Guiding Meditation. Starting with settling the Body and then the breath. A subtle balance between relaxation adn allertness. Focusing on the breath sensations in relationship with the air element.

We are nothing but Earth inlcuding all its elements, not separete from her/them, Inviting to honor, revere it, seeing clearly the interdependence. Inviting to shift from seeing Earth as a resource to recognizing it as our creator, sustainer, healer, and home. By remembering that we are not separate from the living world—but an expression of it—we cultivate humility, gratitude, ethical responsibility, joy arises from a deeper sense of belonging, inspiring both inner transformation and compassionate care for all life.

Equanimity stops the cycle of reactivity; it does not get entangled in formations; it abandons fear and delight.

In a society that prizes overachieving, we are taught to scale it back in meditation practice. But strong determination is also an essential quality on the path to awakening. Here's how to fold your ambition and perfectionism into your practice.

This dhamma talk, comments, questions and responses was offered on June 20, 2026 for East Bay Dhamma. Dhammapada verses 146 -156 Old Age was discussed. The text can be found here: https://suttacentral.net/dhp146-156/en/buddharakkhita?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false 00:00 - 1:36:32 DHAMMA TALK, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS & RESPONSES

This talk explores the core teaching of letting go and how it relates to profound states of well-being. We learn about Natural Awareness-- the luminous quality of the mind-- and try a few "Glimpse practices" to access it. Diana then shows us how Natural Awareness practice can help us navigate the complex, challenging, and heart-breaking times in the world today.

We begin with a short account of some of the history of Juneteenth and its origins in Texas, as well as how it developed in the decades after 1865, including under Jim Crow. We ask how consideration of Juneteenth and the ensuing history informs our practice, considering the three main elements of our practice: Training in wisdom (particularly in understanding the roots of racism in greed for power and wealth and a "divide and conquer" approach); meditation (both in examining our conditioning and working with difficult emotions), and ethical practice (developing care and addressing harm, for the benefit of all beings). The talk is followed by discussion.

This session explores equanimity-- what it is, how to cultivate it, and how to work with the "mosquitoes" we encounter.

This talk explores the different ways we might meet difficult emotions on retreat and in life. And in case you're not experiencing only difficult emotions, there is also some guidance on how to hold pleasant states, too!