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The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
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Dharma Talks
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2012-10-16
Fundamentals of the Dharma: Self-Uncertainty
55:44
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Rodney Smith
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One of the more common emotional responses to practice is that at times we feel like we are failing in meditation. Nothing seems to be going according to the instructions. We try diligently and then hear that striving will not get us anywhere. We want to like ourselves but are full of self-contempt. We would like to wish everyone lovingkindness, but we do not feel that in our hearts. All of this has us feeling like a spiritual failure. One way to sidestep the thought that our practice is not going well is to remember that our practice is about self-knowledge, and self-knowledge is always working. Like a mirror that always reflects what it sees, it may not be showing us what we want to see, but it is always reflecting back what it sees. The practice is to accommodate what we see, no matter what is reflected back. Just let the reflection show us the state of affairs. Now comes the hard part. Do not attempt to change, judge, or get over what we see. If we want to do something, relax with what we see. Let the built up tension be dispelled. If we try to get over a problem before we understand what the nature of the problem is, we will further complicate our struggle. Much of our struggle is arising from the sense of being a personal failure. In a culture built upon evaluations and comparisons, many of us feel like we are defeated before we begin. We lead with self-uncertainty and for a Dharma practitioner that is the worst possible assumption. Awakening needs everything from us, and self-uncertainty holds us back in timidity. We have to address this assumption head on to end its tyrannical rule.
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Seattle Insight Meditation Society
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In
collection:
Fundamentals of the Dharma
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2012-09-17
“Am I OK?”
58:10
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Sally Armstrong
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Though we receive lots of instructions for our meditation practice on retreats, let’s face it – we spend a lot of time thinking. What do we think about? At the heart of these movements of the mind is answering the questions, “Am I OK?”, “Was I OK?”, and “Will I be OK?” Our obsession with these questions is the cause of a huge amount of restlessness. Restlessness is one of the major hindrances to calming the mind and deepening our meditation, and can be seen as both the cause and the effect of all the other hindrances. The Buddha also talked about this kind of thinking, and called it unwise attention that leads to all kinds of suffering. We need to look at the core issues that lead us to dwell on these questions if we are to create a more skilful relationship to our thoughts.
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Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
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Three-Month Retreat - Part 1
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2012-09-13
Titrating our Dukkha.
54:40
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James Baraz
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Though mindfulness meditation instructions generally suggest paying attention to what is predominant, focusing on overwhelming emotions especially those rooted in trauma is often not beneficial. This talk, which includes the Buddha's teachings on working with difficult emotions as well as theory from Somatic Experiencing (SE)—an approach to working with trauma—explores how to work with intense emotions by touching them a little at a time.
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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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IMCB Regular Talks
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2012-08-01
Back to the Garden
1:16:45
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Tara Brach
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The suffering of perceiving ourselves as separate selves expresses as fear, aggression, shame and a host of other afflictive emotions. This talk examines how, by taking refuge in the present moment, and taking refuge in love, we reconnect with our wholeness, and the timeless presence that is home. This inquiry includes a guided meditation on the power of prayer to carry us back to our natural belonging.
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Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
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IMCW Wednesday Evening Talks
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2012-07-14
Equanimity in Our Daily Life: Awakening to Our True Nature #1
54:39
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Bhante Buddharakkhita
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What does it means to be awake from moment to moment? Do you have difficulties in finding balance in your life? Are you centered and grounded in your daily life? We will explore the last two of the seven factors of awakening: Concentration and Equanimity. When mindfulness and concentration practice gains momentum, we will begin to find balance in our daily life. Equanimity will organically arise and serve as a supporting factor on the path to inner-peace, true happiness and final awakening.
The day will include mindfulness of walking, sitting, standing, discussion group, guided meditation instructions, question and answer session, and Dhamma talks.
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New York Insight Meditation Center
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NYI Regular Talks
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