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Dharma Talks
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2023-02-22
Cultivating Metta 3: Integrating Metta and Clear Seeing
64:31
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Donald Rothberg
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In this talk of a series of talks on developing metta or lovingkindness, we look at the question of how we connect and integrate metta with our development of clear seeing, with our mindfulness and wisdom. This is an important question, particularly given that most Western practitioners of insight meditation have separate practices in which they develop metta, on the one hand, and mindfulness and wisdom, on the other. Are they integrated? How?
In the talk, we explore: (1) related strong cultural tendencies to separate mind and emotions, as in, for example, science, and much education; (2) how in the basic teachings of the Buddha, there seem to be separate practices; (3) how, both in the teachings of the Buddha and in later Buddhist traditions (as well as in other traditions), there is often a deeper vision of the unity of the awakened heart and mind; and (4) how we can practice to integrate metta, mindfulness, wisdom, and awareness.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2023-02-22
Guided Meditation: Connecting Metta (Lovingkindness), Mindfulness, and Awareness
39:08
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Donald Rothberg
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We start with a short period of metta or some other heart practice, noticing how mindfulness brings us back to the practice when we are distracted. Then there is a longer period of mindfulness, hopefully infused some with metta, in the spirit of Sylvia Boorstein's wonderful invitation: “May I meet this moment fully. May I meet this moment as a friend.” We then have a second sequence of relatively brief metta practice followed by a longer period of mindfulness practice. The last part of the session is a guided practice of radiating metta, moving toward an integration of metta and a boundless awareness.
b. Let it infuse mindfulness: Sylvia’s phrase. See how this is.
c. Check periodically. Maybe do 2-3 minutes of metta.
d. Radiating metta exploring a loving awareness.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2023-02-20
Forgiveness Practice Supporting Insight
50:26
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Ajahn Achalo
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From an online retreat at Wat Marp Jan | Day-3 Afternoon All questions précised 34:28 Q1 Regarding metta, do we keep repeating and radiating out the metta until we achieve concentration? 36:29 Q2 When your mind is not pure, how effective is that loving kindness to others? How pure do we have to be to spread metta? 38:48 Q3 When I meet difficult persons, it seems very difficult to generate loving kindness Online questions read out: 43:03 Q4 How can I know if I have really forgiven myself? 44:34 Q5 Can you please elaborate on using gestures to forgive ourselves 46:28 Q6 In metta practice, may we include teachers who have passed away, as well as beings in nibanna? 47:40 Q7 Is it OK to meditate using metta for a little while and then anapanasati for 40-45 minutes and finish with Buddha anussati? 48:08 Q8 I am a busy wife and mother and I feel angry with myself when I cannot find the time to cultivate. How can I find the balance?
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Anandagiri Forest Monastery
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2023-02-09
Living Kindness
56:03
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Kevin Griffin
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Kevin Griffin explores the Metta Sutta, the Buddha's words on Loving-Kindness. How can we actually live this teaching in an embodied way? Kevin's new book is Living Kindness: Metta Practice for the Whole of Our Lives. From Publisher’s Weekly: “The lucid analysis of Buddhist texts and the jargon-free examination of metta make this an ideal primer on a core element of Buddhist thought and practice."
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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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2023-02-01
Cultivating Metta (Lovingkindness, Love, Friendliness) 1
63:18
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Donald Rothberg
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The aim of our practice is to develop wisdom, love, and skillful action in our lives. We commonly cultivate these capacities separately and then integrate them. In this session, we first explore the nature of Metta, its etymology in words suggesting "friendliness" and "friendship," and the ancient vocation, found in multiple spiritual traditions of cultivating Metta or love or kindness. We then look at the multiple ways of developing Metta, both in formal practice and in daily life, and examine briefly some of the challenges in cultivating Metta. Then we have a guided meditation the last 15 minutes exploring "Radiating Metta," a way of practicing likely closer to how the Buddha taught Metta. We follow this with discussion.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2023-01-31
Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation (Week 4) - Talk and Q&A
56:11
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Mark Nunberg
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Mindfulness meditation leads to insight into the nature of our hearts and minds, revealing an inherent clarity, openness, and ease. This course includes exploration of the intention behind practice, an introduction to insight (vipassana) meditation techniques, instructions for working with common obstacles, an overview of the practice of lovingkindness, and a discussion on how mindfulness can be part of one’s daily life. Led by Mark Nunberg.
Mark Nunberg began his practice in 1982 and has been teaching meditation since 1990. He co-founded Common Ground Meditation Center in Minneapolis in 1993 with Wynn Fricke and continues to serve as the center’s Guiding Teacher. Mark has studied with both Asian and Western teachers and finds deep inspiration in the teachings of the Buddha. Mark practiced as a monk for five months in Burma and completed four three-month retreats at Insight Meditation Society Retreat Center, as well as many months of intensive retreat practice at The Forest Refuge. Mark continues to be a grateful student of Buddhist practice.
Common Ground offers all programs freely in the spirit of generosity. If you'd like to volunteer or donate to support the teacher(s) and the center, visit https://commongroundmeditation.org/about/supporting-the-center/.
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Common Ground Meditation Center
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Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation
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2023-01-31
Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation (Week 4) - Guided Meditation
31:35
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Mark Nunberg
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Mindfulness meditation leads to insight into the nature of our hearts and minds, revealing an inherent clarity, openness, and ease. This course includes exploration of the intention behind practice, an introduction to insight (vipassana) meditation techniques, instructions for working with common obstacles, an overview of the practice of lovingkindness, and a discussion on how mindfulness can be part of one’s daily life. Led by Mark Nunberg.
Mark Nunberg began his practice in 1982 and has been teaching meditation since 1990. He co-founded Common Ground Meditation Center in Minneapolis in 1993 with Wynn Fricke and continues to serve as the center’s Guiding Teacher. Mark has studied with both Asian and Western teachers and finds deep inspiration in the teachings of the Buddha. Mark practiced as a monk for five months in Burma and completed four three-month retreats at Insight Meditation Society Retreat Center, as well as many months of intensive retreat practice at The Forest Refuge. Mark continues to be a grateful student of Buddhist practice.
Common Ground offers all programs freely in the spirit of generosity. If you'd like to volunteer or donate to support the teacher(s) and the center, visit https://commongroundmeditation.org/about/supporting-the-center/.
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Common Ground Meditation Center
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Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation
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2022-12-07
Q&A
49:24
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Ajahn Amaro
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Questions are précised - 00:10 Q1 Can the question you referred to (Who am I?), could be asked during infinite space or nothingness, the 5th jhana? 01:22 Q2 How does this practice help in the extreme scenarios we face in life – like in war - or day to day activities? 12:09 Q3 I really found the receptive aspect of loving kindness helpful and I’m wondering if the other three immeasurables also have this receptive quality? 20:29 Q4 You spoke about the 3 kinds of desire. In my study, I’ve heard that self-grasping / ignorance is the root of all these. Does that idea line up with the three types of desire you speak of? 25:23 Q5 Mingyur Rinchope speaks of a vertical and horizontal “gap” from the stream of thoughts. Does the Thai Forest tradition speak about this gap? 24:16 Q6 Is there much spoken about the “subjective clear, light mind” and “rigpa” in the Southern tradition? 28:48 Q6 What is the state of dreaming and where is consciousness at that time? 34:53 Q7 When ”I” consciousness dissolves, what is that expresses this experience? We have to make a temporary or onlooker self even if there is no self. 42:04 Q8 Don’t you think that organized religions/ traditions fossilize the “I” rather than dissolve it?
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Deer Park Institute
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Sakkāydițțhi — ‘Self-View’, the First Obstacle to Enlightenment
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2022-12-06
Q&A
17:48
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Ajahn Amaro
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Questions are précised - 00:22 Regarding loving kindness, it is possible to love without liking. Does it involve dana? Is it possible to love without emulating? 14:31 Q2 You were saying that to reduce ego should be a process. But ego is also a driver. If we try and be something different is it driven by the ego? [the answer to this question and the file end abruptly].
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Deer Park Institute
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Sakkāydițțhi — ‘Self-View’, the First Obstacle to Enlightenment
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2022-10-19
Meditation: Letting Life Be
23:14
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Tara Brach
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This meditation establishes an atmosphere of loving kindness with the “smile”; relaxes and awakens through the body; and guides us into a spacious presence. We then rest in that presence, letting go of any controlling, and simply allow life to be as it is. It’s in “letting be” that we come home to the luminosity and tenderness of natural awareness. We close with a verse from Mary Oliver…
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Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
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2022-10-03
Beacon of Love Meditation
24:46
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Jack Kornfield
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Some of you may have your own way of practicing metta/lovingkindess meditation. Others may want to listen and follow along—but it’s not a rigid practice. Do whatever most naturally opens the heart. For some people, the recitation of words—which we’ll do—may be helpful. For others, it’s more helpful to simply sit in a field of love and radiate kindness without a lot of words, specific language, or intention. Whatever floats your heart—follow that into goodness.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2022-07-27
Meditation: Befriending and Opening to Life
28:56
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Tara Brach
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This meditation establishes a gentle and caring presence through bringing the image and felt sense of a smile to various domains in the body. We deepen the intention to befriend and relax with whatever arises moment-to-moment, letting life be just as it is. We offer a brief lovingkindness reflection, sensing our heart and mind, and offering whatever wish most resonates to ourselves and others.
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Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
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2022-07-08
Simple Mettā Meditation (Retreat at Spirit Rock)
61:08
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Tempel Smith
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Setting up and devoting ourselves to a steady mettā (loving kindness) meditation practice, we start where it is easiest and where we can keep it simple. With a basis of blending a sense of ease and relaxation with patient steady attentiveness, we invite mettā to arise in our hearts supported internally by images and phrases. Though it takes some experimenting to find balance with these tools, the repetition of mettā phrases keeps directing our attention to the purpose of mettā practice. These phrases are so very helpful when we live into more complex or challenging situations.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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July Lovingkindness Retreat
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2022-07-08
Simple Mettā Meditation
25:00
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Tempel Smith
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Setting up and devoting ourselves to a steady mettā (loving kindness) meditation practice, we start where it is easiest and where we can keep it simple. With a basis of blending a sense of ease and relaxation with patient steady attentiveness, we invite mettā to arise in our hearts supported internally by images and phrases. Though it takes some experimenting to find balance with these tools, the repetition of mettā phrases keeps directing our attention to the purpose of mettā practice. These phrases are so very helpful when we live into more complex or challenging situations.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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July Lovingkindness Retreat
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2022-05-21
Q&A
35:19
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Ajahn Sucitto,
Laura Bridgman
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(Questions are précised and read later into the file to protect participants’ anonymity) 00:12 Q1 One-pointedness; 08:22 Q2 Can you comment on the widely taught practice of one pointed concentration; 16:31 Q3 I struggle with narratives filled with self-limiting beliefs I create in meditation and daily life. Can you help with this please?; 30:31 Q4 When do we choose open curiosity versus directed compassion or loving kindness? What is the relationship between them and their utility?
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Gaia House
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The Indriya: Allies for Liberation
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2022-01-04
Compassion Enough to Care
11:31
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Ayya Medhanandi
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Let us truly live with compassion enough to care. And share that beautiful mind energy with a depth of awareness and attention to each moment. Keeping far from the noise of the world, every breath, every new moment will arise in a field of compassion and condition the next moment after it, the next breath, with kindness and presence of mind. Just so, we learn the art of loving all that we are and the path's unfoldings that free us from fear.
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Sati Saraniya Hermitage
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2021-11-22
Gratitude and Generosity Meditation | Monday Night
27:23
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Jack Kornfield
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Like the waves of the ocean, the breath rises and falls. Bring loving awareness to the breath.
Shift your attention from the breath to all the sensations in your body. With mindful loving awareness, notice the whole field of sensations. If there are areas of pain or stiffness, bow to them and hold them with kindness. Hold them as you would a child who is going through a hard time. Notice how this kind loving awareness allows for the tension and knots to soften in their own way.
Now as an expression of gratitude, say thank you to your own body for caring so much, for holding so much as you move through the days and nights. Tell your body, “I’m ok just now—you can relax. You can rest.”
Now bring your attention to your heart that carries so much. Notice all that your heart has been holding: longings, fear, love, worry, frustration, excitement, sadness, appreciation, doubt, deep love. Say thank you to your heart for caring so much, for trying to help and protect you. Tell your heart, “I’m ok just now—you can relax. You can rest.” Let your heart be at ease.
Now bring your attention to your mind that produces a stream of thoughts, images, pictures, plans, memories, ideas. Feel the energy of the mind, creative, sometimes obsessed, analyzing, exploring, opening. Say thank you for working so hard to take care of you, to protect you. Tell your mind, “I’m ok just now—you can relax. You can rest.”
Notice that you’re not your body, feelings, thoughts. You are the loving witness, you are consciousness itself. You are the loving awareness that acknowledges the body, heart and mind. Relax into loving awareness. You are the silent, vast witness to it all.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2021-10-09
A vehicle for liberation
38:34
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Ajahn Sucitto
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We can reach into that which is bigger than our personal form, where we don’t feel the separation, we feel held by something that never leaves us – the boundless heart. We’re never totally closed, we just have scar tissue, and it can be brought back to life. This is the medium – lovingkindness, compassion, measureless, unrestricted. This is a vehicle for transformation and liberation from being identified from the world of circumstance.
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Chicago Theosophical Society
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Brahmavihara Workshop
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2021-07-11
Loving-kindness for Difficult Relationships
46:36
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Tempel Smith
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Our hearts' defenses might be most reinforced where there has been emotional pain. Using the previous practice of loving-kindness for easier relationships we can visit the places in our own hearts where we hold fear, hatred, resentment, and judgment. Relaxing these hard and painful places within us, by small, steady degrees, frees us from squandering our inner resources. Healing these places of pain can transform our understanding of how we can be in the world with a more open heart.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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"July Lovingkindness Retreat" with Tempel Smith, Bonnie Duran, MPH, DrPH, John Martin, Sally Armstrong, Marcy Reynolds and Kristina Baré, MFT, SEP
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2021-07-09
Metta/Lovingkindness and Purification of negative mental factors
53:48
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Bonnie Duran
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Metta/Lovingkindness practice strengthens wholesome mental factors and allows us to see more clearly our negative mental factors. Seeing more clearly an important source of our suffering, hate/aversion, we are able to work more directly for our own and others' happiness.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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"July Lovingkindness Retreat" with Tempel Smith, Bonnie Duran, MPH, DrPH, John Martin, Sally Armstrong, Marcy Reynolds and Kristina Baré, MFT, SEP
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2021-07-07
Simple Metta Breathing and Metta Body Scan
40:12
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Tempel Smith
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To form the foundation for loving-kindness meditation we invite the attitude of kindness, calm, and simplicity to our breath and body awareness. For many, this is the most simple and suitable metta meditation, and once embodied this metta meditation becomes the basis for radiating healthy lovingkindness to our selves and all beings. This is also the meditative foundation to ripen the five jhana factors leading to full absorption.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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"July Lovingkindness Retreat" with Tempel Smith, Bonnie Duran, MPH, DrPH, John Martin, Sally Armstrong, Marcy Reynolds and Kristina Baré, MFT, SEP
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