with Susan Kaiser-Greenland

"The aim of my presentation will be to investigate what mindfulness practice is about according to the early Buddhist discourses. These discourses have been preserved in the Pali Nikayas, in the Chinese Agamas, and at times also in Sanskrit fragments and sutra quotations preserved in Tibetan. From a historical viewpoint, these discourses represent the earliest layer of Buddhist textual material and thus take us back as close as possible to the original instructions delivered by the Buddha. In these texts, we find two basic expositions: 1) the fourfold establishment of mindfulness taught in general; 2) the threefold establishment of mindfulness associated with the Buddha himself. First, I will examine the fourfold establishment of mindfulness, based on the way it is depicted in the different extant versions of the Discourse on Mindfulness and the Discourse on Mindfulness of Breathing. Then, I will compare these to the threefold establishment of mindfulness. Through such comparison, I hope to arrive at key aspects of Buddhist mindfulness practice according to the earliest available textual sources at our disposition."

with Susan Kaiser-Greenland

The Buddha's words on the role generosity plays on the path to awakening and how generosity can manifest in out daily lives.

Found in the Patthana (Abhidhamma)

Ayya Medhanandi offers a historical perspective on the bhikkhuni tradition as well as insights on how to live with compassion in the world. She describes how the monastic communal experience provides abundant opportunities for the exploration of personal and collective aspirations to fulfill the goals of the Eightfold Noble Path and end suffering.

Determination one of the ten paramis - is a wonderful support for our practice - learning to recognize this quality in our mind is the subject of this talk.

The Buddha's teaching on dependant origination describes how our minds create stuggle and suffering in our lives. This talk explores some practical ways this teaching can help us to break this cycle.