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Retreat Dharma Talks

Finding the heart of freedom

This nine-day retreat provides an opportunity to explore the Four Noble Truths that form the heart of the Buddha’s teaching. These teachings invite us to examine our relationship to dukkha: stress, distress, unsatisfactoriness, suffering, on deeper and deeper levels.
Most of us though, have an instinctive resistance to suffering, so we need to practice working skilfully with the different obstacles that often show up along the path to freedom. As we learn how to release these obstacles, we’re able to live with greater ease, happiness, and peace, and to connect with the wisdom and compassion that are our true nature.

2021-03-10 (10 days) Te Moata Retreat Center

  
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2021-03-10 01 talk: opening to generosity 18:15  RO Talk is visible to Retreants Only
Jill Shepherd
2021-03-10 02 talk: the generosity of sila, ethical conduct 15:52  RO Talk is visible to Retreants Only
Jill Shepherd
Exploring the five training precepts in their positive and negative expressions, as aspects of generosity
2021-03-10 03 meditation: simple mindfulness of breathing 19:22  RO Talk is visible to Retreants Only
Jill Shepherd
2021-03-11 04 instructions: sati mindfulness and samadhi stability of mind 13:52  RO Talk is visible to Retreants Only
Jill Shepherd
Introduction to mindfulness - sati - and how it needs to be supported by steadiness or stability of mind - samadhi
2021-03-11 05 meditation: body scan then mindfulness of breathing 23:44  RO Talk is visible to Retreants Only
Jill Shepherd
Beginning with a body scan to help release any tension in the body that can be released, then bringing awareness to the simple knowing of breathing in and out
2021-03-11 06 short instructions: walking meditation 7:11  RO Talk is visible to Retreants Only
Jill Shepherd
2021-03-11 07 short instructions: relational practice exploring generosity as a support for Wise Effort 6:45  RO Talk is visible to Retreants Only
Jill Shepherd
Contemplating together in groups of three, what was learned from the morning's practice of exploring generosity and Wise Effort
2021-03-11 08 talk: six supports for deepening retreat practice 43:05
Jill Shepherd
Safety, Silence, Solitude, Simplicity, Slowing down and Stillness (note: this talk was completed the following day due to a technical error)
2021-03-12 09 instructions: sati and samadhi p2 8:08  RO Talk is visible to Retreants Only
Jill Shepherd
Two ways of approaching breath meditation, to strengthen stability of mind (samadhi) or to refine mindfulness (sati)
2021-03-12 10 meditation: mindfulness of breathing developing sati and samadhi 24:52  RO Talk is visible to Retreants Only
Jill Shepherd
2021-03-12 11 instructions: continuity of mindfulness 8:34  RO Talk is visible to Retreants Only
Jill Shepherd
2021-03-12 12 instructions: relational practice exploring physical sensations 12:57  RO Talk is visible to Retreants Only
Jill Shepherd
Exploring physical sensations associated with the bodily experience of clinging and release
2021-03-12 13 talk: the clinging-aggregate of feeling tone or vedana 38:24
Jill Shepherd
2021-03-13 14 instructions: mindfulness of the body and four elemental qualities 19:50  RO Talk is visible to Retreants Only
Jill Shepherd
An introduction to exploring the body in terms of the elemental qualities of earth, water, fire and air
2021-03-13 17 instructions: mindfulness of mindfulness and mindfulness of hearing 18:26  RO Talk is visible to Retreants Only
Jill Shepherd
2021-03-13 15 meditation: four elemental qualities 15:04  RO Talk is visible to Retreants Only
Jill Shepherd
Exploring physical sensations in terms of the elemental qualities of earth, water, fire and air
2021-03-13 18 meditation: mindfulness of mindfulness and mindfulness of hearing 23:13  RO Talk is visible to Retreants Only
Jill Shepherd
2021-03-13 16 talk: the Two Wings of Awakening, wisdom and compassion 37:07
Jill Shepherd
How wisdom and compassion work together to support progress towards freedom, with an exploration of some of the challenges to cultivating compassion and self-compassion
2021-03-14 19 instructions: some suggestions for working with difficult emotions 21:20  RO Talk is visible to Retreants Only
Jill Shepherd
2021-03-14 20 meditation: compassion and self-compassion 21:28  RO Talk is visible to Retreants Only
Jill Shepherd
2021-03-14 21 talk: the five hindrances 41:07
Jill Shepherd
2021-03-15 22 instructions: mindfulness of mind, including the five hindrances 6:27  RO Talk is visible to Retreants Only
Jill Shepherd
2021-03-15 23 meditation: mindfulness of mind and the five hindrances 25:50  RO Talk is visible to Retreants Only
Jill Shepherd
2021-03-15 24 talk: impermanence 33:23
Jill Shepherd
An introduction to the three universal characteristics of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and not-self, focusing on impermanence then briefly touching into death contemplation
2021-03-16 25 meditation: spaciousness 26:50  RO Talk is visible to Retreants Only
Jill Shepherd
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