From suffering to freedom Park two Skillful relationship of Shamatha (calm) and Vipassana (clear seeing) in all postures and it all times. Daily life practice as one
Part 1 of the journey of suffering to the end of suffering. Building the foundation of calming(shamatha) and beginning to see into life(vipassana), daily life and formal practice as one wise attitude.
On this last evening of our monthlong retreat (two months for some), we explore how to bring our practice out in our daily lives in the world. We examine (1) the nature of the archetypal "return" in the spiritual journey; (2) the figure of the bodhisattva; and 3) some suggestions for foundational, intermediate, and advanced modes of daily life practice.
In our practice, we aspire toward a kind of wholeness, with no part of our life left out. In this talk, we explore two ways of developing more of such wholeness - (1) through connecting metta with mindfulness and wisdom, here examined especially in connecting metta and equanimity; and (2) through connecting formal metta retreat practice to everyday life practice.
The three classic refuges of Buddha (awareness), Dharma (truth) and Sangha (loving relatedness) are each expressions of our deepest essence. This talk reflects on the refuges and includes guided meditations and a closing ritual that helps us remember the pathway home in our daily life. (note: to participate in the ritual you will need a piece of red string about 28 inches long)
