Susie Harrington has been meditating since 1989, and been engaged in Insight meditation practice since 1995. She began teaching in 2005, with the guidance of Guy Armstrong, Jack Kornfield and more recently Joseph Goldstein. She often offers retreats in the natural world, believing nature to be the most profound dharma teacher, and a natural gateway to our true self. Her teaching is deeply grounded in the body and emphasizes embodiment of our practice in speech and daily life. For more information go to desertdharma.org.
When difficult emotions arise in our practice, developing a skillful and willing relationship is an important part of the path. Emotions are the natural human response, and a natural and important part of the path.
A discussion about equanimity including what it is and is not, the contributing factors, the protection and stability it brings to our lives, and how we cultivate it.
An exploration of the tender heart that is available to be touched and pleased by the world. Held in equanimity and balanced with compassion, natural joy and contentment shine through.
Thanissara with Rev. angel Kyodo williams, Ayya Anandabodhi Bhikkhuni and Susie Harrington.
In this conversation, Susie Harrington mentioned two sources: Kerry Nelson’s offering of online workshops at A Place for Peace as well as Vinit Allen’s Sustainable World Sourcebook. Both offer ways to engage individually but also at the community level.Rev angel Kyodo williams mentioned the site What Is Missing? from Maya Lin offering an interactive experience of all that has been and continues to be lost to which you can add your own accounting.
A talk to welcome the retreat and introduce the refuges of the Buddha, the dharma, and the Sangha. This talk was offered at a retreat in Saskatoon, Canada.
How the vicissitudes enter into our day to day and how we can see the truth of our experience and find contentment in each moment. This talk was offered as part of a retreat in Saskatoon, Canada.
Concentration is a skillful means that provides a foundation for understanding things as they really are (Yatha Bhuta). Through the direct experience of impermanence, freedom unfolds.
Where there is freedom from self identification and object fabrication, from subject/object duality, we have the experience of atammayata , "not made of that"
The Buddha's life is an expression of the practice and the teachings and can offer inspiration and guidance on our journey.
Part I: Early Life and Practice of the Bodhisattva
The Buddha encountered MARA throughout his life. We too have many interactions and opportunities to see MARA and develop a friendly, knowing relationship.
Continuing the story of the Buddha's life through his awakening and his setting the wheel of the Dhamma in motion.
(Note: it is largely understood to have been a Brahma God, Sahampati, who asked the Buddha to teach--not a Brahmin as mentioned in the talk.)
the Buddha taught that the recognition of arising and passion away (Anicca) is the doorway to freedom. In this talk, we explore impermanence and it’s relationship to dukkha. To let go ov our argument with the reality – with the way things are, to the nature of changing phenomena, opens up to the possibility of ease and freedom: “All things are impermanent/ They arise and they pass away./ To live in harmony with this truth/ Brings great happiness.”
The body is our home, our vehicle to freedom and our connection to the Great Mystery. This talk explores the skillful means and the opportunities of this foundational practice.
Dhammavicaya, the factor of discrimination, is one of the 7 factors. IT is a lens through which we can meet our experience, and cultivate understanding & insight.
A guided Elements Meditation with 8 minute intro to finding balance and accessing ease through earth connection. Second morning of retreat 3 in 15 month program. (Program Sponsored by the Sati Center)
Fundamental to our experience is where our attention lands. Our attention can be run by habit and conditions or, with practice and the training of the mind, we can make choices about what and how we pay attention. This choice, and what unfolds as a result, can make all the difference.
Wise Intention is Part 2 of this two talk series.
Wise intention plays out in concentric circles of time. We may tend to make big broad objectives, but it is how these come to play out in the hours and the moments of our days that will guide the effectiveness and usefulness of our intentions.
Part 2 of a two part series with Womb of Attention as part 1.
The path of practice has many challenges. How we meet those and turn toward them and learn form them is possibly the most important aspect of our practice. This talk looks at these challenges in the retreat setting and suggests ways of meeting them.
The five Spiritual Faculties of Faith, Energy, Mindfulness, Concentration, and Wisdom give us both a map for the natural unfolding of our practice and a guide for how to orient and encourage its development.
Saturday morning dharmette in gratitude and generosity as a reciprocal relationship, rather than a transactional relationship, followed by a guided meditation in the refuges as gratitude practices. (Susie) The sit ends with walking instructions and encouragement to sense the body as a support for the embodied gratitude of being present. (Jeanne)
Sunday morning instruction and meditation begins with generosity as a living liberation practice of non-clinging, and moves to a guided sit in generosity toward the self (Jeanne). This sit ends with guided instruction in walking with an attitude of offering generosity (Susie).
Sunday afternoon dharma talk on the treasure of generosity and interconnection in our lives (Susie) and the liberative process catalyzed by generosity (Jeanne).
Impermanence is the nature of things, in our practice we have the opportunity to see it and learn to dance with this fundamental aspect of our experience.
In our nature practice we come in intimate contact with the truth of Interconnection interbeing, and the play of causes and conditions as they come together in this moment. This talk explores the challenges, the freedom and the responsibility of the vast unfolding that includes each of us and all beings.
We live in two worlds - our small personal world and the interconnected world of all beings and the earth. Connecting these two is key to understanding our situation and metabolizing the challenging times we live in.
Talk has some loud sounds due to recording errors. A couple moments may be startling for the listener.
Meeting the suffering of the world requires both wisdom of our interconnection, and compassion and equanimity to whole heartedly embrace the complexity of the suffering we find.
Introduction following from previous talk.
Detailed instructions for Tonglen (practice for transforming suffering into compassion)
Guided Meditation: Tonglen.
The seven factors of awakening include the arousing factors and the settling ones. This talk goes into detail on using the factors of Tranquility, Concentration, and Equanimity in meditation practice.
With a stable and unified mind we can turn to impermanence. This turning into our observing change in our vipassana practice leads us to see not only the temporality of everything but the interconnected and impersonal Nature of experience.
