The Buddha talked often of seven factors that prepare the mind for awakening. Headed by mindfulness, the factors are balanced between energizing and calming states. This talk discusses each of the factors, how they are developed, and how to balance them.
This talk, given opening night of the first annual Mindfulness in Education retreat and Training, overviews the current state of mindfulness in education in the U.S.
We explore the different ways of delivering mindfulness to teachers and kids, some of the key questions and future visions.
How do the mind and body relate and does this tell us something regarding our identification with the processes involved? How does "mine and yours" become established within this relationship of mind/body?
Through practice we learn to relate with non-attachment to the condition of the body and mind as well as the conditions of our lives. We do this through the practice of the four foundations of mindfulness, the cultivation of samadhi, and the gradual eroding of self-view. Then we are well-positioned for insight.
In the context of wise speech practice, we continue to explore being aware of feelings and needs and introduce skillful ways to identify "how things are" through "observations."
When we see the world through the veil of our ego, our love flows in distorted and confused ways. Through mindfulness and metta and insight we can begin to understand these conditioned patterns and transform them into love and connection.
