This talk offers reflections on navigating the anger and hatred that can arise in our lives.

Shaila Catherine discusses the importance of developing mindfulness of emotions and mental states. Human beings have the capacity to experience a wide range of emotions—they may be subtle or intense, unwholesome or wholesome. Working with emotions requires energy and courage to be willing to face the raw fact that this mental state is present. We can become aware of, and work skillfully with, any emotional state including anger, hate, gratitude, fear, sadness, calmness, insecurity, contentment, grief, tranquility, lust, compassion, loneliness, jealousy, envy, restlessness, peacefulness, faith, love. Emotions are changing mental states that arise in conjunction with every perception. When we are mindful of emotions we drop the conceptual narrative of the story line and investigate how the mind operates. What conditions nourish each mental state, and what conditions cause them to end? How do these mental states affect the clarity of our perception? We can observe the dynamic interaction of emotions and the body, and learn to work with emotions in conjunction with their somatic manifestations. We might gather ideas for investigation by reviewing the detailed Abhidhamma categories of mental states and the factors that constitute each state, or we might simply observe the arising and ceasing of mental states in activity and our meditation.

This 25-minute guided meditation by Shaila Catherine explores ways of recognizing and working with the five classic hindrances that arise in meditation: sensual desire, anger, sloth and torpor, restlessness, and doubt. We observe how hindrances arise, and learn how to respond wisely to them.

Anger is natural, intelligent and necessary for surviving and flourishing. Yet when we are hooked by anger, it causes great personal and collective suffering. This talk explores how to transform patterns of reactivity by bringing a mindful and compassionate attention to the unmet needs that underlie angry reactivity. When we learn how to pause and connect honestly with our inner experience, we are then able to respond to others from our full intelligence and heart. “Getting angry with another person is like throwing hot coals with bare hands: both people get burned.” Buddha

Through the practice of mindfulness and wisdom, we can begin to understand the gratification, danger and escape in case of sensual pleasure.

The Buddha has much to say about wise speech as a cause for living with integrity and building wholesome community, and as a direct opening to what the Buddha calls the bliss of blamelessness. In this workshop we will look at the Buddha’s teachings on wise speech in terms of all the relationships we navigate in our lives. We will explore the radical question, what does speech look like when it is not being motivated by greed, anger or delusion? The Living the Practice Workshop Series is designed for people who have an ongoing mindfulness practice and want to integrate the practice more thoroughly into all aspects of life.

The Buddha spoke of the power of non-harming as a support for inner peace and outward harmony. But how can we both commit to being peaceful while courageously and passionately standing up for what we feel is right and make a difference in the world? This talk includes some of the Buddha's words on peace and non-harming as well as two clips of Julia Butterfly Hill speaking about "Anger v. Love" and "Fierce Compassion".

With so much greed and hatred and cruelty in our world, it is easy to react with anger and ill will; but that only adds to the negativity. There is a better way to respond and bring more consciousness to this situation leading to effective action.

In a moment our understanding of reality can change with new information or new perspective. Anger and ill will can be released and turn to compassion and forgiveness. And it's also true that old patterns can be activated once again in a surprising and humbling way. The process of waking up requires tremendous patience and a kind heart, especially towards ourselves.