May 2016

What is gratitude? The word comes from the Latin roots gratia, meaning “favor,” and gratus, meaning “pleasing.” All words that are generated from these roots have to do with thankfulness,…

Something we were withholding made us weak, until we found it was ourselves. Robert Frost   Our shadow are those aspects of ourselves that we have rejected because they did…

People tend to speak to us as they have heard us speak. If we are known to exaggerate or lie, others find it easier to lie to us. If we…

The following are some thoughts regarding “Right Livelihood.” After each statement, please consider how your livelihood does or does not reflect what is being shared. If you find that your…

    The Buddha talked about not engaging in “sexual misconduct” as one of the five principal precepts to be followed by all people interested in spiritual development. Sexual misconduct…

The following are three discourses given by the Buddha in relation to patience. The third one is a story that posits a model of what it means to truly be…

The ten laws governing material “stuff”: Stuff breeds. The more you have the more you need. The useless stuff crowds out the good stuff. Dust, bugs, and moisture all love…

Unless we resolve fear we live in darkness…As human beings we must resolve this problem, because if we cannot, we cannot possibly live righteously…and unless one is totally free of…

  When we begin to practice mindfulness of letting go, we often stumble on fear. Fear arises because of an insecure, emotional, or greedy attachment to ideas, concepts, feelings, or…

  Father Time is not always a hard parent, and, though he tarries for none of his children, often lays his hand lightly upon those who have used him well;…

  A Reflection on Being Faced with Cancer   I would pay a great deal of attention to the inner healing process that I hoped a cancer diagnosis would trigger…

  From the Physical and Psychological Perspective   Statistics regarding chronic pain:   Over 11 million people experience migraine headaches   23 million people have chronic back pain   37…

  A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.   Chinese Proverb   We may read about people who are afraid…

  The Buddha’s Thoughts on Death and Dying   (Some are just partial sutras – there are no sutra reference numbers)   #1 Of all ploughing, ploughing in the autumn…

Writing your Obituary Please write your obituary using the following information: ___________________________ died today at the age of __________. A              (Your Name)   resident of  __________________________ , he/she died of…

Dear Yogis This is the final exercise of the  preparatory material for the Great Satipatthana Sutta. Next month we will begin moving through the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Sutta. I…

  The way we will work with the sutra is to first quote the Buddha’s words. This will be followed by a commentary and specific meditation instructions.   Please do…

Dear Yogi you may want to  review the definitions in the previous meditation instruction so that words such as contemplating are not misunderstood. Please read the sutra and commentaries and…

Cultivating Sufficient Concentration for Insight   As we continue to focus on the breath, it is inevitable that our mind will be attracted by experiences that it finds more  interesting.…

Breath Awareness throughout the Day   To support the development of concentration (and insight), we need to have a continuity of awareness throughout the day. We accomplish this by bringing…

The Sutra   Insights   In this way, in regard to the body he abides contemplating the body internally, or he abides contemplating the body externally, or he abides contemplating…

  The Sutra   Full Awareness   Again, bhikkhus (a bhikkhu is any one on a spiritual path), a bhikkhu is one who acts in full awareness when going forward…

  The Sutra   Full Awareness   Please add the following clear comprehension of suitability to your practice of clear comprehension of purpose. This  exercise completes the discussion of the…

The Sutra   The Nature of the 32 Parts of the Body   Again, Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu reviews this same body up from the soles of the feet and down…

The Sutra   The Elements   Again, Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu reviews this same body, however it is placed, however disposed, as consisting of elements thus: “In this body there are…

Helping Our Children Understand Death ( From TRICYCLE MAGAZINE ONLINE)   The Buddha taught that awareness of our death helps us live a happier and more meaningful life, and enables…

We now explore the second Foundation of Mindfulness- Mindfulness of Feelings  (Vedana in pali).   Some introduction to terminology is in order:   “Worldly” experiences refers to those sense experiences…

Reiterating  from last month, recall the definition of the word “feelings” as it is used in this Sutta. In Pali (the language of the Buddhist suttas) “feelings” are not emotions,…

The Discourse of the Third Foundation of Mindfulness   “And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu dwell contemplating mind in mind?     Here one knows a mind affected by lust…

The Discourse (from the Third Foundation) “Here one knows a mind affected by greed as a mind affected by greed, and a mind unaffected by greed to be without greed.…

A highly regarded teacher in the Theravada tradition, Joseph Goldstein suggests two meditations for the Third Foundation of mindfulness. Apply them throughout the day whenever they are relevant. The first…

The Sutta (from the Third Foundation) “In this way, one dwells contemplating mind as mind internally, or dwells contemplating mind as mind externally, or dwells contemplating mind as mind both…

The Discourse One knows a contracted mind as being contracted, and a distracted mind as being distracted. One knows an exalted mind as being exalted, and an unexalted mind to…

(“Dhammas” is sometimes translated as “Mind-Objects”) We now begin the Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness, which is the culmination of practice in this Sutra. The Five Hindrances Sutra And how does…

The Five Hindrances Sutra And how, bhikkhus (practictioners) does a bhikkhu dwell contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects? Here aone dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in terms of the five hindrances. And…

The Five Hindrances ( hindrances to a peaceful mind) Sutra And how, does one dwell contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects? Here one dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in terms of the…

The Five Hindrances The Sutra And how, bhikkhus does a bhikkhu dwell contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects? Here a bhikkhu dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in terms of the five hindrances.…

The Five Hindrances Sutra section pertaining to Mind Objects And how does one dwell contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects? Here one dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in terms of the five…

The Five Aggregates FIRST AGGREGATE  BODY/FORM Sutra Again, one dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in terms of the five aggregates affected by clinging. And how does a one dwell contemplating…

The Five Aggregates The Sutra #7 FEELINGS/VEDANA Again, one, dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in terms of the five aggregates affected by clinging. And how does one dwell contemplating mind-objects…

The Five Aggregates (five focuses of a mind that clings to a sense of self) Sutra Again, one dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in terms of the five aggregates affected…

The Five Aggregates.  Remember! the Five “Aggregates” are the five focuses of a mind that still clings to a sense of self!! Sutra Again, one dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects…

The Five Aggregates (The five focuses of a mind that clings to a sense of self) Sutra    Again, one dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in terms of the five aggregates…

The Six Sense-Spheres PART I Sutra: Again, one dwells contemplating mind-objects (dhammas) as mind- objects (dhammas) in terms of the six internal and six external sense- spheres. And how does…

The Seven Enlightenment (Awakening) Factors Sutra: Again, bhikkhus, one dwells contemplating mind-objects (dhammas) as mind-objects (dhammas) in terms of the seven enlightenment factors. And how does one dwell contemplating mind-objects…

The Seven Enlightenment (Awakening) Factors Sutra If the investigation-of-dhammas enlightenment factor is present … one knows “There is the investigation of Dhammas enlightenment factor in me”; or if the investigation…

The Seven Enlightenment (Awakening) Factors Sutra Again, bhikkhus, one dwells contemplating mind-objects (dhammas) as mind-objects (dhammas) in terms of the seven enlightenment factors. And how does one dwell contemplating mind-objects…

The Seven Enlightenment (Awakening) Factors (Seven Qualities of an Awakened Mind) Sutra Again, bhikkhus, one dwells contemplating mind-objects (dhammas) as mind-objects (dhammas) in terms of the seven enlightenment factors. And…

The Seven Enlightenment (Awakening) Factors Sutra Again, one dwells contemplating mind-objects (dhammas) as mind-objects (dhammas) in terms of the seven enlightenment factors. And how does a bhikkhu dwell contemplating mind-objects…

The Seven Enlightenment (Awakening) Factors Sutra Again, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating mind-objects (dhammas) as mind-objects (dhammas) in terms of the seven enlightenment factors. And how does a bhikkhu dwell…