Within us is the seed of awakening. And yet we are so blind. Can we free ourselves by seeing through clouds of delusion, greed and hatefulness? Do we have the resolve and patience to begin and the humility and forgiveness to keep going in hard times? Vigilance in ethical practice, unremitting mindfulness, inner stillness, and sharp discernment melt ignorance and purify the mind. Not only that – joyous and aware, we radiate a fearless unequivocal compassion. When the sun rises, darkness disappears. Just so, we emerge from our blindness, at peace with all conditions

Be as you are. This talk encourages a spacious and accepting attitude that embraces experience just as it is occurring. It is inspired by non-meditation approaches that bring relaxation, release, and ease to awareness without the exertion or efforts of striving. Mindfulness instructions are simple: observe your experience of sensory contact, observe what occurs at any sense door. You don't need to do very much with what you observe. See what is happening; be present with what is. Several obstacles to deep presence are examined. We learn to release attachments to material stuff, to overcome the influence of social expectation, and to renounce distracting and unskillful speech. We also learn to free the mind from mental proliferation, worry, and restless wandering; to embrace precepts that protect us from doing habitual or selfish actions; and to let go of clinging whenever it arises. This approach illuminates the power of renunciation; the calming of concepts of self, I, me, and mine; and the great peace that brings an end to suffering.

Working with the 2nd and the 3rd foundation of mindfulness.

Working with the second foundation of mindfulness.

Guided meditation on using mindfulness in regards to sense contact and vedana/feeling arising, practicing with feeling/vedana

Looking into the 2nd foundation of mindfulness - pleasant, neutral and unpleasant feeling arising.

Mindfulness is held up as the one thing in Dhamma practice, but although it’s important, it works along with a range of factors. Descriptions of mindfulness applied to the aspects of the 8-fold path are given.

Based on the concept that mindfulness cultivates insights which lead to wisdom to manifest as compassion that is experienced as joy, this talk is about 1) the joy of awakened physical awareness, 2) the joy of psychological clarity, 3) the joy of knowing universal truth, 4) the joy of service and 5) the joy of realizing the basic goodness of human beings.

This talk explores ways of practicing speech that are true, useful and timely. By learning to speak and listen with mindfulness, kindness, restraint and honesty, we deepen our understanding of how to bring more happiness and less suffering into the world.

This talk encourages us to explore the gratification, danger and escape in our personal experience of clinging; with the intention to understand rather than to judge. Meeting our experience with mindfulness/wisdom is the practice of non-clinging.

Beginning with the hypothesis that the natural mind, unconfused by fixed views or hindrance energies, is clear and buoyant and conducive to happiness; this talk specifically details the ways in which concentration, mindfulness, effort and good will(Metta) work to lesson attachment to view and afflictive emotions.

Please note that these talks are from a 4 week retreat for experienced meditators. The talks and meditations can be listened to in any order or individually, but as they progressively unfold different levels of understanding of Emptiness, they will probably be more fully understood and the practices more easily developed if taken in series

This is an opening night talk for a month long mindfulness retreat which presents the rationale for practicing in the form that we do. It includes readings from the Foundations of Mindfulness Sutta. It also makes the connection between mindfulness and metta practice and the rationale for practicing both simultaneously.

All practices converge in mindfulness, all practices emerge from mindfulness - mindfulness is the royal way to the One

Avalokitesvara – the Lord of Ease Ekayana – All streams lead to the ocean - all Dharma doors lead to the One Heart All Dharma doors are connected to Mindfulness Crossing over beings of the self nature – being kind is being Kuan Yin All Beings have been our mother, father, relative and are potential Buddha’s Kittisaro’s mother’s death and his tribute to her

The underlying bent of the mind is craving, that leaning of the mind to have, get, find, belong. In meditation we practise with loosening that craving energy, and introducing calming subjects for recollection. Walking meditation is a skilful means for loosening and gentling the mind.

The intrinsic nature of mind is naturally lucid, aware, bright, open, empty and cling free. It is only temporarily limited or corrupted by being mixed with adventitious obscurations. Lama Surya Das explains & elucidates natural meditation, nowness-awareness, how to sit and gage and be, and explains his original four kinds of mindfulness.

Using the breath to steady the mind, to reflect on impermanence and to see ‘non ownership’ The boulder is not heavy if you don’t pick it up This is ‘how it is’ – methods to access the third noble truth Replacing reactivity with mindfulness – the flood stopper

Replacing reactivity of mind with mindfulness Mindfulness as container & as that which reveals & discerns what is Citta conditioned by perception & sankhara Healing the citta through mindful awareness Finding balanced energy as a support for mindfulness

Mindfulness offers the ability to sustain, to notice, and therefore to be wise. Through this we can experience feelings that arise as energy in the body. Stepping back, there is a shift from being in these to a knowingness of them, with resultant dispassion. This is the liberating process of insight.

Mindfulness is about knowing how one is affected. We come to know where impulses and intentions/motivations come from, whether these are spiritual or worldly. With skilful intention, there is the possibility to generate pleasant feeling within ourselves. We can find joy in our own presence rather than through external means.