Scientists have documented some significant and measurable changes that occur as a result of meditation. But Buddhist practice is not limited to calm, pleasant, relaxing states of meditation. The liberating path includes a broad range of practices that produce a wide variety of benefits. We learn how we encounter the world of the senses; we unravel distortions of perception. We weaken defilements. We learn to let go. In this talk, Shaila Catherine points to the liberating potential of the path.
Discover more from the Dharma Library
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Spiritual Friendship: The Whole of the Path
Recorded :
December 7, 2025 We exist within a web of relatedness. Much of our stress and suffering arises in relationships. The troubles of this world too, can often be traced to a breakdown in relationship; with ourselves, with one another and with the more-than-human world. More than ever, it feels vital to bring the benefits of meditation practice off…
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Exploring Vastness of Awareness Practice
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May 26, 2024 In this session we’ll explore opening to the practices of vastness of awareness. Through listening and sensing we will open up to a sense of spaciousness and explore letting go within it.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Martin Aylward and Zohar Lavie – Week of September 28, 2020
With Martin Aylward and Zohar Lavie
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Time and Timelessness: Finding Refuge, Finding Inspiration
Recorded :
October 30, 2022 Certain moments, events and experiences open our awareness beyond the everyday to a sense of something more eternally present. Meditation points our attention to just this place, which the poet TS Eliot called ‘the point of intersection of the timeless with time’. Contemplating life from such a perspective we can often find fresh resources of…
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Practicing for the love of it.
Recorded :
January 17, 2016 Before the session Martin wrote: “A Burmese teacher once told a friend of mine to always enjoy his practice. We love meditation in theory, and we want to grow and transform, and we certainly would like to be liberated from our suffering. And yet! We easily turn meditation into a chore, and feel discouraged by…
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Ulla Koenig – Week of October 4, 2021
This week’s theme is: Meeting the Bodily Companion
Mindfulness of the body is a key aspect of practice. When we’re in contact with our bodies, we root ourselves in the present moment and find refuge from obsessive thinking. These sessions serve a renewal of our relationship with our lifelong companion: the body. Movement, breathing, skilfully applied imagination, etc. will provide creative ways to deepen an embodied way of life. Everybody will be able to join in these gentle but powerful practices. Make sure you have enough space to comfortably stretch your arms to all sides and consider practicing standing or lying down during these sessions, depending on your level of energy.
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Wise Mindfulness will Protect You
Recorded :
April 13, 2025 Awareness isn’t something you make. It’s already here when you pause and notice. Mindfulness knows the good and helps it grow happily. It also knows the difficult and helps us hold it with care. Join us to explore how wise mindfulness protects us, bringing kindness and wisdom to each moment.
