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?