This talk was offered during a month-long teaching period at the Forest Refuge. The theme is how training mindfulness and concentration fit into the teachings of the 4 Noble truths and the eightfold path.

Evening dhamma reflection on the four noble truths and the three understandings of each, as presented in the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta

Q1 Can you explain more about patiggha phassa / impact on consciousness. 17:50 Q2 How do we link contact, impact and impression to cause and effect and the action we then take? 24:18 Q3 How do you know if a spiritual teacher is best for an individual? 29:11 Q4 I notice a good amount that you’ve taught us (like QiGong) is not dhamma but corroborates with Taoism and other traditions I may not be familiar with. How can we be sure to tell true dhamma from false dhamma. 37:30 Q5 How can we spread positive energy in a toxic environment? 43:11 Is it normal to feel wobbly / unbalanced during walking meditation?

Morning dhamma reflection

Q1 You mentioned there are also other bodies such as the energy and emotional body and others. Could you elaborate please? 22:02 Q2 How does a sotapanna / stream enterer still have conceit as a fetter if they have uprooted self view? 36:11 Q3 It seems there is a very strong “not enough” mind. Not still enough, not calm enough, not practicing enough. How can I shift this negativity to a more positive chanda / motivation? 41:41 Q4 How can we measure our spiritual progress?