This course is offered to any student wishing to dive a little deeper into Buddhism’s basic teachings. The 16-week Monday evening class has been divided into 4 units. This talk is under the third unit titled “The 4 Foundations of Mindfulness: Exploring the Buddha’s teaching on establishing mindfulness from his Sutta on “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness” and discussing the key insights of the Three Marks of Existence.”

After a brief review of the foundations of wise speech and the eight guidelines for skillful speech when there are difficult or challenging situations, we explore the connection of inner practices with such situations. We look at two dimensions of such practice: (1) looking at and transforming conditioning that makes it hard to engage in such situations, such as related to negative views about conflict and anger, and discerning when there is spiritual bypassing in relationship to difficulties; and (2) bringing mindfulness, inquiry, and investigation to difficult emotions such as anger, fear, sadness, etc.,and to thoughts and narratives (especially generated by the judgmental mind). We will continue this exploration, including of difficult body states, next time..

After reviewing three foundations of Wise Speech--the four ethical guidelines for skillful speech, presence and mindfulness during speech, and the practice of empathy--we explore, on the basis of these foundations, how to be skillful during difficult or challenging situations of speech and communication, whether involving two individuals, a group, or a larger society. We identify eight perspectives, practices, and capacities that support skillful speech during such difficult situations.

We start with a brief review of the three previous talks on deepening practice during the pandemic (and other crises), including clarifying three broad areas of practice: Formal meditation practice, daily life practice, and work, service, and/or activism as practice. In this session, we explore the foundations of Wise Speech as practice, mentioning three foundations. The first two include (1) the ethical guidelines given by the Buddha regarding skillful speech, and (2) developing presence and mindfulness during speech (including listening). We focus most of the time on the third foundation of cultivating empathic connection with another, clarifying the difference between empathy and compassion, giving some of the findings of studies in neuroscience about empathy, and examining what blocks empathy. We then work with a simple (yet powerful) empathy practice of tuning into (1) emotions, and (2) what matters, and move into a period of discussion.

The 4 Foundations of Mindfulness & the 4 Vipallasa ~ What Compels You to Practice? ~ Retreat for White Heron Sangha

Guided Meditation on the 4 Foundations of Mindfulness ~ What Compels You to Practice? ~ Retreat for White Heron Sangha

Contemplation of dhammas, 7 factors of awakening, bringing all the foundations of mindfulness to bear on the Path

Exploring how mindfulness and investigation of feeling tone is woven into many frameworks of practice given by the Buddha - the 5 aggregates, the 4 foundations of mindfulness, the 12 fold chain of causation, the 4 Noble Truths.

By protecting ourselves we protect others. When we protect our own hearts from defensiveness, blame, hostility and stress, we also protect others. We train ourselves through the 4 foundations of mindfulness. *Sutta reference is SN47:19.

Satipatthana - Four Foundations of Mindfulness offers us specific meditation practices with the body, breath, in four postures, in all activities, with the elements, with death, vedana, the heart/mind and the dharmas including hindrances and the seven factors of awakenings. Each of these practices includes a through line: One abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world. The not clinging to body, heart, mind or any experience is both the foundation of the Buddha's teaching and the doorway to freedom. It's the experience of coming into alignment with ' he way things are.'