Category Archives: Practice

205 – I am of the nature to die

Posted on April 10, 2012 by

Continuing with some thoughts on the Five Remembrances in post 202: For any concept to truly influence our worldview and how we live, it must go beyond the idea stage and be integrated into our very being. So it is … Continue reading →

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204 – The Importance of Form

Posted on April 1, 2012 by

Over the years, I’ve encountered many fellow practitioners who are very concerned with “proper sitting form.” When I first began formal practice, I also was concerned about achieving a respectable lotus or half lotus position, believing that this was the … Continue reading →

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203 – Transcendent Joy

Posted on March 26, 2012 by

i am spring delirious besotted with the scent of hyacinth outside my front door enamored of flowering trees amazed at new leaves not visible yesterday i am in love with spring what joy to have this early warm spell to … Continue reading →

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198 – The True Teaching

Posted on December 10, 2011 by

The following is from this month’s Full Moon Journal from the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. The translation is by senior scholar, Andrew Olendzki. Andy is one of my teachers, and I have always found his sutta, commentary and poetry … Continue reading →

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196 – Cultivating Gratitude and Other Wholesome States

Posted on November 17, 2011 by

As Thanksgiving season approaches, I like to reflect on gratitude and focus my practice in that direction, although if you search this blog using the key word “gratitude,” you’ll find it’s a favorite topic throughout the year. A wonderful thing … Continue reading →

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195 – Quenching the Fires

Posted on November 14, 2011 by

The fuel that keeps us bound in suffering is, in a word, grasping. If we neither cling to nor push away our experience, there’s no problem. The Buddha’s metaphor for grasping and its effect on us is fire. Thus, the … Continue reading →

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194 – Weightless Giving

Posted on November 13, 2011 by

Dana, the Pali word usually translated as “generosity,” has become quite common in Buddhist circles, but it’s true spirit is not well understood. I think this is because its meaning has been diluted by many Western Buddhist organizations and teachers … Continue reading →

Posted in Dhamma Discussion, Dhamma Matters, Practice | 2 Comments

192 – Mental Noting in Practice

Posted on October 20, 2011 by

Using mental noting in your meditation practice can be helpful in keeping the mind focused on direct experience in the present moment. What we are attempting to do within the scope of the teachings is increase awareness of moments of … Continue reading →

Posted in Dhamma Matters, Practice, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

190 – Meditations

Posted on October 18, 2011 by

Sitting Practice I It’s soooo delicious being here NOW Feeling the breath tickle my nose The rise and fall of my belly The ache in my left knee The kink in my right side But I am here in the … Continue reading →

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189 – A Moment of Freedom

Posted on October 17, 2011 by

What would it be like to be with our experience without holding on to it? If you can imagine such a state you are experiencing a moment of awakening. It is what happens when the sense doors make contact with … Continue reading →

Posted in Background on Buddhism, Dhamma Discussion, Dhamma Matters, Insight Practice, Practice, Teachers, Vipassana | 4 Comments