The Buddha taught that there are five preconditions necessary for the development of meditation practice in seclusion—good friends, virtue and restraint, engaging in talk on the Dhamma, wise effort, wisdom. These preconditions, presented in the Meghiya Sutta, are developed progressively and support one another. This talk explores the role of effort and energy on the path of awakening. We make the effort to avoid and abandon unwholesome states, and to cultivate and maintain wholesome states. We apply our energy with diligence and balance. If too lax we will fall short of the goal and permit obstructions to distract the attention; if there is too much striving and forced effort we will exhaust ourselves and become discouraged. Right effort is balanced between relaxation and vigor; it is appropriate to the situation—applying just enough strength to meet the current conditions with wisdom and clarity. Skillful effort requires the commitment to endure difficult and painful situations without becoming disheartened. We persevere on our path, adjusting the quality of effort with mindfulness and sensitivity.

Compassion is a beautiful flowering of the heart, as it turns to face suffering and pain in ourselves and others. This talk illuminates that process and how we can encourage compassion by turning to meet pain with a kind heart.

Our capacity to live and love fully is directly related to our acceptance of change and loss. This talk explores how we avoid the pain of loss, ways of practicing that open us to this changing world, and the gifts of letting go into the flow.

Investigation of feeling and mind states. Wise reflection, not creating more pain. Guided meditation on feeling.

The mental Factor of Vedana (pleasure, pain and neutrality) arises in every moment. Through the practice of Mindfulness we can separate our deep sense of contentment no matter the pleasure or pain aspect of experience.

a talk focussing on the desires that are helpful and wholesome and those that lead to the re-creation of pain and distress.

How to work with the inevitable pain and stress in life - using three methods: 1) Mindfulness, 2) Resourcsing, 3) Loving-kindness

This talk explores the world of feeling and the Buddha's encouragement to bring compassion and wisdom to our experience of pleasure and pain.

We cannot talk about the fundamentals of Dharma without mentioning honesty. All we have to do is meet a truly honest person to know that honesty is infectious. We sense that it must take courage to live with honesty and integrity, but what it really takes is a love of the truth. Honesty in Dharma practice is simply the love of what is true. It is behind all of our inquiry and Dharma investigation. "What is going on here?" is the soul searching question that opens the doors of the heart. We release our deceptions for two reasons: first, it is painful to deceive, and second, we have a profound urge to know the true causes and motivations for our defensiveness. That urge, when properly honed, will be our vehicle for the completion of the spiritual journey.