Meditation is the work of the mind: as in the famous saying of the Buddha: Avoid evil, do good and purify the mind. The attitude with which we approach our practice can be a continuation of our usual habits of getting and doing, or we can shift the view (the paradigm) to that of trust and confidence in natural awareness.

A talk about various meditation techniques and their efficacy.

Please note that these talks are from a 4 week retreat for experienced meditators. The talks and meditations can be listened to in any order or individually, but as they progressively unfold different levels of understanding of Emptiness, they will probably be more fully understood and the practices more easily developed if taken in series

One understanding of the spiritual path is relating wisely to fear. Our conditioned reaction is to feel aversion to fear and do anything but simply experience it. We discover freedom when instead of reacting, we recognize and open to fear with a kind, committed presence. While fear might or might not remain, with awareness, the suffering of being identified as a fearful self dissolves. In Part I of this talk, we look at how to recognize the physical, mental, emotional and behavioral facets of the body of fear. In Part II we explore a range of pathways for cultivating a healing and freeing presence in the midst of fear.

Suffering is often what brings people to the Dharma as well as opening us up to resources inside we didn't know were there. Looking at hindrances and difficulties in this way allows us to relate to them wisely and realize the gifts that they bring and the ways they help us grow.

Discussion of book of this name by Robert Burton

The Shurangama Sutra, Matangi’s daughter & Ananda’s enlightement Sky Like Mind Those who delight in mental proliferation (papanca) never know Nibbana The end of birth and death Apartheid of the mind Nisagardatta’s method What Remains - What doesn’t move