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The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
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Dharma Talks
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2016-01-20
Impermanence
61:42
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Donald Rothberg
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Based on the earlier meditation, we examine the importance of reflection on and mindfulness of, impermanence, both gross impermanence and moment-to-moment impermanence; why it's difficult to be deeply aware of impermanence; practices to explore impermanence; and deeper understandings opened up by practices with impermanence.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2016-01-19
Recollective Meditations
3:35:53
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Dawn Neal,
Shaila Catherine,
Tony Bernhard
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The Buddha taught a broad range of meditation practice -- far more extensive than simply observing sensations and breath. Practitioners can use six classic meditation subjects to nurture calmness, focus attention, inspire patience persistence, gain confidence in the efficacy of the path, and contemplate the nature of kamma, action, and mind. The six recollections are: Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, Virtue, Generosity, and Heavens.
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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2016-01-19
Recollection of the Buddha
48:06
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Shaila Catherine
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This is the first talk in a speaker series titled "Recollective Meditations." Shaila Catherine speaks about the meditation practice known as recollection of the Buddha, Buddhanusati. The practice involves the contemplation of qualities associated with the awakened mind. Each quality highlights a feature that the Buddha brought to perfection — in conduct, virtue, mental development, wisdom, teaching abilities, social influence, and mental powers. The reflection on these virtuous qualities of the Buddha establishes faith, confidence and inspiration for the path, deepens concentration, inhibits hindrances, strengthens joy, and refreshes the mind. It also serves as a classic protection against doubt. By contemplating the accomplishments of the Buddha, we may sense the potential for awakening within our own lives.
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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In
collection:
Recollective Meditations
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2016-01-15
Meeting Life with Equanimity
56:28
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Heather Sundberg
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"Funny, poignant, practical - this Talk explores Six Qualities of Equanimity; the Near Misses, and how to live with these qualities in the foreground of our hearts and lives.
Equanimity is the Spacious (1) Balance (2) of the Non Reactive (3) mind-heart, grounded in Wisdom (4), with supports a deep Caring (5) , and leads to an Appropriate Response (6).
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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January Metta Retreat
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2016-01-13
Transformation through Metta Practice
59:04
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Donald Rothberg
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Metta practice carries a profound intention: To bring kindness and an awakened heart to all beings and all situations in our lives. We explore the nature of this intention, and some of the main ways that metta develops: through a basic stabilizing of our lives and awareness, particularly in living ethically, and in formal practice, as concentration develops; through a process of purification of that which blocks or stands in the way of metta; and through an integration of metta in our lives, to the point where metta is less a doing and practice, and more a way of being, which we then bring into the world.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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January Metta Retreat
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2016-01-12
Introduction to Mindfulness Course - 2016
7:12:01
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Mark Nunberg
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Mindfulness meditation leads to insight into the nature of our hearts and minds, revealing an inherent clarity, openness, and ease. This course includes exploration of the intention behind practice, an introduction to insight (vipassana) meditation techniques, instructions for working with common obstacles, an overview of the practices of lovingkindness, and a discussion on how mindfulness can be part of one’s daily life.
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Common Ground Meditation Center
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2016-01-10
Closing Talk
52:07
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Ajahn Sucitto
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moving out of the retreat form; honouring others; unresponsive cittas and microphones; recognizing and using the underlying foundation with confidence; empathy and sympathy for ourselves and others from a confident citta; connections to others; story of the calm and loving peace activist; recommending skillful means: using the 5 precepts to bear the welfare of others in mind and to cultivate respect for oneself; offering value to each other; cultural themes – intention and convention; using the pause; top down morality; guilt and confession, unskillfulness of some religious forms ; sila - being clear about intention to help the citta; finding balance and clarity; skillful use of the restful aspects of meditation; common social behaviours, gossip and fuzziness of intention; ongoing attunement of attention to what really counts; your citta has the capacity for great well being and clarity; respecting and gladdening the citta and spending time each day listening to the citta; reflection on the triangular mural in the hall; the earth touching mudra; dealing with mundane busyness in life; using the 10 second pause to touch your own earth element and call on the earth mother
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2016-01-09
Q and A
44:55
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Ajahn Sucitto
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Please give examples of how to cultivate right view within and outside meditation
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2016-01-09
Evening guided meditation on death
42:08
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Ajahn Sucitto
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Using citta to cultivate citta with experience; using the imagination / the world of the citta to help steer the citta; using the Five Subjects of Frequent Recollection; taking it up at least at the end of each day; cleaning up at the end of the day
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2016-01-09
Group D Interview 2
33:12
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Ajahn Sucitto
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1. On good will as an object; 2. On moving away from the breath; barriers or obstacles 3. On being more “extroverted” 4. On mudita, energy and tension in the head 5. On cultivating blamelessness, in a busy life 6. On planning for the end of the retreat and post-retreat practice 7. On feeling not good enough, and self doubt. 8. On reacting very strongly to other people’s noise and movement 9. On recollections and daily life practice.
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2016-01-09
Q and A
34:01
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Ajahn Sucitto
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What’s the difference between sense consciousness and citta awareness? When making a decision, to what extent should we follow the mind or the heart?
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2016-01-08
Q and A
53:33
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Ajahn Sucitto
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Should eyes be open or closed? When? Can you assist with overcoming dullness? What can I do when I lose the breath? How to cultivate loving kindness? When investigating emotion, how deep should we dig?
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2016-01-08
Group B Interview 2
67:30
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Ajahn Sucitto
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1. On daily life: dealing with anger and hatred, and calming down. 2. On a balanced approach? 3. On overwhelming thoughts 4. On negativity towards others 5. On rapture 6. On being attracted to samsara. Renunciation? 7. Do I need to get more disenchanted? 8. On stress in spiritual friendship 9. Does the citta connect to other cittas? 10. What to do with the unknown? 11. Is the citta “the self”? 12. On “awareness” and “citta”.
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Wongsanit Ashram, Thailand
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2016-01-08
Q and A
23:49
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Ajahn Sucitto
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What is the difference between vedena and citta? Can we control or direct citta? Or just observe it? [sound quality poor due to removal of background noise]
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2016-01-08
Group A Interview 2
25:00
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Ajahn Sucitto
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1. On trust; 2. On “acceptance”?; 3. On developing strong will; 4. On disadvantages of being a householder?; 5. On citta and mind
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Wongsanit Ashram, Thailand
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2016-01-08
Morning talk - Guided meditation
32:01
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Ajahn Sucitto
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the intelligence of citta responding to the needs of the puja; noticing (vitaka) and getting into the flow (vichara) sampling, assessing, appreciating, snuggles in - like trying on new clothes; the result is piti (a refreshing lifting up) and the citta appreciates this; these are the factors and not the object(s) of Samadhi; how does your citta fit in your body?; posture and balance can trigger it; feel it and adjust the two experiences – adjusting to it and sensitivity to it; can be sensed (a visual sense) and feel it (tactile) and can adjust between the two of these to be with it; thoroughly sensitive to it; calming any excitement or over eagerness with the breath; noticing the experience and noticing the noticing; sensitive to the mind consciousness, its objects; we are aware that we are aware; objects releasing by themselves
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2016-01-07
Impermanence: Beyond the Rise and Fall of Things that Change
51:14
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Shaila Catherine
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This talk by Shaila Catherine is the first in the speaker series "Doorways to Insight." Shaila Catherine describes the importance that is placed on recognizing and contemplating impermanence. This is one of the three main characteristics that we observe in insight meditation practices. We see and know that things change. Everything is changing—thoughts, emotions, feelings, perceptions, sensations, tastes, and emotions. But when we don't see the impermanence of things, we tend to grasp and cling to them. We tend to want to make them to last, and thereby we identify and become attached. As a result of attachment, we suffer, because they are changing anyway. Can we see beyond things that change, and realize what might be called changeless or deathless, to awaken with insight, to realize nibbana?
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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2016-01-07
Group D Interview 1
66:37
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Ajahn Sucitto
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1. Noticing subtler states of mind 2. On citta and how we can feel it. Understanding the concept of citta; 3. On investigating states of the citta; 4. On being drawn into objects in the subtle mind; 5. On noting, planning and thinking; 6. On getting overwhelmed with thinking and going into dullness; 7. On forgiveness
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2016-01-07
Group C Interview 1
40:09
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Ajahn Sucitto
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1. The Wandering Mind; 2. Dealing with physical pain; 3. Dealing with fear, 4. Energy; 5. Moving into Daily Life, open eyes ad normal mode
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2016-01-07
Guided meditation on the sense of touch and commentary
45:13
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Ajahn Sucitto
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the sense of space/ distance; responding tonalities / intensities and the effect on awareness and the citta; appreciating body sensitivities to pressure, vibration, intensity, tension; the experience of noticing the body and appreciating the apparent sensitivities on the citta; returning to a mildly agreeable sensation; direct felt experience and its qualities; handing mental inclinations with a similar sensitivity; effects on the citta of the background pressure to “get it right”; the citta’s obsession to become something; learning the art of sensitivity; using discomfort as vehicle to attend internally to sensitivity and physical and emotional pain; widening the emotional lens
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2016-01-07
Guided meditation
37:38
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Ajahn Sucitto
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Developing the skill of recollection and the experience on the citta; where does the meaning sit?; the arising of citta to meaning; cultivating the immeasureables; the experience comes first; what is the quality of being touched by others’ suffering? Being willing to stay present with that is the movement of compassion; mudita; appreciating a feature or lucky moment for another, for oneself; appreciating the absence of physical pain; learning, sustaining and enriching the experience
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2016-01-07
Characteristics of mindfulness
51:29
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Ajahn Sucitto
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the doors to the deathless; right view the essential reference; that which can arise and be gladdened; 11 doors or entry points –4 jhanas, 4 bhrama-viharas and three immaterial states; the Buddha advised meditators to “absorb”, rather than concentrate / tightening up; a sponge must absorb to open up, not contract; need to drench ourselves in withdrawal; viveka, vitaka, vichara, piti and sukka; in the body; using wise (rather than hard or tight) attention; withdrawal from unwise attention; intention (the inclination of the heart) comes before attention and replaces immature lunging in or irresolute attention; make the intention one pointed as the mind settles down and the attention will follow; necessary wise preparation; a wise cow in the mountains; shortcoming of language; tracking the breath through the body, its beginnings and endings; a careful and deliberate enjoying is to be encouraged; open and soften; spread it through the body by directing it; first jhana; seeing the presence and absence of hindrances and learning though the simplicity of the experience of it; it’s like THIS now; not rushed , not biased or corrupted by the mind turning things upside down/ getting things wrong; appreciate the comparative slowness of the dawning quality on the citta; the open moments; pausing at the end of things; what’s helpful now?
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2016-01-07
Morning talk
45:15
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Ajahn Sucitto
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coming out of self view; bringing forth energy; recalling the spiritual faculties; applying wise energy regardless of the system used; calm as a consequence of faith and confidence; two recollections; don’t let the citta be bound by historical or domestic considerations; willingness to do the work; feeding the citta; mindfulness of the body, the inevitable decay of the body; what is it that evades or finds truth uncomfortable; differing views of Samadhi; the” I-am” looking for support; learning to push away the hindrances through experience; noticing craving, ill will and resistance; using metta, compassion, mudita, upekkha to approach unification of the citta by removal of the 5 hindrances; now is the time to rise up to it; restlessness, boredom, doubt; know them as they are not as myself; this is not worthy of this citta; using the wisdom factor to find appropriate attention; who is that?; feel how it is; going beyond thought; discernment of the release of grasping; the shift moment and the growth of confidence in it; noticing the struggle to find something; what about the measurelessness/ the sign-less?
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