Tara Brach

The Insight Meditation Center of Washington (IMCW) makes available many of Tara Brach's talks which bring a Buddhist perspective to modern psychotherapy practice in a blend that speaks powerfully to the root causes of suffering. Follow the link to access the homw page of Tara Brach and the many audio and video presentations freely available.

http://www.tarabrach.com/index.html

When you Love, The Universe Smiles

William Turns 60!

Such a warm embrace on a wonderfully sunny February day!! A really perfect gathering of friends. With much gratitude!

A poem by Tracy Schmidt

Who with the eyes of discernment
Can percieve the secrets hidden in the magic earth?
Who born on this day
Or any other day
Hears the tender whisper in the night
Calling us?
Who, with all that we are, and are yet to be, can know that
We may not be able to do great things
But we can do small things with great love

And when we remember those small things
Of this life, this hour, this moment,
Who can see those gifts hidden and revealed:
A friend driving us to a place where we can heal
Bringing us food when we could not lift our own mouth
To all that nourishes us
Remembering our strengths
When we have forgotten ourselves

Offering a silent prayer when the ground beneath us swayed
And, in the secret mirror of the universe, held up for us, in this day
Like every other day grace, beauty, and wisdom
Every day, this day, on the occassion of your birthday
That we are so grateful to be gifted with.

Emotions and Self-awareness (Yongey Minygur Rimpoche)

ORDINARILY, our minds are like flags in the wind, fluttering this way and that, depending on which way the wind blows. Even if we don’t want to feel angry, jealous, lonely, or depressed, we’re carried away by such feelings and by the thoughts and physical sensations that accompany them. We’re not free; we can’t see other options, other possibilities.


The goal of attention, or shamatha, practice is to become aware of awareness. Awareness is the basis, or what you might call the “support,” of the mind. It is steady and unchanging, like the pole to which the flag of ordinary consciousness is attached. When we recognize and become grounded in awareness of awareness, the “wind” of emotion may still blow. But instead of being carried away by the wind, we turn our attention inward, watching the shifts and changes with the intention of becoming familiar with that aspect of consciousness that recognizes "Oh, this is what I’m feeling, this is what I’m thinking." As we do so, a bit of space opens up within us. With practice, that space—which is the mind’s natural clarity—begins to expand and settle. We can begin to watch our thoughts and emotions without necessarily being affected by them quite as powerfully or vividly as we’re used to. We can still feel our feelings, think our thoughts, but slowly our identity shifts from a person who defines him- or herself as lonely, ashamed, frightened, or hobbled by low self-esteem to a person who can look at loneliness, shame, and low self-esteem as movements of the mind.

The process is not unlike going to the gym. You have a goal—whether it’s losing weight, building muscles, promoting your health, or some other reason. In order to achieve that goal, you lift weights, jog on a treadmill, take classes, and so on. Gradually, you begin to see the fruits of these activities; and seeing them, you’re inspired to continue.

In the case of attention practice, the important point is to know that the goal is to establish and develop stability of awareness that will allow you to look at thoughts, emotions, and even physical pain without wavering. Bearing that in mind, let’s look at applying the following four steps.

Follow the link for an explanation of the steps involved:

http://www.tricycle.com/dharma-talk/the-aim-attention?page=0,0

Good Dog Bad Dog

Walking the dogs

The sun is shining

and it is so nice

I decide to go sit on a dock

on the Kenilworth lake

behind that house on the corner for sale

The best dock on the lake

So there I am

just grooving on everything

and stuff...

Lucy comes up

and takes a look at the water in the lake...

I am thinking..

oh

she doesn't know what that is

She will just...

look...

no....

she backs up

takes a

flying leap

into the water

5 feet out

from dock

so...

well ...

she can't swim that good

you know

I jump in fully clothed

phone in pocket

(now toast)

swim out to

dog (BAD DOG)

grab her

and

throw her onto dock

clamber out myself

DRENCHED

and walk home

freezing

with one wet dog (BAD DOG)

one dry dog (GOOD DOG)

everyone stares

what happened?

they ask

Don't ask

I say

Lighten Your Load by Alan Kokos (Triangle)

We’re going to look at one of the perfection practices known as the paramis (see below). It’s the practice of nekkhamma, which we translate as “renunciation” or “relinquishing.” It means letting go: letting go of material things as well as views, concepts, ideas to which we may have been clinging for years, things that cause us stress, suffering, dukkha.


A simple action that can be helpful in terms of relinquishing is this: on a regular basis—perhaps once or twice a year— choose something to give away. Not some old relic you don’t care about any more, but something you do care about, that has value to you. There’s no need to go overboard by giving away something that will change your lifestyle or will make the kids resent you for the next twenty years. Give away something you like yet are willing to relinquish. During the entire process of selecting and relinquishing, be mindful of your feelings. This can be more challenging than it may at first appear, but it can help us prepare for the day when we must relinquish all that we hold dear.

Now, what about views and concepts? Relinquishing is the ground for practicing “beginner’s mind.” It helps us see things anew, as they really are; to be willing to listen to the thoughts and ideas of others with an open mind. So the relinquishing of thoughts and ideas about which we have been adamant can give us a sense of freedom, joy, and spaciousness. It can feel as if a weight has been taken from our shoulders. However, this also may be easier said than done. We might wonder, “Am I giving up something that I should believe in?” So relinquishing offers an opportunity to look more deeply at our beliefs.

Sometimes we have been holding onto anger or bitterness related to a particular person or event. Something to think about is: What would I have to give up in order to free myself from this bitterness? We might think, “Well, yes, but what he or she did was absolutely unforgiveable.” Consider the possibility, and I am only saying consider the possibility, that maybe nothing is unforgiveable. Maybe there is a way to find forgiveness even for what we have believed for so long to be unforgiveable. Explore this mindfully.

To forgive does not necessarily mean to forget. Sometimes to forget is not wise, but to forgive is wise. And it is at times not easy. It can, in fact, be quite challenging. It will come as no surprise that one of the most difficult people to forgive can be yourself. Yet with patience and gentle determination, it can be done.

Parami (Pali), Paramita (Sanskrit): literally, perfection, or crossing over (to the other shore).

The paramis are practices that can lead one to the perfection of certain virtuous or ennobling qualities. They are practiced as a way of purifying karma and leading the practitioner on a path to enlightenment. In the Theravada tradition, the ten paramis are dana (generosity), sila (morality), nekkhamma (relinquishing), panna (wisdom), viriya (effort), khanti (patience), sacca (truthfulness), adhitthana (determination), metta (lovingkindness), upekkha (equanimity). In the Mahayana there are six paramitas: generosity, morality, patience, effort, concentration, and wisdom.

It is interesting to note that the parami of generosity comes first, before the other practices, even morality. Some commentators suggest that the list begins with the easiest practice and becomes progressively more challenging. Another view is that until one sees the interconnected nature of phenomena and has a heart open to the needs of all beings, the other paramis can remain beyond reach. With practice, the virtuous qualities become stronger and support one another. Generosity supports relinquishing, which supports morality, which supports truthfulness, which supports wisdom, which supports equanimity, and so forth.

The paramis are seen as the heart of our true nature but greed, hatred, and delusion cause them to become somewhat blurred. Practicing the paramis is said to help us see in a different, more beneficial way. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said, “These deeds, called the perfections, constitute the essential and comprehensive path to enlightenment, combining method and wisdom.” Thus the paramis are important practices for one who seeks to become an awakened being and to end the cycle of samsara, or cyclic existence. The key point to remember is that the paramis are offered not as philosophy but as practices. To be effective, practices need to be practiced.

Taste: A flim by Theo Sturz

Taste from Theo Sturz on Vimeo.