Using our body to understand the 4 Noble Truths.

This talk explores the traditional refuges of awareness (buddha nature), truth (dharma) and love (sangha) that are at the heart of Buddhism, and found in many spiritual and religious traditions. It includes a look at our false refuges - strategies that seek to comfort and gratify, but are temporary fixes - and moves into reflections that help us remember, trust and live from our true nature. (Concludes with a ceremony tying red cords in remembrance of the refuges.)

metta (good will/ loving kindness –the experience of the lovability of beings), karuna (compassion – sees the vulnerability of beings), mudita (sympathetic joy - experience of the enjoyment of one’s own and others’ good states)and upekkha (equaminity – the ability to be present with the ups and downs of phenomena); the citta has 2 inputs – feelings(from body or mental perception) and associations/ images/ impressions; skillful intention and the associated joy; volition and sustaining volition as a characteristic of the citta; to others as to myself; the citta adopts various clothes, one of which is “me”; the citta is abundant, rich, calm, exhaulted, measureless/ suffusing, free from hostility and ill will; the significance of the metaphors of language; the measureless empathy of the Buddha; “just like me”, we are all like this as a source of the volition; it’s not so much object oriented as cultivating states of mind and freeing the citta from any state of ill will; identifying the signs that lead to the bonding with / settling of the citta and unification of the mind; find one that works for you; the object one chooses to facilitate this is not important; pitfalls and sidetracks to be avoided in the cultivation – the story of other particular people and of the self, thinking of the past and the future ; finding satisfaction and comfort; the wisdom faculty sees it has been identified and sustained and not owned personally

1. On energy and breathing; 2. On 'traffic lights' 3. Moderating the practice 4. On dealing with rapture; 5. On world-weariness & death; 6. On choiceless awareness; 7. Mindful responses to sense contact; 8. On 'not being good enough'; 9. On fatigue

Includes 30 minute meditation

1. Ache, pains, and aging 2. “Choiceless awareness”; 3. Is intensity necessary? 4. How to let go; 5. The nature of the citta 6. Benefits of each the four main postures; 7. Progress in terms of abandonment?

Ajahn suggests how to prepare a question

need to take a long view of spiritual development; caution with idealism; moving from head to heart; the importance of checking in with yourself; listening sympathetically internally; trusting the retreat form; taking it steady to steady the citta; patience; recalling, it’s like “this” now; dukka is not personal, not ‘mine ‘; good will points to the exit; Christian sin /guilt and Buddhist “bap”/ bad karma; going into the head closes down the heart; gestures and offerings of courtesies to others; dana – the spirit of the heart; sila – manufacturing mutual harmlessness; metta, karuna, enjoying gladness and goodness; anumodana; dissolving the boundaries of self and other; seeing what the citta responds to; equanimity – it’s like this now; the citta can be bigger than the conditions it meets; the measurelessness of awareness; living in the wide sphere; thanking mistakes as a necessary way of learning

Wanting and not wanting it like this; What’s helpful now without finding a word; the essential stepping back; conditions that change; good will towards oneself; waking up the citta from its numbness; pausing and checking in; what’s helpful now? [sound quality issues]

Cultivating the path of skillful action

How we get caught in comparing and judging and skillful ways to work with this practice challenge.

early group issues; dealing with energies; developing and using awareness of the body; pausing; concentrating and noting; taking only the “oh yeah!” from talks and instructions; guidelines for investigating traumatic experience; allowing energy to rest and come back; reclining meditation

a standing taster - posture basics and refinements of attention; healing processes; walking – composed. flowing, balanced movement

Right view; qualities of the citta; recognizing awareness and attention; the mutual support of body and mind; difficult mind states /letting go; using the internal body sense to deal with “this”; tuning into incremental subtleties

Orientation to chanting; suggestions for sitting; importance of posture; using pause moments

Monday Night Meditation Class Dharma Talk from January 4th, 2016