I am intrigued by how we can live the 'holy life' as lay people. How do we erase the imaginary line between formal sitting practice and the rest of our lives? How can we bring full engagement to formal and informal practice? Is it possible to embody, in our lives, the understanding and insight that comes with intensive training? And can we live our lives in a way that expresses and continues to deepen our realization? These questions fuel my practice and my teaching.
I place a lot of emphasis on the Buddha's teaching about mindfulness of the body. The body is a powerful dharma gate. I encourage people to deeply investigate the body and use it as a place of recollection in daily life.
Our individual and cultural habits, our confusion, all require a sincere and ongoing commitment to spiritual life and practice. In order to mature our 'layastic' practice, we need to develop a palette of practices: mindfulness, loving-kindness, inquiry, reflection, precept practice, service, sutta study, etc.
I believe passionate engagement is the foundation of the spiritual path. Spiritual life blossoms when mindfulness is woven with a heartfelt sense of loving-kindness and compassion. With warm mindfulness as the basis of practice, our attachment to identity, roles and experience begins to loosen. As our experience and understanding matures, faith develops. This nourishes a devotion to practice which further deepens our insights.
It is precious to be born in the human realm and have an opportunity to practice and awaken. May we appreciate our inheritance and bring to life the teachings of the Buddha.
The Buddha describes how the intoxication with youth, health and life fell away. What allows for our intoxications to fall away? How does letting go happen? How do we cultivate awareness, kindness, presence and understanding that allow for the alchemy of release?
Mindfulness of the body has the breath at the center and includes all four postures, movement, speaking, listening, feelings and all activity. We can practice mindfulness of the breath and also mindfulness with the breath - developing an enlarged awareness. This practice can take us all the way to enlightenment.
Often the power of mindfulness of the breath is underestimated. This talk illuminates the depth of breath as skillful means to develop samadhi, oneness, intimacy, mystery and awakening.
"We are what we seek." This dharma (often translated as 'truth') is revealed by living a life rooted in the Truth. The teachings value the 'Truth' as a basis for mindfulness and virtue as well as the means to traverse the 4 Noble Truths and the 2 Truths of Relative and Ultimate reality.
Exploring identification and attachment obscures the natural radiance. How dis-identification reveals the nature of mind. Buddha described a luminosity of mind. This talk explores the attachments and conceptualization that veil this luminosity and points us directly at the radiance of mind. Includes a guided meditation. The Buddha point to the luminous nature of mind. Our practice allows for recognition and realization of our natural luminosity.