In Pali - terms for consciousness, perception, mindfulness and wisdom - have some very specific meanings. In English, however there are often multiple meanings for each one of these words. This talk will help to clarify their meanings, particularly as they apply to our meditation practice.
Right mindfulness developed with meticulous appreciative attention on the breath enables us to tame the wilderness of the mind. If we are careening off course – just when the canoe starts to tip – we notice and immediately rebalance, regaining awareness and sustaining it as best we can. We continue to polish the mirror of the mind each moment, discovering the joy of seeing its true nature: impermanent, imperfect and empty. With nothing to hold onto in the world, we are free to enter the shrine of Truth.
The magic of mindfulness is how it weakens unwholesome (akusala) states of suffering and strengthens wholesome (kusala) states of well-being. This talk explains this process of alchemy: how greed, hatred and delusion are transformed into generosity, loving-kindness and wisdom.
