Exploration of the major themes of a just completed retreat, including focusing on the essentials of life, practicing fully and opening to the deeper truths.
Dana (generosity) and Sila (ethical conduct) are seen as the essential foundation for Bhavana (meditation).
This talk explores this relationship, with an emphasis on the practice of generosity as a practice of freedom.
How do we take the wisdom, clarity and insight and the depth of meditative experience into our lives, relationships and all that we do. At the same time, knowing that it is all a seamless continuity of mindful awareness.
Learning to hold our own lives with a gentle compassion is a key element in all emotional healing and spiritual awakening. This two part series explores the suffering of being at war with ourselves and the pathway to freeing our hearts. Music at end is Libby Roderick, "How Could Anyone?"
The mind finds endless reasons to energetically split itself in two. "Shoulds," denials, rationalizations, resentments, and countless other states are energetic divisions, where the mind is trying to have what it wants while hiding from its assumed reality. Doubt is perhaps the most common expression of this pattern. Doubt reaches for what it wants with half a heart because it fears the repercussions of being a failure.
Joy is an essential factor of awakening and every step of the Buddhist path supports an opening to happiness, joy and peace -- all the way to Nibbana -- the greatest happiness.
Learning to hold our own lives with a gentle compassion is a key element in all emotional healing and spiritual awakening. This two part series explores the suffering of being at war with ourselves and the pathway to freeing our hearts. Music at end is Libby Roderick, "How Could Anyone?"
A deconstruction of the conditions that give rise to clinging and dukkha, and an exploration of how the three characteristics become gateways for liberation.
An exploration of the Buddha's Four Noble Truths, giving the meditation practice a context and intention. the relationship between dukkha, clinging and liberation is discussed.
How do we turn towards and open to the inevitable pain and suffering in life? This talk explores how to meet our difficulty with a kind loving presence and patience and in doing so create a freedom, peace and ease in our hearts.
Second talk in an 8-week series on the 7 Factors of Awakening that began with an overview March 10. James highly recommended the booklet
The Power of Mindfulness by Nyanaponika Thera as a precise and concise guide for "tidying the mental household."
The talk ends with a homework assignment for the week.
Only by opening our hearts to change and loss can we live and love fully. Yet much of our life is organized around finding ground-- avoiding the insecurity of change, loss and death. This talk explores how our ways of grasping and resisting remove us from the spontaneity and aliveness, the love and wisdom, that is our human potential.
