I try to help practitioners approach their meditation practice and their lives with compassion and wisdom. Bringing a loving attentiveness into each moment allows us to learn kindness rather than condemnation, and discernment rather than judgment.
I feel that it is essential not to make a split between the formal practice that happens on retreat and the informal practice that happens in daily life. At the core, formal practice and daily life practice are the same. In all arenas of life we can create the same dedication to wakefulness and sensitivity. The right place to practice meditation is wherever we are. The right time to practice is right now. And the right way to practice is to know what we are doing whenever we are doing it.
We can live each moment in a fresh way, free from expectations of how things should be and open to how things are whether we are sitting on the cushion, washing the dishes, or talking with a friend. With practice, we can discover a current of underlying joy and find that all of life is sacred.
Meditation practice is an offering to the world. When we meditate, we practice not only for ourselves, but for all beings. In meditation there is a gradual purification of heart. This purification allows us to trust ourselves and to respond spontaneously to others with compassion and insight.
The Buddha pointed to impermanence-- the changing nature of things-- as one of the basic laws of nature. The events of September 11th have highlighted this truth dramatically for us. This talk encourages the possibility of softening, seeing clearly and being present to the truth so that we can continue to learn through deepening our understanding of this law of impermanence.
This talk is an exploration of what the Middle Path is: it includes discussion on the extremes of self indulgence and self-denial, as well as fantasy and worry.
The five powers of mind are confidence, effort, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom. This talk addresses how they balance and work together, bringing inner freedom.
The second foundation of mindfulness is the awareness of pleasant, painful, and neutral feeling. Awareness of the texture of our experiences brings liberation.
