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

The Appropriate Response

With Justine Dawson recorded on May 8, 2022.

Found our teachings useful? Help us continue our work and support your teachers with a donation. Here’s how.

When a monk asked the 10th Century Zen master Yunmen, “What are the teachings of a whole lifetime?” Yunmen replied, “An appropriate response.” 
 
What is this appropriate response and how do we know we’ve got it right? Beyond linear formulas, Dharma teachings point to a natural intelligence that guides us in a spontaneous responsiveness to life. No matter our doubt or perfectionism, we can engage our practice towards its revelation.

Listen to the audio version below, or click here to download the mp3.

Discover more from the Dharma Library

  • Vimalasara Mason-John

    Compassion is a Political Act

    This session is invitation for white practitioners and others to join Vimalasara in a discussion on the theme of liberation, the central tenet of Buddhist teachings. No one is liberated until we are all liberated. What if we made explicit that Black Lives Matter was part of the Bodhisattva vow? How would that impact our…

    Read More

  • Jill Satterfield

    The Kindness of Softness and Space

    Softness and spaciousness can be cultivated and called upon when needed.The sensations of softness are reflective of ease and equanimity – the feeling of spaciousness, reflective of non-clinging. Both create a natural letting go, flow and arising of love, kindness and tenderness.Embodiment offers a broad range of skillful means. We’ll invite these qualities and directly…

    Read More

  • Roxanne Dault

    Trust and Surrender: Meeting Life Fully

    As we move through life, we meet change, obstacles and beauty, hardships and love, praise and blame, and all the rest of the winds of life. Our question is then how to meet life with a sense of trust in the unknown and find a place where we can meet it all with more ease and…

    Read More

  • Brian Dean Williams

    S.A.L.S.A.: Using Buddhist practice to Respond to “Spicy” Emotions

    Life presents plenty of opportunities to react unconsciously, often creating harm for ourselves and others. How might we apply our Buddhist practice to “Spicy” situations and emotions, in order to respond wisely? In this session, Brian will draw on Stephen Batchelor’s work and propose a working acronym of “S.A.L.S.A.” to navigate life’s spiciness and act…

    Read More

  • Sophie Boyer

    Daily Meditation Recordings, with Sophie Boyer – Week of March 27, 2022

    This week’s topic is “Movement in Stillness”. The flow of life is unpredictable, and its instability and the changes it presents often throw us off balance. The Buddha suggests adopting an approach where beauty and freedom can emerge at the center of this “movement in stillness.” Throughout this week, we will explore the challenges that arise when facing the realities of birth, life, and death, and how open, stable attention and clear perception can support a deeper understanding of the natural flow of all things.

    Read More

  • Daily Meditation Recordings, with Caverly Morgan – Week of May 25

    We’re very grateful to have Caverly Morgan hosting our Daily Meditation Series for North America. To find out more about Caverly, and to view her past recordings and contributions to Sangha Live, click here. Monday, May 25 Releasing conditioned processes of suffering (part 3) Wednesday, May 27 Knowing awareness, experiencing being Friday, May 29 Embracing…

    Read More

  • Zohar Lavie

    Wise Acceptance

    What is the importance of acceptance and allowing in developing a wise relationship to our practice and our lives? We often try to find a one size fits all approach but like all dynamic things in life we need to be selective about when we use these approaches and understand when they are effective. This…

    Read More

  • Ralph Steele

    The noble jewel of Right Effort

    Right Effort is a jewel within a jewel. We investigate the Four Right Exertions that fuel Right Effort and the Hindrances that attempt to derail our intention. You will gain insight into why the Buddha referenced Right Effort as one of his eight precious disciples, which is a daily chant in the monasteries.

    Read More