Vedana, the second foundation of mindfulness, is our simplest response to an experience; a raw effect of an emotion.

"In this particular flavor of global divisiveness, We need options of how to hold all that feels too big for us. And with these practices of the heart, we are given the opportunity to not succumb to hatred and ill - will. And so what I know to offer in difficult times, is love, in the midst of fear, in the midst of dominance "

Includes meditation & dharma talk. (Group discussion has been removed).

Recollecting my mentors, Gina Sharpe and Larry Yang.

Morning Instructions on the first foundation of mindfulness, centering the Karaniya Metta: the Buddha's Words on Loving Kindness.

Going beyond the constructs of the mind, trusting the heart, and upholding the Humane in Times of Destruction.

Undoing the engine of samsara through the four noble truths, the peaceful is ever timelessly present - a bow is a perfect approach to life because it allows us to pause and listen to another pulse - the pulse of the living Dharma.

Non-separative consciousness, beyond the walls of the mind, all is resident in one awareness, compassion as depth listening.

It's important for our teachings and practices to help orient us in relationship to all parts of our lives, including the larger social and political dimensions of our lives. In this session, we explore one core teaching and one central practice that together help us to respond skillfully to differences in political views. The teaching is that of dependent origination, particularly the sequence from contact to grasping. We see how the two forms of reactivity, grasping and pushing away (each potentially manifesting in many ways) result from pleasant and unpleasant feeling-tones, when there is a lack of mindfulness and background habitual tendencies. We can see how the underlying pain, for example, of many working-class people (economic pain; and the pain of feeling disregarded, left behind, and/or not respected), or the pain related to anxiety about changing gender roles, can, especially when manipulated by those in power who provide scapegoats, lead to reactivity. After presenting a model of empathy practice as crucial for bringing our practice to interacting with those with different views, we can also, through such practice, tune in with compassion to the underlying pain, and have a sense of the deep genuine needs, in our examples, for economic well-being, respect, and clarity around gender. We explore all of this in an exercise with the "empathy map," which is followed by discussion. (There were several files shared via screen sharing during the talk. These files can be accessed below and potentially downloaded, by clicking on the "Q" under "Documents," and looking for documents 229, 273, 274, and 275.)