The Divine Abodes of loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity are the places of the awakened heart. Practicing to cultivate these four abodes helps us to access these wonderful and transformative qualities of the open heart.

After looking at the multiple sources of confusion about anger for western Buddhist practitioners, we examine a number of perspectives and ways of practicing with anger.

At this time of year (Harvest Festival, Yom Kippur etc.) of new beginnings and seeing where we have "fallen short" or want to forgive in some part of our lives, we go through a series of reflections, traditional and contemporary, leading to a re-dedication to our deeper intentions.

We first cover an overview of the two main inter-related ways that transformation of the judgmental mind occurs: (1) mindfulness and investigation of judgments; and (2) cultivating awakened states, particularly through "heart practices." In this talk, we examine four stages of the first way: investigating and transforming judgments by first noticing them and becoming more mindful of them in terms of the body, core narratives, emotional energy, etc., and then going beneath the surface of judgments, revealing and transforming the underlying habitual tendencies and core limiting beliefs, often initially unconscious.

We explore the nature of the judgmental mind, including the distinction of reactive judgments with non-reactive discernment, how judgments often carry insight and intelligence, and the two main ways of inner transformation of the judgmental mind.

The teaching of anattā (“not-self”) points to one of the three fundamental areas of liberating insight taught by the Buddha (along with the teachings on impermanence and on suffering or dukkha). Yet anattā can very challenging and confusing for contemporary practitioners. Is there “no self” (as anattā is sometimes translated)? How do we make sense of our feelings of individuality, identity, ancestry, and vocation? How do we address our own personal experiences of woundedness, trauma, and oppression? Are these all simply to be “transcended”? How is a sense of self actually in many ways important for contemporary spiritual development, and how is working with our own individual conditioning, whether psychological or social in origin, central to our liberation? How do we integrate attending to such conditioning with opening as well to the power and energy of experiences beyond the habitual sense of self? In this daylong, we will explore these vital questions primarily in a practical way. Using the metaphors of “thinning the self” and working with a “thick” sense of self, we will cover three aspects of practice: (1) cultivating, in several ways, the “thinning” of the self, both in meditation and in everyday life, including working with the Five Skandhas or “aggregates” of experience; (2) tracking and working with different manifestations of a “thick” sense of self, both as appearing in experience and as hidden to awareness; and (3) opening to experiencing beyond a fixed sense of self, as awareness, compassion, and responsiveness deepen.

We explore the balance of active and receptive effort and letting go and other expressions of the middle way--as a general principle in concentration and insight practice in everyday action and in accessing the depths of our being.

In the context of our ethical practice we took a look at a second aspect of speech practice - practicing empathy through an overview and a practice with guidance in the last part of the session. Roughly 68 minutes in duration.

We continue with our exploration of ethical practice, set in the context of the overall training to awaken. We focus in this first session on Fourth Precept ("Right" or "Wise" Speech) on the four core ethical guidelines for speech (truthfulness, helpfulness, speaking from the heart, and good timing/appropriateness of the speech), in the context of the general importance of speech practice, suggesting a number of ways of practicing.

After a brief review of the general nature of ethical practice, we look at outer, inner, and social dimensions of practicing the Second Precept - not taking that which not given - including a song and discussion of some of the challenges of such practices.

Set in the larger contexts of the importance of ethical practice, we focus on the meaning and practical of non-harming, with some reflections on responding to the killings of nine African Americans at a bible study class in Charleston, South Carolina.

We examine practicing with the Three Characteristics, particularly with Dukkha (suffering) and anatta (not-self). Then we explore "spacious awareness," a type of non-conceptual awareness beyond the splits of knower and known, particularly in the teachings of the Buddha and the Thai Forest tradition, with some reference to Tibetan and Zen traditions. Thirdly, we outline a number of ways to access this kind of awareness.

A practically-based exploration of the nature of concentration and its place in practice, how to practice concentration (complementing the morning instructions), five challenges of concentration practice and how to work with them, and the relationship of concentration and insight practice.

After an introductory outline of the nature of creating an "other" we look at three ways of practicing: 1. Studying the process of "othering" in oneself, in relation to both others and self; 2. Countering the process of othering and 3. Developing farther universal belonging, the "beloved community".

After a brief review of the theme of "othering", we look some more forms of "othering" and how we practice in examining "othering" in ourselves. We then explore the area exponentially in an exercise, followed by discussion.

In the contexts of our practice of examining the nature of self and of a recent conference on "Othering and Belonging," we look at ways that we create an "other." We may do this in terms of social groups (according to race, age, gender, religion, ability/disability, educational level, etc.), interpersonally, or in terms of parts of oneself (I "other" my fear or shame or brilliance). This week we focus on "othering" (the "other" is often noticed, but not really known or seen), how to track our own ways of othering, and how to work with and transform othering, opening to greater compassion, wisdom, and connection.

After a review of some of main themes related to taking everything as learning, we look especially at what qualities and practices support taking everything as learning. Including mindfulness, equanimity, confidence and faith, heart practices, setting intentions and using the imagination to stay open to possibilities.

As our practice matures, we increasingly intend, and have the capacity to take whatever arises in our lives as part of our practice. We explore what makes this intention hard to implement and what supports taking everything as part of a learning process.

As our practice matures, we increasingly intend, and have the capacity to take whatever arises in our lives as part of our practice. We explore what makes this intention hard to implement and what supports taking everything as part of a learning process.

On this last evening of our monthlong retreat (two months for some), we explore how to bring our practice out in our daily lives in the world. We examine (1) the nature of the archetypal "return" in the spiritual journey; (2) the figure of the bodhisattva; and 3) some suggestions for foundational, intermediate, and advanced modes of daily life practice.

After some reflections on some of the reasons why anatta (not-self) can be confusing, we explore especially how to practice with anatta: (1) opening to a sense of flow increasingly without a sense of self; (2) exploring the many ways in which there is a "thick" sense of self, both appearing in experience and sometimes hidden to immediate experience; (3) further meditative ways to "thin" the self; and (4) ways of thinning, especially as our practice deepens, the "meditative self."

With poems, stories, haikus, and teachings, we explore the nature of equanimity, how to practice to cultivate equanimity, and some of the challenges of in our development of equanimity.

An overview of (1) the nature and importance of concentration in our practice; (2) some suggestions on how to strengthen concentration; (3) some of the challenges of cultivating concentration, including striving, spiritual bypassing, and attachment to states of concentration; and, briefly, (4) the relationship of concentration and insight practice.

Mindfulness of Feeling-Tone (the Second Foundation of Mindfulness) and Introduction to the Third Foundation of Mindfulness (here, practicing with thoughts and emotions)

The Close Friend and Radiation Metta

Mindfulness of the breath (or another primary object)

In the context of the beginning of a month-long retreat (and, for some, beginning the second month of a two-month retreat), we explore briefly the cross-cultural expressions of a spiritual "journey" or "path," and the typical stages of such a journey.

After a brief review of the last two talks - on the general theme of "not-self" and two ways of practicing (opening to the flow of experience, examining the "thick" self) we look at further ways of practicing including being aware of the particular constituents without adding "my" and "mine"; cultivating heart practices such as lovingkindness, compassion, forgiveness and empathy and opening to a "pure awareness" what has been called in the Thai Forest tradition, the "primal" or "radiant" mind.

We look in more depth at two more ways to "thin" the self, to explore anath: 1. cultivating of "flow" and 2. examining several ways that there is a "thick" sense of self

An exploration of the challenges of connecting our mindfulness and heart practices, of how equanimity practice interpenetrates with the other three brahmavihara, of the nature of equanimity, and of some of the "near opposites" (or near enemies) of equanimity.

Insight into "not-self" (anatta) is one of the core aspects of wisdom. After briefly reviewing some of the challenges of understanding anatta, we look at four practical ways to explore anatta, through focusing on 1) everyday and meditative experiences of "flow", 2) studying the "thick" or strong sense of self when it appears, 3) practicing in other ways to "thin" the self, and 4) opening to awareness without a sense of self or identification with the contents of experience.

In our practice, we aspire toward a kind of wholeness, with no part of our life left out. In this talk, we explore two ways of developing more of such wholeness - (1) through connecting metta with mindfulness and wisdom, here examined especially in connecting metta and equanimity; and (2) through connecting formal metta retreat practice to everyday life practice.

On Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, we explore how to extend the awakened heart of Metta when there is pain or distress or difficulty. In particular, we examine the practices of compassion and forgiveness, with Dr. King's work and life as a reference point.

We continue to explore race and racism and how we respond to these through our practice. We focus on (1) the challenges of responding to collective suffering, (2) exploring the ignorance related to race and social conditioning on many levels, and (3) working with the various emotions and thoughts that arise in exploring race and racism.

Using as reference points Mary Oliver's poem, "The Journey", the story of the Buddha's life, and our own experiences, we outline the archetypal stages of the spiritual journey from the taken-for-granted habitual life, to receiving "heavenly messengers" putting that life in question, to shifting our core life intentions, to working with challenges, to awakening, and, finally, to a return to the "ordinary" world.

At the time of the winter solstice, we explore, through teachings, stories, and poetry, how we can embrace the dark - in stopping and being still, in opening to the unknown and to mystery, in being with difficulties, and in creativity and the coming of what is new - and open to the light, as it emerges from the dark.

We examine, in the context of contemporary concerns about racism, how we relate teachings about suffering, compassion, transforming ignorance, courage, and skillful action to our responses to racism. We also look briefly at the history of race and racism, and suggest ways of responding to racism individually, relationally, and collectively.

In the context of the teachings of the Four Noble Truths and of generosity, gratitude and Dependent Origination, and our previous practices. We explore the nature of craving, greed and grasping and how to practice to explore and transform these qualities.

We explore the nature of gratitude and offer a number of forms of gratitude practice. We cover different expressions of the nature, what we're grateful for, being grateful even for difficulties, and the challenges of gratitude practice.

We explore the important of generosity practice (including how it appears in different cultures), focusing on low it counteracts greed (especially), hatred and delusion. We suggest a number of practices for the next week.

The Third Foundation #2: Further Instructions and Ways of Practicing Based on the Text

The Third Foundation #1: Initial Instructions, Key Terms, and Ways of Practicing

We explore ways to bring the formal practice and spirit of metta(loving kindness) into our individual, relational and collective practice in the world; with some suggestions, poems and stories.

After exploring the nature of Metta practice, we focus on how Metta practice increasingly helps us to meet each experience with our awakened hearts; develop in concentration, go through a kind of purification and integration of mind, heart and body; open to our heart's depth and bring our practice out into everyday life and the world.

Starting with the observation that often our ethical practice may be taken for granted, we look for ways to deepen our practice. We look to find our own personal ethical learning and practice, whether related to the individual, relational or social aspects of our ethical practice.

Continuing our exploration of ethical practice during earth care week. We examine, through the frame work of the Four Noble Truths, the question of the nature of climate change and how to respond as individuals, as communities, nationally and internationally.

We explore the meaning of ethical practice - its relationship to meditation and wisdom practice, how it is more a training than a following of external principles, how there are individual, relational, and social dimensions to our ethical practice, and how it can deepen for us. There's a brief overview of the five lay precepts and a taking of the precepts.

We continue to explore how to practice with conflicts, focusing especially on the vision of non-dual conflict transformation and empathy, learning particularly though a series of exercises.

We explore a more relational way of practicing with challenges, looking at practicing with conflict. We examine some of the personal and cultural conditioning about conflict, as well as ways to bring wisdom, empathy, compassion and skillful action into conflicts, whether inner, interpersonal or social. Conflict is defined more neutrally and simply as a difference in objectives, goals or values.

We review the basic approach of cultivating responsiveness and working with reactivity, looking more at (1) ways of coming back to balance, (2) cultivating mindfulness, and (3) developing other skillful means with challenging thoughts and emotions. Then we explore in more depth how to practice with fear and anxiety.

After a review of understanding our practice most generally and deeply as developing responsiveness, we examine how to practice with thoughts and emotions, including difficult ones such as those connected with the judgmental mind and anger.

We focus on becoming response-able (rather than reactive) as the heart of our practice, examining what responsiveness means and how we cultivate it in relationship to thought and emotions.

How can we be skillful with our speech practice in difficult or challenging situations? We examine a number of principles and capacities, particularly deep listening, that can guide us.

We explore the possibility of taking radical responsibility for our thoughts and emotions at the ability to respond skilfully, rather than react. We look at three ways of practicing with thoughts and emotions. 1. coming back to balance when out of balance. 2. cultivating mindfulness of thoughts and emotions. 3. working more actively with thoughts and emotions, including habitual patterns.

We explore the importance of speech practice, its place ijn the path of awakening, the four ethical and behavioral guidelines for "right": or "wise" speech, and ways of developing mindfulness in spech practice

We get to know in part through images, the teachers and practices of the Thai Forest Tradition and then focus on four aspects of their teaching.

We explore briefly the history of Thai Buddhism, and thus focus especially on the lives, practice, and core teachings of Ajahn Mun and Ajahn Chah and the Thai "forest Tradition" more generally.

Our core practice of mindfulness is based on Mahasi Sayadaw's technique of noting, starting with the breath and moving to all aspects of experiences. How did we receive this practice? We explore the fascinating history from the Buddha through the 19th and 20th Burma, to the West, where these techniques of mindfulness are influential in many settings.

An introduction to working with judgments; identifying particular perspectives and practices that help us in this transformative work, including examining the nature of judgments.

We explore, through stories, poems and teachings, four inter-related ways to practice with difficult emotions, 1- using antidotes, 2- cultivating the "heart practices" of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, forgiveness, etc, 3- cultivating mindfulness and 4- bringing wisdom to the experience

We explore the tendencies to polarize inner and outer practices, the vision of connecting them, some socially engaged Buddhist exemplars, and how the principles of transformation are the same whether in individual, relational or collective domains.

This is a dharma talk that Donald gave for our volunteer sangha on the theme of "The Path of Service," which is also the theme that Spirit Rock staff are working with this year.

After a review of foundational, intermediate and advanced daily life practices, we focus on several central practices, working with intention, using the imagination, grounding in the body and taking difficulties as practice.

After reflecting on some of the challenges of contemporary daily life practice, we look at three levels of such practice, and many types of practices within each level.

Just returned from a month of retreat practice, i offer various reflections on retreat theme, including impermanence and death, working with inner guidance, and taking all experiences in a learning context, and on core practices, (concentration, insight, metta, and open spacious awareness), ending with a brief song.

We look at the importance of the different parts of our practice - intentions, ethics, mindfulness, wisdom and grounding in the body - for responding to difficult situations- individual, interpersonal and related to the wider world. We then look at how to develop and practice compassion in difficult situations.

We explore compassion and practice to help us respond to difficulties particularly pain and suffering. We examine the distinction between pain and suffering, the nature of compassion, receptive and active compassion, the shadow of compassion and some types of compassion practice.

We begin by identifying several supports for practices with difficulties and then explore forgiveness practice in further depth - with Q & A at the end.

An introduction to forgiveness as an inner practice to work with reactivity toward self or others. Includes a guided practice and questions and response.

We explore (1) our individual metta practice - formal and informal 0 in our daily lives, (2) metta practice in the context of our many types of relationships, and (3) metta practice as service and action in our wider world.

Forgiveness practice is one of the family of "heart practices" and particularly valuable in relationship to difficult experiences, both interpersonal (or social) and in relationship to oneself. We look at forgiveness in the context of metta practice, exploring the dynamics of forgiveness through stories and core guidelines of forgiveness practice.

At the Winter Solstice, we can learn better to embrace the dark-in multiple ways, and to invite the light. Using poetry, stories and teachings, we explore how practicing with darkness and light can deepen and illuminate what Mary Oliver calls our one "wild, precious life."

After a review of the theme of ignorance, we explore how we don't often see the deep nature of things - as impermanent, leading to suffering if grasped and empty of an independent self and how to practice to see deeply.

In the context of the transformation of ignorance, we look at views, beliefs and opinions - traditional teachings, how to use them skillfully, ways that we use them unskillfully and how to practice with views.

After reviewing why and how we focus on transforming the different inter-related forms of ignorance - personal, social and spiritual - we focus on ten steps in transforming personal ignorance.

Talk, guided meditation, and discussion, with some attention to the model of the six internal and external sense bases.

Review of the first three foundations of mindfulness and an introduction to the Fourth Foundation

We review and explore how crucial and challenging the root human problem as that of ignorance. We then examine in more depth the roots of personal ignorance, particularly as represented as limiting beliefs and how to access and transform such ignorance.

For Earth Care Week we review the three aspects of ignorance examined last week - personal (or psychological), social, and universal. We focus on the social roots of ignorance with attention mostly to understanding and responding to the climate crisis.