Use code SUMMERPRACTICE for a 25% discount on all On Demand Courses through August 31.

Search Sangha Live

Daily Meditation Recordings, with James Rafael – Week of January 8, 2024

James Rafael

James Rafael

We’re fortunate that James Rafael has generously offered to lead our daily meditation sessions for Europe and the UK. To find out more about James, and to view his other contributions to Sangha Live, click here. Recordings will be posted by the end of the day of the live session.

 

This week’s topic is “New Year Habits and Hindrances”

 

In this week’s sessions we’ll explore how engaging with the Buddha’s teachings on the ‘5 Hindrances’ can help establish or deepen the habit of a daily meditation practice.

 

If you’re new to meditation, this framework offers ways to engage with common challenges we may face; “I can’t sit still’, “My mind is just too busy”, “I’m just not sure if this is working”.

 

If you have a consistent, established practice, revisiting the hindrances can be a gateway to access deeper levels of concentration (samatha), and the subsequent, often profound, insight (vipassana) which follows.

 

The 5 hindrances (obstacles) and the Buddha’s Pond

January 8, 2024

Hindrances in the suttas (ancient texts); tips for breaking / forming habits

January 9, 2024

Challenges and compassion; tips for working with sleepiness or restlessness

January 10, 2024

Doubt, shame, and the story of Mara

January 11, 2024

Deepening our practice, the forest pool, and habits

January 12, 2024

Discover more from the Dharma Library

  • Acting on Behalf of Consciousness

    Recorded : January 10, 2021

    As we move into this new year, most of us are ready to leave 2020 behind. So much hardship, for so many, has arisen in the last year. Many of us felt more isolated, more separate, than ever before. As we transition into 2021, rather than live and act on behalf of that felt sense…

    Read More

  • James Baraz

    Groundlessness: Letting Go Into the Unknown

    Recorded : January 26, 2025

    Pema Chödrön writes, “It’s not impermanence per se, or knowing we’re going to die, that is the cause of our suffering. Rather, it’s our resistance to the fundamental uncertainty of our situation.” The truth of impermanence means that ultimately there is nothing we can rely on for lasting happiness. We will investigate the underlying feeling…

    Read More

  •

    Mindful Intentions: From Pressure to Growth

    Recorded : July 18, 2021

    What effect does it have if we practice mindfulness and meditation motivated by the fundamental assumption that there is something wrong with us? Perspectives such as ‘not being good enough’ or being ‘damaged goods’ can turn our practice into a painstaking attempt to improve ourselves. During this session we will inquire into our motivations for…

    Read More

  • Stephen Fulder

    Welcoming the Beyond

    Recorded : February 9, 2020

    What is beyond the ordinary mind? What is beyond thought? How can we access a consciousness that is open, free and limitless? How can we dive into the ocean instead of being tossed by the waves? The dharma is in its essence a spiritual journey and the character of the path is to meet, engage…

    Read More

  • Miles Kessler

    Daily Meditation Recordings, with Miles Kessler – Week of 27 July, 2026

    This week’s theme is: The Simple Feeling Of Being & Becoming . The Simple Feeling of Being and Becoming is the direct felt sense of pure non-dual Presence as it unfolds within an ever-changing world. During this week of daily meditations, you will explore the ever-present background of awareness that exists prior to every state, sensation, insight, or realization. Theravāda Buddhists understand this as the knowing quality of awareness before identification; in Zen, it is often called our original face before thinking arises. Through meditation, reflection, and inquiry, you will explore this ever-present ground, bringing greater clarity, freedom, and ease to your practice and your life. Our Dharma Library thrives through collective generosity. Your donation helps sustain this offering for our entire community.

    Read More