceptions, and explores how dharma practice invites us to see through our acquired mental shaping, beyond our ideas, to meet life as directly, as deeply, as freely as possible.
A continued exploration of the nature of equanimity, how we cultivate it in formal practice and in action. with a particular focus in the last part of the talk on "The Eight Worldly Winds"
Mind is not an entity but a network of perception, feeling, and inclinations that affect each other. By directing we can bring around the change of release
This talk introduces a way of participating in a silent retreat that leaves room for all aspects of our life. Martin discusses some orientating reflections that run throughout the retreat, beginning with the ongoing questioning of our experience as we settle more deeply into it; 'what is happening now?'
The Buddha gives us lessons in emptiness. We are compelled to trust so completely to be able to truly receive these teachings, surrendering to the Dhamma, offering everything. We bless each step, harvesting wisdom with a brave heart. And in this remarkable learning, we shall know the unexcelled fragrance of the Dhamma, the island beyond which we cannot go.
The habit of self-judgment not only causes emotional pain, it creates a trance that obscures the purity and vastness of our Being. This talk explores how a wakeful and forgiving heart can heal and free us. (Retreat Talk)
To deepen our meditation practice we need to work skillfully with whatever is a disturbance -- whether it's the gross forms of the hindrances, or the subtlest manifestations of restlessness. This subtle restlessness often comes from a primal anxiety. We need to recognize this and find the stillness in our experience. Then we can truly be with things as they are.
