This talk explores the second foundation of mindfulness, the feeling tone (vedana -- pleasant, unpleasant, neither pleasant nor unpleasant) and the teachings in the Sallatha Sutta (SN 36.6) on the second arrow.

Tonight we will review the Buddha's teaching on the Seven Factors of Awakening. There are the inherent qualities of mind that when recognized and developed in balance with each other inevitably lead onward to awakening. They include mindfulness, investigation, energy/persistence, joy, tranquility, concentration/steadiness and equanimity. Joseph Goldstein calls these factors, "The sap that runs through the Buddha's tree of liberation; a powerful healing medicine that we must actually develop in our own minds." In the Buddhist tradition, it is thought that just to be reminded of these inherent qualities, to bring them to mind, is considered to be deeply healing and protecting. Are we willing to learn to recognize them, and learn how to feed or strengthen these aspects of the mind. Here is a link to the Ahara Sutta, a discourse of the Buddha's where he describes how to strengthen and weaken the factors of awakening This discourse also describes how to feed and weaken the five hindrances

This is the 4th talk in a 5-part speaker series titled "Balanced Practice." Shaila Catherine explores the compassion of protecting others and the wisdom of protecting oneself through the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness guards the mind and protects the mind from sliding into actions based upon unwholesome tendencies. Mindfulness also protects us from the unmindful actions that could easily cause harm. Mindfulness has a capacity of naturally drawing everything into balance, so the mind progresses with a balance of effort and ease, of tranquility and investigation, and of calm concentrated state and engaged state.

The teaching, relevancy and understanding of Karma, which is one of Buddhism's central themes, is really quite accessible and even quite ordinary. It's not something to be believed in, but rather it is to be understood as we come to see and know it in operation. Karma is 'action' or 'deed'. In the context of the Dharma it is defined as "action based on intention". This talk explores how through clarifying and purifying our intentions via mindfulness based Buddhist meditation practice we can free ourself from the actions that repeatedly throw is into suffering……free ourself from repeatedly being re-born into the realm of suffering.

A description of what embodied mindful presence actually looks like, and how one can cultivate this presence

Every moment we are planting seeds of suffering or seeds of happiness. Through mindfulness, we are cultivating letting go and generosity (non-greed), kindness and love (non-hatred) and clarity and wisdom (non-delusion)

This talk begins with the 3 kinds of Dukkha and Tanha (Craving). It then outlines how mindfulness transforms Dukkha through (1) HOW we focus, (2) WHAT we focus on and the (3) VIEW we take in our focus.

Loving awareness - mindfulness and compassion arising together

Relationship of mindfulness, equanimity, and emotional regulation

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.

These regularly scheduled evenings will begin with a guided meditation and then open up to our practice questions allowing us time to deepen in Sangha through mindful community discussion.

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.

Compassion is a central quality in life and practice - and is a beautiful expression of an awakened life. This talk explores what compassion is and how it can be developed and integrated into mindful awareness.

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?

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?

1. On energy and breathing; 2. On 'traffic lights' 3. Moderating the practice 4. On dealing with rapture; 5. On world-weariness & death; 6. On choiceless awareness; 7. Mindful responses to sense contact; 8. On 'not being good enough'; 9. On fatigue

This day of Insight Meditation will follow the Buddha's Way of Mindfulness, Concentration and Love, illustrating how each of us can move from clinging and attachment to freedom, from confusion to clarity and from tension to ease of well-being.

This day of Insight Meditation will follow the Buddha's Way of Mindfulness, Concentration and Love, illustrating how each of us can move from clinging and attachment to freedom, from confusion to clarity and from tension to well- being.

This one slogan can be a reminder of how to sustain mindfulness as we leave the retreat. What we’ll notice is that most of the time, right now there is dukkha caused by the underlying ‘me’ sense. Meditation is an essential part of our spiritual training, but not the only part. Working in community is an invaluable aspect of spiritual training – it provided a context where we can get past the ‘me’ sense and get to the ‘we’ sense.

How to work with sexual desire/energy; self-guilt; what does ‘body in the body’ mean; mindfulness while sleeping; stepping back is a precursor to meditation; is inner chatter harmful; doing without tanha; what to do when mind becomes quiet; balancing doubt and faith

In the spirit of beginning again and with a renewed zeal for the promised goal of a mind liberated from suffering and a heart available for impartial compassionate response, this day is spent practicing Mindfulness and Metta Meditation.

In the spirit of beginning again and with a renewed zeal for the promised goal of a mind liberated from suffering and a heart available for impartial compassionate response, this day is spent practicing Mindfulness and Metta Meditation.

New Year's Retreat

How to contemplate on death and sickness; “Russial doll”contemplation of body; how to practice for insight; mindfulness as a refuge in busy city life

Liberation requires clearing citta of its contracted state. We can learn to care for our citta, to know what lifts and steadies it to bring it out of contraction. In meditation we try to concentrate and feel even more constricted. Opening up the body and accessing the vitality that comes from mindfulness of breathing can have a calming effect.

An essential element of mindfulness practice is to cultivate a willingness to be with our experience just as it is. Consciously cultivating qualities of deep-rooted acceptance, kindness, and interest in our experience supports freeing our minds and opening our hearts.

The meditative process includes active exploration of body, heart, mind, self and other - the whole of Reality. In addition to mindful awareness and kindness, waking up evokes our curiosity, wonder and intelligence as we discover the fullness of humanity living in each of us.

The meditative process includes active exploration of body, heart, mind, self and other - the whole of Reality. In addition to mindful awareness and kindness, waking up evokes our curiosity, wonder and intelligence as we discover the fullness of humanity living in each of us.

Desire is intrinsic to our aliveness, yet when we have unmet needs, it can possess us. This talk explores how to relax open the grip of wanting and heal the suffering of addiction. You will learn how to bring mindfulness and compassion to the roots of desire, and be carried home to open loving presence. “Recovery is also about spirit – about dealing with that ‘hole in the soul’ … so how does this hole get filled and become holy space?”

An exploration of the importance, personally and socially, of practicing with fear. We work especially with these tools: (1) mindfulness and the study of fear (What is fear? How does it manifest in the body, emotions, and thinking); (2) heart practices like metta and compassion; and (3) developing wise and skillful responses.

Getting to know the five faculties of faith, energy, mindfullness, concentration and wisdom that make up the meditating mind.

Discusses untangling "Karmic Knots" - 6 stages of mindfulness.

We explore what mindfulness is and how to begin to cultivating a mindfulness practice, as well as begin to understand how we bring this wakeful capacity to everything we do.

We explore what mindfulness is and how to begin to cultivating a mindfulness practice, as well as begin to understand how we bring this wakeful capacity to everything we do.

This talk by Dawn Neal is the third in a speaker series titled "Eight-Fold Path of Awakening." Mindfulness is an important component of the Eightfold Path and supports the development of the other Path factors. By practicing Right Mindfulness, we can become aware of any state of mind and soften habitual reactions such as blame and inner criticism.

This talk explores the 1st Foundation Of Mindfulness, with particular attention to the gift of being with dying