Daily Meditation Recordings, with Miles Kessler – Week of October 30, 2023
Miles Kessler
We’re fortunate that Miles Kessler has generously offered to lead our daily meditation sessions for Europe and the UK. To find out more about Miles, 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 “Meditation In A Time Of Crisis“.
As the world spirals into yet another all too frequent crisis, we are once again confronted with our basic human fragility. At times like these, it is not uncommon to be overcome by insecurity, anxiety, and fear with the recognition of your own human vulnerability.
Now more than ever, it’s helpful to rely on your Dharma practice as a refuge. Not as a practice of liberation that gives you refuge FROM the world, but rather as one that gives you refuge IN the world. Join Miles in this week of Meditation In A Time Of Crisis and cultivate your greatest spiritual resource.
There seems to be a sense of disorientation, disjointedness and overall running around in circles happening in the world today. And for some reason, many of us think that we’re the only ones who are feeling it; as if it’s our own personal failing. As we move into the changing of seasons, this is the…
2 Kings. Palace Intrigue. A Murder. 500 Elephants. A nighttime visit to see the Buddha. And that’s just the backstory to one of the Buddha’s deepest teachings: his curriculum for spiritual advancement. Join us as we explore the lessons from the 2nd of the Long Discourses and gain a deeper understanding of how morality, concentration,…
Dharma practice encourages us to see the present moment clearly – to meet and respond to it well. What is here in this moment? Another dimension of practice is to learn to appreciate absence: What is this moment free from? Having skill in both these dimensions brings us closer to the joy and peace that…
There are many ways to practice mindfulness, from the focused and deliberate to the expansive and relaxed. In this session, Diana teaches about natural awareness, which is a wide open, spacious, effortless awareness of awareness. Learn simple meditative shifts and ‘Glimpse Practices’ to connect with our radiant awareness and the innate capacity we all have…
This week’s topic is “The Dharma and the Drama: Illuminating Heart and World”. Each day this week, Martin will offer some brief reflections as an introduction to meditating together, with the dual focus of supporting a deepening meditation practice, and integrating its themes into your daily life and activities.
This week’s theme is “Understanding Suffering”. Dukkha, often translated as suffering, is a central concept in the Buddha’s teachings. This has led some to view Buddhism as adopting a negative outlook on life. But is this true? Why did the Buddha emphasise suffering (dukkha) and what does he mean by this concept? This week of practice we will take an in-depth look into the first noble truth around dukkha. This exploration can help us cultivate compassion, as well as extending it to the larger community. It can free us from feelings of shame and a sense of failure, and bring a fresh perspective on our practice.
Maya Angelou once wrote: “The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” James Baldwin reflected: “Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition.” In The Wiz, Stephanie Mills sang: “When I think of home I think of…