85 Practicing after the retreat

Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

#Buddhist #Religion #Buddhism #Shamatha #Buddha #Meditation #Immeasurable #Dharma #Diego Gonzalez #B. Alan Wallace #Spiritual Beings

35:02

The healing power of fitness goes far beyond physical benefits—for today’s guest, it’s a form of self-expression and a celebration of what the body can do. In this episode, host Nora McInerny sits down with fitness personality Ivylis Rivera, who shares her deeply personal journey of navigating life with Chronic Migraine while holding onto her passion for movement. Ivylis opens up about the struggle of staying active while facing the fear of triggering a headache or migraine attack and the resilience it takes to keep pushing forward—a resilience that carried her through the challenging journey of finding a Chronic Migraine treatment plan that worked for her. Join Nora and Ivylis as they explore the concept of “soft living,” a philosophy Ivylis embraces—staying active, listening to your body, and building trust in oneself. Click here for Product Information, including Boxed Warning and Medication Guide, or visit https://abbv.ie/prescribing_info See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

14 years ago 1:40:20

MP3•Episode home

Non-guided meditation (7:18) on shamatha practice of our choice.

Questions (33:02)
Q1a) It takes one countless eon to achieve the Path of Seeing. Why not take the shravaka path of realizing selflessness and using that wisdom from the very start?
Q1b) Where are we after achieving shamatha and vipashyana?
Q2a) Please tell us about Sakya Dagmo-la
Q2b) What is Samantabhadra’s pure land of Akanishta?
Q3) Who are Alan’s 2 principal teachers?
Q4a) How can we practice shamatha during ngöndro?
Q4b) I haven’t had any success with lucid dreaming, so are there easier practices?
Q5) Please give advice on preparing for retreat.
Q6) In Settling the Mind, is there subtle preference in letting thoughts arise in free association?
Q7) Since dzogchen is less complex and possibly easier for realizing clear light mind, why did the New Translation Schools move away from this towards the stages of generation and completion practices?

97 episodes

85 Practicing after the retreat

Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

published 14 years ago

MP3•Episode home

Non-guided meditation (7:18) on shamatha practice of our choice.

97 episodes

#Buddhist #Religion #Buddhism #Shamatha #Buddha #Meditation #Immeasurable #Dharma #Diego Gonzalez #B. Alan Wallace #Spiritual Beings

All episodes

Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

1
97 Finishing with loving kindness (and a lovely ceremony) 58:17

14 years ago58:17

58:17

We come to our very last session with a meditation on loving kindness and dedication of merit (0:50) Afterwards our group prepared such a lovely closing ceremony that we figured other people might like to cultivate some empathetic joy :) Thank you for listening! If you found these wonderful teachings beneficial and would like to help continue this vision, please consider making a donation to help support all these projects You can do so by going to http://www.sbinstitute.com/donations…

Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

1
96 For a moment, everything can be ok 38:33

14 years ago38:33

38:33

We come to the last day of the retreat, where Alan invites us to reboot our mind by way of shamatha. Silent meditation starts at 01:16 Afterwards Alan shares a story and shows us how through shamatha, for a moment everything can be ok

Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

1
95 From chaos to calm 58:23

14 years ago58:23

58:23

Alan leads the group, who has started talking now, through a shamatha session (02:13) designed to bring the mind down from agitation to calm. He speaks to a question (35:53) regarding the Dzogchen view of rigpa and the extent to which one can provide a reason as to why one who awakens from the dream of reality won’t fall asleep again. Note: The first 5 or 10 seconds were missing because Alan started talking before the computer had finished loading. Sorry about that! We were coming back from our (hectic) group photo session so he was talking about that, and that's also why this session is shorter.…

Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

1
94 Infusing the day with shamatha 27:34

14 years ago27:34

27:34

Alan briefly speaks on how to infuse a busier day with shamatha and mindfulness. He also announces that he will do 6 months retreat at the end of 2012, so there will be no 8 week shamatha retreat in Spring 2013. Silent meditation starts at 01:38

Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

1
93 The tornado of OCDD 1:45:46

14 years ago1:45:46

1:45:46

There are three strategies to protect from the tornado of thoughts in the mind. The first is to go to a shelter which is mindfulness of breathing – releasing and releasing the thoughts. The second is the tornado chasers who learn a great deal about tornadoes without getting caught in them – that is settling the mind in its natural state. The third is to go up into the tornado and come out on the other side in the expanse of blue sky – that is awareness of awareness. Silent meditation starts at 04:18 Questions (29:02) Were the four immeasurable taught as a part of the year of shamatha practice with Gen Lamrimpa? Could you discuss further the role of the observer participant related to frozen time.…

Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

1
92 Whenever there's meeting, there's parting 47:26

14 years ago47:26

47:26

We are beginning our final descent. The deva realm of Tushita and the pure land of Tushita sit side by side. In the deva realm when it is time for a deva to leave their flowers fade and they suffer great mental anguish over leaving. However in Tushita, the pure land, beings have been training their minds in dharma and leave there because of their great compassion to help suffering sentient beings. So when they leave it is a time of celebration. Likewise, if we were at the sports and leisure center down the street we might feel sadness to be leaving the sun and the pool and the fit people. But since we are leaving the mind center with the intention to offer our best to those we meet it is not a cause of sadness but a cause of celebration. Silent meditation starts at 22:34…

Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

1
91 Purifying our vision 1:33:49

14 years ago1:33:49

1:33:49

Silent meditation (no introduction) starts at 0:18 Questions (25:28): 1. Comment on the concepts of time and space. 2. What role do the “Hidden Lands” play in the context of Buddhist practice? 3. In the Vajrayana, there is the practice of the illusory body. Is there anything like this in the Mahayana? What is the concept of “wilderness” in practice? 4. What is the role of devotion and reverence in practice? 5. Pondering the metaphor of the carriage and the Four Immeasurables being like four horses, I have explored what the other parts of the metaphor are in my own practice. For example, the reins (which must be held not too tight or not too loose) are the discipline of my practice in the hands of the driver—who might be inattentive or alert, a good driver or not so good on any given day. The wheels and undercarriage are the Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind (Precious human existence, Death and Impermanence, the Law of Karma, and the Defects of Samsara). Who is inside the carriage (a passive passenger or a master who knows the destination and the route to it and can keep the driver going in the right direction). Are there other interpretations? A similar metaphor appears in the Upanishads. Is there an expanded metaphor in Buddhist text?…

Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

1
90 Moving from coal to solar energy 32:56

14 years ago32:56

32:56

Relying on hedonic pleasure is like a town that relies on a coal-fired generator. We begin to realize how much pollution this represents and seek more environmental friendly energy sources. In the same way we can begin to gradually shift into the "solar panels" of genuine happiness, by way of simplicity and contentment. Alan comments how even the Dalai Lama has stopped watching TV as he says it clouds his mind. Silent meditation starts at 8:30…

Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

1
89 A wellspring of good advice 1:41:01

14 years ago1:41:01

1:41:01

This last Monday afternoon’s session, which we can say that is indispensable to listen to, Alan offered a huge number of pieces of advice that are extremely useful for those that are going to do a long retreat, for those that are going to meet their daily activities and for all of us that want to keep practicing Dharma the rest of our lives: how can we deal and respond to the eroding of our Shamatha practice and the striking back of our OCDD? What is a balanced Dharma practice and the role of Shamatha within it? With the aspiration of undertaking a long retreat: how to avoid a waiting attitude and neglecting the practice in the present day? How to avoid being like the cat that is either flapping in the surface of a pond or sinking to its bottom, but rather become like the happy elephant in a long term retreat? Also, how to avoid expectations but keeping joy and gratitude during it? What to do when we have days during which we cannot even count until three? And most important: how is our Dharma practice affecting our way of viewing reality, others and our values? And many many more jewels that you will find in this session with inspiring anecdotes. So as you can see, Alan has been very generous again. Then as it is usual for these last days, the session was in silence (51:24), followed by two questions (76:26): clarifications about the sequence of Shamatha methods taught in Padmasambhava’s Natural Liberation; and how to keep inspiration, faith and enthusiasm for our practice as Westerners? So, please make yourself comfortable and enjoy… See you around…

Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

1
88 Karma must ripen 45:44

14 years ago45:44

45:44

The root of all Buddhist teachings and practice is compassion. We start out with the reality of suffering – something that we have all experienced. The background radiation of anxiety has got to go. It is the result of grasping onto what is not – what is not is “I” and “me.” We must discover who we really are. We are born with inborn ignorance then we learn some more fabricated ignorance. Go to that which I am before I reified all my human roles. Shamata is not easy. There is nothing left of who you thought you were. The substrate consciousness is bare, raw being. Go in and observe the agent – who, who, who? Is there anything more than a concept? Karma must ripen. Silent meditation starts at 21:03…

Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

1
87 The built-in antidotes 1:35:50

14 years ago1:35:50

1:35:50

In this session Alan reminds us that shamatha is designed to dispel the 5 obscurations and as the imbalances are built-in, the remedies are also built-in. In the same way, among the 4 Immeasurables one naturally arises as the remedy for the near enemy of another one. For Loving Kindness' facsimile which is self centered attachment, the remedy is Equanimity For Compassion's facsimile which is depression, grief, despair, the remedy is Empathetic Joy For Empathetic Joy's facsimile which is frivolous joy or hedonic fixation, the remedy is Loving Kindness For Equanimity's facsimile, which is aloof indifference, the remedy is Compassion Silent meditation starts at 4:08 Questions (29:10): • How do the 4 immeasurables transform into bodhichitta and into the stages of a bodhisattva. Is there any text you would recommend? • What happens when one realizes emptiness? Does it happen in meditation? Do your senses go dormant or the opposite? Can you lose it? • If a being in the bardo chooses parents not only out of karma, but out of wisdom, why would we choose, for instance, to be born in Africa from parents who are starving? • According to Tibetan culture, to have a few consorts at the same time as some lamas do, is not against ethical values? • Can you tell a little bit about the range of ways of working with the fear that is holding us back from seeing things the way they are? There is much evidence right in front of us but it seems like our hearts and minds uncontrollably prefer to remain blind and ignorant to it. • The Dharma has been described as the law of nature or as encompassing the nature of reality. If that is true, then sentient beings are involved in the dharma, whether they are formal students of it or not. For instance, I have met people who show an intuitive understanding of Buddhist concepts without any exposure to the teachings. • In a sense that we are all bumbling through the universe of our experience, some more skillfully than others, perhaps, just like the early cosmologists bumbling their way through heavens, such reflections help me with humility, with connectedness and with devotion to wellsprings of life itself.…

Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

1
86 The Path 34:45

14 years ago34:45

34:45

The Four Immeasurables unguided meditation. Alan reiterates how important it is to have a sense of direction, a path. You really need to have a vision in your heart of where you want to go. He mentions that on the Dzogchen path he has the sense that rigpa breaks through to our side, whereas on other paths one has to break through to rigpa. Meditation starts at 7:44…

Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

1
85 Practicing after the retreat 1:40:20

14 years ago1:40:20

1:40:20

For those of us returning to our ordinary lives, Alan suggests that we avail ourselves of all the shamatha practices depending on our body and mind at that moment. For those of us continuing in retreat, Alan suggests that we focus primarily on one practice and deepen that. Non-guided meditation (7:18) on shamatha practice of our choice. Questions (33:02) Q1a) It takes one countless eon to achieve the Path of Seeing. Why not take the shravaka path of realizing selflessness and using that wisdom from the very start? Q1b) Where are we after achieving shamatha and vipashyana? Q2a) Please tell us about Sakya Dagmo-la Q2b) What is Samantabhadra’s pure land of Akanishta? Q3) Who are Alan’s 2 principal teachers? Q4a) How can we practice shamatha during ngöndro? Q4b) I haven’t had any success with lucid dreaming, so are there easier practices? Q5) Please give advice on preparing for retreat. Q6) In Settling the Mind, is there subtle preference in letting thoughts arise in free association? Q7) Since dzogchen is less complex and possibly easier for realizing clear light mind, why did the New Translation Schools move away from this towards the stages of generation and completion practices?…

Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

1
84 Maturation 31:30

14 years ago31:30

31:30

Experienced meditators can move through a process of maturation where the Dharma and practices become ever more central to their lives. They come to practice without preference for good or bad meditations but continue regardless of their personal experiences - much like a veteran sailor has learned to ply the seas regardless of the weather. Silent meditation starts at 7:05…

Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

1
83 Lucid dreaming and dream yoga 1:42:57

14 years ago1:42:57