Our founding and guiding teacher Martin Aylward reflects on the importance of being nourished and uplifted by our practice. He looks at the nature of happiness and our sometimes difficult relationship with pleasure; explore opening up to joy, and point to ways in which dharma practice is fulfilling and freeing.
With Martin Aylward recorded on September 24, 2017.
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Discover more from the Dharma Library
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Milla Gregor – Week of 21 September, 2026
This week’s theme is: Peeking Through the Windows of History . The meditation practices we love today have roots in an array of Buddhisms, in India and around the world. How did these travel and develop? What ideas got kept, dropped, combined or invented along the way? Join us to explore this flow of history, to deepen your understanding and pay respect to our ancestors. There may be surprises. Our Dharma Library thrives through collective generosity. Your donation helps sustain this offering for our entire community.
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Trust and confidence: one of the five great spiritual powers
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June 11, 2017 Trust is like pouring oil on troubled waters; it smooths the way. We don’t need to take so much trouble to build our walls. We can let go and let life sweep through us. It is one of the five powers (Bala) along with energy, mindfulness, serenity and wisdom.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Jaya Rudgard – Week of November 16, 2020
We’re fortunate that Jaya Rudgard has generously offered to lead our daily meditation sessions for Europe and the UK. To find out more about Jaya, click here.
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Exploring Practice: What it is, and Why we do it
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September 17, 2023 What does it mean to practice? The term carries many interpretations and meanings. In this session, we won’t offer what practice should or shouldn’t mean for you; instead, we’ll embark on a journey of exploration. We’ll discover how each of us can find our practice in every moment.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Martin Aylward – Week of 16 February, 2026
This week’s theme is: Going Gently Through the Dark
A week of practice together, navigating both the darkness of winter and the inner states that can also feel dark, barren, wintry. A week of meditation and of community, of teachings and practice, or reminding ourselves of the preciousness and the possibilities of a flourishing human life.
Our Dharma Library thrives through collective generosity. Your donation helps sustain this offering for our entire community.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Martin Aylward – Week of 14 April, 2025
We’re honored to have Martin Aylward offering our Daily Meditation sessions this week. We hope they are nourishing for your practice.
This week’s theme is: This is it: Every Moment Practice
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Christine Kupfer – Week of September 2, 2024
This week’s topic is “Freeing The Heart-Mind From Doubt”. Doubt is like any other mind state. But it is a tricky one and can be a sticky one. It’s questioning component is a means for liberation, but it can also suck us into a maze. Lets explore doubt and free the heart-mind this week in the light of the Buddha’s teachings, presence and meditation.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Jaya Rudgard – Week of Jan 31, 2022
Embodied and Awake: Meditations for Body, Heart and Mind.
Mind, body and emotion form a constant feedback loop. As the traditional teachings on mindfulness make clear, all three equally deserve our interested, caring attention. When mindfulness is balanced in this way our whole being benefits. Our practice this week will include some gentle movements and mindful breathing practices as a prelude to each day’s meditation. These can be done seated or standing, or adapted for lying down, according to your ability and levels of energy.
Each morning this week we’ll dive into one of the images from the natural world and daily life that the Buddha used to explain his teachings. Let’s see how how these similes and metaphors from the Buddhist texts can support our understanding and enrich our practice. We may also discover how practising with them can enhance our appreciation of the world around us.
Discussion