This talk explores the practice of becoming one with the “other,” what we perceive as the unknown. Sometimes the “other” is ourselves – the parts we don’t know or see clearly. Maybe its the sadness that keeps arising, or the longing for something we can’t quite reach. The judgement or fear. To explore this with compassion and presence, we need a sense of safety but also courage.
Metta, or lovingkindness practice, teaches us that all humans have the same needs for safety, well being, and freedom from suffering. The practice of offering kindness to an indifferent person in particular led me to a deeper exploration of what “neutral” or “indifferent” really means. It has completely changed my perspective and expanded my practice. Perhaps it can for you, too.
During this pandemic, especially as we see it strengthening again this summer, fear is a part of the landscape for many. Even for those not directly afraid of the virus, meeting life with its immense uncertainty is often challenging. How do we find a calm steady place in our practice to meet fear and not knowing with equanimity?
We often hear of taking refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. How do we relate to refuge through the lens of an unstable, destabilizing world and political environment and a virus that has upended our lives? In this talk I explore these questions and bring refuge back to this very moment – to the freedom we can find here and now, even in these very challenging times.
With the onset of the Caronavirus, plus the unexpected and highly destructive tornado that cut through middle Tennessee last week, there’s much to throw us from our seat. These suggestions and teachings are aimed at helping you to return to, and even hold, your dharma seat in difficult times.
In this talk I describe my intensive practice with zen koans. I also explain how it laid the groundwork for deep inquiry into challenging life questions and how this practice can lead to insight and liberation. The talk includes a guided inquiry meditation.
The radical teaching of Buddhist mindfulness is cultivating presence when the mind wants to turn away. We begin to remember that all emotions and moods are sankhara – impermanent conditioned states and not our identity. This is a doorway to freedom.
As “devotion” is a loaded of a word some, we can also define it as loving attention and dedication. If you’re a familiar with Mary Oliver’s poetry, you’ll recognize “attention is the beginning of devotion” as a quote from her. In the talk I include a few of her poems that so perfectly reflect how attention leads to devotion through even the everyday elements of life and nature. I also talk about how devotion can be a balancing factor of heart and mind.
This talk explores the powerful and illuminating trifecta of Beginner’s Mind, Don’t Know Mind and Inquiry and the concrete ways they support us in our practice and our lives.
Life is a balance of effort and letting go. This talk explores how we engage in our practice without over striving and find the sweet spot of the middle way.
The Lotus Blooms in The Mud 