Listen to the movement of experience and listen to the space within which this occurs. – Josh Summers
Yang Vipassana Meditation | Dharma Talk
The only job of a yogi is to note the object that is most predominant, moment by moment. – Sayadaw U Pandita
The Divine Algorithm Sutta | Robert Wright
Ultimately, happiness comes down to choosing between the discomfort of becoming aware of your mental afflictions and the discomfort of being ruled by them. – Robert Wright
Relaxing the Breathing | Dharma Talk
Buddhists, however, saw that karma acts in feedback loops, with the present moment being shaped by both past and by present actions; present actions shape not only the future but also the present. This constant opening for present input into the causal process makes free will possible. – Thanissaro Bhikkhu
The Power of Mythos | Bernie Clark
The point of a map isn’t to be right. The point of a map is to help me with something; it’s to be useful. – Bernie Clark
The Karma of Breathing | Dharma Talk
Buddhists, however, saw that karma acts in feedback loops, with the present moment being shaped by both past and by present actions; present actions shape not only the future but also the present. This constant opening for present input into the causal process makes free will possible. – Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Attention Collapse and Inner Climate Change | Howard Axelrod
The kind of attention you rely on, and the kind of attention you let atrophy, ultimately becomes a decision about what you value as worth perceiving. – Howard Axelrod
Gratitude For Good Karma: Dharma Talk
A person of integrity is grateful and thankful. This gratitude, this thankfulness is advocated by civil people. – Buddha, Katannu Sutta
From Patience to Peace: Dharma Talk
If you sit and patiently endure, you find your mind going into a state of calm. That calm occurs because there’s no more trying to become something or trying to get rid of something. – Ajahn Sumedho
Peace Within Uncertainty (Part 2): Dharma Talk
Yet, along with sorrow, there is the backdrop of consciousness, the inner atmosphere that holds whatever arises, like the sky holds lightning… Through our practice of meditation, access to the backdrop becomes possible. – Narayan Liebenson
Peace Within Uncertainty (Part 1): Dharma Talk
Recognition of the Yin Will allows for the creation of the virtue of Wisdom. This Wisdom is not about knowing things. In fact, it is more about being deeply connected to the Unknown… Wisdom is a recognition of a deep knowing that infuses life. – Ted Kaptchuk
Robert Wright: War, Peace and Cognitive Bias
Ultimately, happiness comes down to choosing between the discomfort of becoming aware of your mental afflictions and the discomfort of being ruled by them. – Robert Wright
Vipassana on the Path: Dharma Talk
Within the process of Vipassana meditation, the meditator develops and rests within a capacity to remain calm and clear towards the entire display of visceral, cerebral and environmental content. – Josh Summers
Basic Vipassana Instructions (Part 2): Dharma Talk
Just as sounds arise and cease naturally within the field of awareness, when attending to their body, the meditator begins to perceive the same impersonal display of sensations arising and ceasing within the stillness of the mind. – Josh Summers
Basic Vipassana Instructions (Part 1): Dharma Talk
When we shift into a vipassana lens of practice, there are no distractions. Each experience the meditator encounters becomes the practice, itself – an experience to see clearly and relate to with compassion. – Josh Summers
The Key To Stillness (Part 2): Dharma Talk
“Meditation is not a matter of trying to achieve ecstasy, spiritual bliss or tranquility, nor is it attempting to become a better person. It is simply the creation of a space in which we are able to expose and undo our neurotic games, our self-deceptions, and our hidden fears and hopes.” – Chogyam Trungpa
David Barash: Buddhism and Biology
“We do not confront the world; rather, the world confronts itself, temporarily masquerading as each of us.” – David Barash
The Key To Stillness (Part 1): Dharma Talk
“This mind of ours is already unmoving and peaceful. Our practice is simply to see the Original Mind.” – Ajahn Chah
A Still Forest Pool: Dharma Talk
“Try to be mindful, and let things take their natural course. Then your mind will become still in any surroundings, like a clear forest pool. All kinds of wonderful, rare animals will come to drink at the pool, and you will clearly see the nature of all things.” – Ajahn Chah
Metta, Vipassana, and Creativity: Dharma Talk
Just as a musician learns musical etudes to develop and refine their capacities for musical expression, a contemplative can learn meditative etudes – exercises that nurture the capacities of the Heart/Mind.
The August Pause: Season Finale
Many thanks to all the listeners and members of the River Bird Sangha. We look forward to reconnecting in September.