A talk given on the closing morning of retreat that lays out the way to live with wise intentions for liberating our habitual tendencies and living an awakening life.
This talk reflects on ways of practicing skillfully with mind states and emotions. These sometimes challenging areas of experience are a gateway to deepening clarity and opening the heart, when met in the present moment with understanding, acceptance and kindness.
Unless we understand how we cling to the conditions of our mind and body as "me", we will live within a narrow and confined view and miss the revelation of our true beingness.
It is clear that spiritual practice is aimed towards the development of wholesome states. Yet our mind-streams have currents of greed, hatred and delusion - how can we use these very states to our own benefit?
The contemplation of vedana, the Second Foundation of Mindfulness, provides a powerful tool to dismantle suffering; it can also reveal surprising and profoundly liberating truths about the nature of reality.
A simple and clear exposition on the Buddha's insights into releasing, grasping and suffering. This is the release that opens our heart to great compassion.
How to work with self-loathing and doubt. How the Noble truths lead to freedom. How the Buddha guides us on the eight-fold steps on how to live our lives, train our minds and grow in wisdom. The Dhamma is most excellent in the beginning, middle, and end.
