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 practice and suggest some alternative perspectives which can offer a sense of freedom, peace of mind and acceptance.
Discover more from the Dharma Library
-
On Teachings and Teachers
Recorded :
March 17, 2018 People often ask about the importance (or not) of working closely with a teacher. One can benefit greatly from general meditation instruction, but personalised guidance from someone who knows you and your practice well can be deeply helpful. In this session, Martin speaks about approaching teachers for guidance and about the dynamics of the teacher-student…
-
The Whole of the Holy Life: Celebrating Buddhist Community on Māgha Pūjā 2567
Recorded :
February 25, 2024 This weekend is the Buddhist full moon ritual known as Māgha Pūjā, one of the three great festival days in the Theravāda Buddhist calendar, also known as “Saṅgha Day,” celebrating the spiritual community. The tradition remembers a day when the first 1,250 arahant (fully awakened) disciples all spontaneously returned from their travels and came together with the…
-
Mindfulness of sympathetic joy.
Recorded :
February 14, 2016 Sympathetic Joy (mudita) is one of the four noble qualities recommended by the Buddha on the path of awakening. Such joy arises from appreciating the good fortune of self and others.
-
The practice of pleasure and delight (or the spiritual art of having fun).
Recorded :
April 22, 2018 Dharma teachings importantly emphasise suffering, compassion, renunciation, desire, non-reactivity, peacefulness. All these are potent themes, yet ones which can make our practice feel overly heavy, unnecessarily serious, maybe even uptight! Dharma practice equally points us towards a playful nature, light-heartedness and ease, delight and the capacity to really enjoy life. Especially when we can get…
-
Wholehearted living.
Recorded :
March 12, 2017 How do we transform habits of dissatisfaction and distraction, and invite real spaciousness and openness in our day-to-day lives? Becoming intimate, moment by moment, with living reality expands our life-perspective and attunes us to what really matters in life. Leela will explore the nature of love and the implications of loving whatever arises.
-
Natural Wisdom
Recorded :
July 5, 2020 In the modern world, it’s easy to forget our intimate connection with all of life. But with recent global events and movements, we’ve been both confronted and inspired by the deep impact our actions have on one another. From a Buddhist perspective, being aware is our true nature. What role might the natural world play…
-
What Am I Doing In Here
Recorded :
April 3, 2022 The practice of Mindfulness from breath to breath is essential. If you have knowledge of the Four Noble Truths then you have the foundation; only practice is needed to gain insight into the Dharma. As we go through our daily activities, working with the masculine and feminine elements within us, it takes the Right View…
-
Dzogchen Meditation: Spacious Ease Cultivating Stillness, Thought Activity and Awareness
Recorded :
January 14, 2024 Dzogchen (Sanskrit: Ati Yoga) is the most simple, direct, and profound Vajrayana Buddhist path to reveal the sky-like nature of our own mind which is clear, vast, and unobstructed by the clouds of afflictive emotions. Join Lama Justin for an introduction to Dzogchen meditation in which we will explore how to feel into the mind’s…
