Retreats have great difficulties and one of the most difficult is the judging mind. This talk explores hindrances and strategies to counter difficulties.
This is a retreat talk on the journey of awakening, the challenges that come up in practice and the potentials for experiencing freedom. There is also a talk on the 32 parts of the body meditations, the practice, the history and its benefits.
What resources and perspectives help us to practice wise speech when the conditions are difficult? We focus especially on developing a strong "container" (both internal and in the community), and on learning better to work with difficult thoughts and emotions, in the context of speech, giving a number of stories and examples.
My practice is generated by my longing for connection. A longing that has been with me since childhood.
Dharma and creative work both help us marry small self and big self.
The practice is to step forward, over and over, into our own Buddha nature, to express it and give it away. The world is a better place for having its stories told.
In cultivating wise speech, we train in many capacities. Among them is training to listen and speak with an open, loving heart. We explore the nature of the open heart and training in lovingkindness. We then examine what it means to listen, both generally and in speech, and what it means to speak from the heart, including reflection on some typical distortions of such speech.
