Reflections on compassion, 20 minute guided meditation exploring various methods of compassion, followed by Q&A

The Buddha famously said, "I teach dukkha [suffering or reactivity or a sense of unsatisfactoriness] and the cessation of dukkha.” We explore this core teaching as it is expressed in the Four Noble Truths and the teachings of the Two Arrows and Dependent Origination, including ways that it can be confusing. We suggest ways to understand and implement this teaching both in formal meditation and in everyday life. (See document 328 below, on "Four Meanings of Dukkha, and Contact to Grasping in the Dependent Origination Model.")

Short Reflection & Guided Meditation | Earthworm Practice for the Anthropocene IV | Online Wednesday-Morning

We often have the idea that thoughts are our enemy during meditation. If only we could get rid of all those thoughts, then we would be good meditators. But actually, this is a misconception, since thinking is part of being a human being. In this talk we learn how to befriend the thinking mind, so it can be a companion, instead of an enemy.

This guided session teaches the basics of self-compassion: mindfulness for judgmental thoughts, kindness towards self, and recognition of shared humanity. The guided meditation focuses on sending kindness to self.

This short talk and longer guided meditation offers a clear introduction to how to practice mindfulness with an emphasis on finding and anchor and gathering your wild mind.

Teachings and Guided Meditation on Metta for a Friend

The Buddha suggests that the practice of mettā and the other brahmavihāras can serve as a basis for refined perceptions, in which the solidity of “self” and “other” begins to dissolve. In this sequence of reflections and guided meditations, we begin to explore and experiment with such possibilities.