Gautam Buddha said he gained nothing from complete awakening. What are our everyday experiences of the magic of less? Trying less does not mean less energy, connection or insight. How little effort is needed to hear a sound or to feel the ground? Simply listening to a friend with ease and no answers can leave room for profound breakthrough. Enjoying moments when “it’s not about me,” moments of silence, or living close to the land…. Perhaps “less” does not need to trigger a sense of lack. We might just be tasting an open mind and our path towards awakening.
With Jaya Julienne Ashmore recorded on April 8, 2018.
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Discover more from the Dharma Library
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Embodying the dharma: contact, curiosity and care.
Recorded :
February 1, 2015 Worldwide Insight talk from Martin Aylward: “Embodying the Dharma: Contact, Curiosity and Care”. Worldwide Insight inaugural session. Guided meditation, Dharma talk and Q&A.
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Adapting meditation practice to activities in daily life.
Recorded :
September 18, 2016 Worldwide Insight talk from Christelle Bonneau: “Adapting Meditation Practice to Activities in Daily Life”. Guided meditation, Dharma talk and Q&A.
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Practicing Belonging in a Divisive World
Recorded :
October 20, 2024 The precepts are often shared on the first night of retreat to kind of go into a social contract of how we’re going to care for one another on retreat, while holding the nobility of silence. And out in the world, without the protection of silence and this commitment, we often forget how deeply we…
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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.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Nathan Glyde – Week of 02 March, 2026
This week’s theme is: Release The Pressure
We often feel pressured to become better-pushed to chase the impossible or to be someone always just out of reach. This same strain can seep into our practice. Yet the Middle Way invites us to soften that drive, releasing unnecessary pressure here and now, and uncovering the steadfast flexibility of wise compassion.
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Samadhi: The Reliable Path to Wisdom, Joy and Happiness
Recorded :
June 9, 2024 Samadhi is the art of nourishing, gathering, and collecting the heart. Highly regarded by the Buddha, this practice relies on honesty and wisdom, reliably leading to joy and happiness, and inclines the heart towards the depth of the path. In this session, we will open a door to cultivating this skill.
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Running the Middle Way
Recorded :
July 29, 2018 What do sitting on the meditation cushion and running have in common? How might this form of movement be included in our mindfulness practice? Brian Dean Williams, both an insight meditation teacher and an avid trail runner, explored this with us at our weekly Sunday session.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Milla Gregor – Week of September 4, 2023
This week’s theme is “Which comes first, your practice or your life?” Does your life support your practice, or your practice your life? For me, things have been shifting recently, leaving me with lots to contemplate, particularly around the overlap between practice and systemic change. I’ll share some ideas and embodied relational techniques for working at these interesting edges, whilst giving you lots of open quiet meditation time, over our five mornings together.
Discussion