The House of Inner Tranquillity Podcast: Recent Episodes
The House of Inner Tranquillity Podcast
The House of Inner Tranquillity is a Buddhist Insight meditation centre located in south-west England. The centre was established in 1980 for those in search of a practical approach to the Buddha's teaching.
Stripped of ritual and cultural accretions, the path is presented in a manner ideally suited to the needs of the modern westerner. Today, just as in the times of the Buddha, someone committed to truth can travel right to the end of the path and realise the goal of enlightenment.
Countless talks on all aspects of the Buddha's teaching have been given at the Centre over the years. We have created these weekly podcast programmes as a way to make some of these talks available to a wider audience.
We sometimes find ourselves at a crossroads in life. Looking for a new
direction, some are attracted to Buddha-Dhamma, with its promise of
bliss, wisdom and enlightenment for those who practise it. The key to
understanding is through developing mindfulness in all aspects of our
lives. But this requires us to be willing to face our demons. By
taking refuge in the Triple Gem - the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha - we
find the inspiration, guidance and friendship to help us overcome all
the obstacles in our path.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquiliity.
This talk was given in February 2009.
Material wealth is sought after because it is believed to bring us
security and self-worth. However, all conditioned things are subject
to decay and death and, therefore, attachment always brings with it
the fear of loss. The Buddha enumerated seven 'treasures' that could
not be taken away from us. These are explored in this podcast.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquiliity.
This talk was given in August 2009.
In this podcast Paul outlines a practice for developing compassion. He
describes its near and far enemies and their drawbacks, its
relationship to wisdom and ends with a description of the benefits of
living with a mind filled with compassion.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in April 2007
Paul discusses pitfalls that hamper mundane happiness, including
expectations and attachment to views of how life should be, followed
by ways to develop it using practices such as loving-kindness and
service to others. He then describes how the practice of vipassana
meditation, by looking at suffering and its true nature, leads
eventually to supramundane happiness by the way of understanding and
letting go of the pursuit of happiness.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in February 2007
This podcast introduces the concept of a kalyanamitta, a good
spiritual friend, the qualities that such friends have and the reasons
why we need them. It also discusses the necessary qualities needed by
the student in order for the relationship to grow and how it develops
over time, leading the student on towards enlightenment.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in October 2007
This podcast discusses the various aspects of the four noble truths
and the three trainings of the noble eightfold path: sila (ethics),
samadhi (mental development) and panna (wisdom). It then describes how
insight develops and leads towards enlightenment.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in August 2007
This talk describes how Buddhism shares aspects of several other
systems, including religion, ethics, psychology and philosophy. It
discusses how trying to mix different systems can lead to problems and
then points out the way in which Buddhism differs from all other
systems, how it is a middle way, which is all encompassing.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in February 2008
This podcast discusses how life changes with the way we choose to
respond to situations. It looks at the meaning of acceptance and the
impact it has on our actions, including meditation, and how acceptance
develops interest which leads to understanding and wisdom into the
transient, conditioned nature of all things.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in May 2015
This talk discusses the Noble Eightfold Path and the Buddha’s approach
to conflict resolution, along with ways to achieve physical and
psychological security.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in February 2004
This talk discusses rebirth and its importance within the Buddha’s
teaching. It explores the different impacts on our lives of holding a
one-life view compared with a view of rebirth and describes how the
noting of the five aggregates in vipassana meditation can take us
beyond the cycle of rebirth to the realisation of enlightenment.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in November 2006
In this podcast, Paul introduces the four cankers of sensual desire,
becoming, views and ignorance, describes how they corrupt meditation
and gives tips on how to overcome them. He then discusses ways to
prepare in order to make the most of a retreat and the effect it can
have on our practice.
This podcast examines the power of the mind and how it can be used to
influence our lives. It discusses the influence of the parami, kamma
and rebirth, how the hindrances can hamper personal power and also
warns about the potential dangers of the power of the mind. Finally it
describes how certain acts of power can lead to enlightenment.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in December 2005
This podcast discusses the role of renunciation in undertaking a
Buddhist practice and the difference between renunciation and
asceticism. It discusses how renunciation can show up our attachments
and the hindrances to meditation, enable us to note the three marks of
transience, unsatisfactoriness and non-self and finally, bring us to
the realisation of nibbana.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in October 2005
This talk discusses the topic of belief in self and the Buddha’s
teaching of non-self, what we mean by “self” and how it develops. It
introduces the Buddha’s three-fold training of ethical conduct,
concentration and insight. Then how to see through the illusion of
self by noting experience at the ultimate level, using the five
aggregates.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in August 2003
This talk discusses the five hindrances to meditation, using an analogy given by the Buddha. It describes how we use them in daily life to avoid unwanted situations and the problems they cause in meditation. Antidotes specific to each hindrance are discussed and then a description of how meditation can develop without the hindrances.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in August 2004
This podcast discusses interconnectedness and the conditioned and conditioning nature of phenomena. Paul points out the importance of ethical conduct and kamma, then introduces the Abhidhamma - the higher teaching of Buddhism. He concludes with some descriptions of Nibbana, enlightenment.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in June 2005
Paul describes the cycle of perceived threat, fear and response which is often perceived as aggression by the person receiving it, leading to more perceived threat, fear, reaction and so on.
We break the cycle of fear and response by radical acceptance. By following the Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path. Definitions of what he means by radical and acceptance are given with an example of the opposite.
The importance of kamma and rebirth is discussed along with a description of the Buddha’s approach to fear using acceptance and mindfulness and how we can do the same.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in April 2022
This talk describes ways in which we try to find happiness in this life and how, as the Buddha said: “Life is suffering”. Then, how we can come to the end of suffering by keeping the precepts, developing a regular practice using vipassana meditation, allaying the five hindrances and looking at the three marks of transience, unsatisfactoriness and non-self.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given on 21st May 2003
Paul discusses samsara, describing a variety of realms of existence, from realms of ghosts and demons up to heavenly realms with the human world in between. Explores how to escape the wheel of rebirth, by developing faith, living according to mundane right view and most importantly, developing vipassana meditation.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given on 9th October 2002
Suffering within the four noble truths is discussed and the need to understand the cause behind it. The two arrows are described: how the first is inherent suffering that we are born with and that the second is conditioned by the craving to get away from the first. The importance of compassion to lessen self concern is described along with a description of insight meditation and how to approach it. Finally, there is a description of how the enlightened being approaches the two arrows.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given on 3rd November 2021
A reading and discussion on the meaning of the Parable of the Raft. The importance of various aspects of the teaching, such as the five spiritual faculties and the parami, is described. Hindrances are discussed, how to deal with them and then what meditation is like when they have been set aside. Finally, on the realisation of enlightenment, how the dhamma and meditation are no longer needed.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given on 1st June 2022
Paul discusses the simplicity of being present, what obstructs it and what to do in order to obtain it; the difference between non-hatred and anti-hatred and the role of obsessions with the past, present and future; and how the absence of suffering is not something we create, but that it develops through dealing with the things that pull us into suffering.
Finally, he describes how vipassana meditation can bring us to the present.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given on the 29th September 2021
What is meditation and how can we learn through it? Paul discusses the three trainings of the Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path and how they work together. How to approach meditation: setting it up properly beforehand and how to deal with unwanted thoughts. How concentration and equanimity develop over time. and finally, the development of wisdom
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given on 1st December 2021
This talk discusses the four bases of spiritual power (iddhipada). It explains what they are, how the meditation feels when they start to develop and also how to develop them. This is all illustrated using the description of skills needed in the example of driving to the meditation centre for a Wednesday evening meeting, and comparing these with those needed in meditation. Finally, there is a description of the end of the insight path, Nibbana.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given on 4th May 2022
This concerns the story of Sona, who tried too hard in the meditation, and the Buddha’s instruction to him of using the middle way in terms of effort. It discusses setting up the meditation practice, then afterwards, reflecting on it and adapting our approach. It highlights important aspects such as creating a positive narrative about meditation, knowing its purpose, direction and focus and having clear comprehension of all of these.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given on the 1st September 2021
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
Audio recording of the book "Postcards from Beyond" by meditation teacher Paul Harris, uploaded in weekly installments.
https://www.aukana.org.uk/books.html
In addition to mindfulness we need clear comprehension which gives us the true context for whatever we experience. Examples, such as the desire for world peace and the pursuit of concentrated states are given to demonstrate how the presence or absence of clear comprehension affects our practice. In discussing what aids development, Paul stresses the role of the teacher. The talk ends with the analogy of the sun behind clouds to help clarify that enlightenment is not a future goal.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in June 2014
It's important to distinguish the cultural trappings of Buddhism from the inner teaching - specifically, the 4 noble truths. Suffering is covered in detail (sub-divided into: intrinsic, due to change, due to formations; hidden, revealed). Suffering falls away when it is looked at and accepted - but we all tend to avoid doing this, thereby perpetuating our suffering.
Jacqui James was a Buddhist Insight meditation teacher and the co-founder of the House of Inner Tranquillity. Jacqui passed away in 1989, aged only 42.
This talk was given in April 1988
We often speak in terms of perfection: the perfect relationship, car or boss, for example. Perfection in this sense is an unattainable myth. Perfection, as a qualitative rather than a quantitative term, can be applied to the meditation, first looking at perfect sila as freedom from craving and hatred in the moment, then covering the other sections of the 8-fold Path.
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was originally given in April 1983
Some people claim that you are already enlightened and simply have to realise it. In this talk, Paul suggests this presumes that unenlightened people have ordinary minds. Only enlightened people, he maintains, have ordinary minds. The rest have extraordinary minds, as they are warped and corrupted by ignorance, craving and hatred. The ignorant mind takes it entirely for granted, seeing it as ordinary and is caught perpetually looking elsewhere for meaning in life. The Buddha's training wakes us back up to the extraordinary truth of the unfolding of conscious experience.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in January 2017
The training rejects all speculations. It is rare to be born human. Life after death and emotional responses are reviewed. First noble truth:- attachment to Earth life is the problem. Second noble truth:- yearning to belong, but there is no peace where there is craving and hatred. There are lessons to learn from being human before progressing onward. What happens to a meditator after death? Emphasis is placed on practising right to enlightenment. Seeing the 3 marks, knowing the 4 truths.
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was originally given in October 1992
Our culture encourages us to forge an identity and stand out from the crowd. At the same time there is a requirement that we conform to society's expectations. The Buddha's teaching goes against the stream of worldly thinking and, to this degree, is non-conformist. Yet, to reap the benefits of following this way, a student must willingly conform to the training and the teachers instructions. This talk explores this paradox and its implications for practicing meditators as their understanding of how life works gradually conforms to the truth.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in September 2014
Steve Hemmingsley is a meditation student at the House of Inner Tranquillity. Together with the Centre's Spiritual Director, Paul Harris, they discuss how to incorporate both the philosophy and practice of the Buddha's teaching in one's life.
Timestamp:
00:00 When learning about the practice, can we over attach to knowledge? 05:40 As we match our direct experience with intellectual understanding, does that give us growing motivation to practice? 08:20 As we review our progress, can we say that everything that has happened is for the best, and something we needed to experience? 12:10 When we are affected by negative moods, we might find it difficult to meditate, even though we know it would be beneficial. How can we overcome that block? 16:09 We are encouraged to use the breath as an ‘anchor’. On the insight path, is this something we always come back to, or are there other approaches? 23:00 We can experience painful mental and physical sensations in meditation. Does mindful noting help to ‘desensitise’ us to the intensity of this, or is it just our habitual resistances falling away? 26:00 How does the practice relate to our perception of time, particularly in relation to being present and being on ‘autopilot’? 34:40 How does the mind work when it has been stilled, and hindrances have been dealt with? 37:00 Mindfulness has recently attracted a lot more interest in our culture. Has this affected people’s perception of Buddhism? 44:50 Were there any points in your own journey when you had doubts about the Buddhist path? 51:45 From your standpoint now, do you see the ego as a complete illusion?
We ignore our rich inner life, but we can turn our minds inward to see what is immediate and personal. We see that we act according to our characters. The three character types described. We see our minds are very busy and need quieting. This is done in steps. (1) We take refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha. (2) We exercise sense restraint, physical and mental. (3) We develop our meditation, mindfulness and concentration sufficient to see the rise and fall of all things, especially the ultimates of existence. We develop the 4 foundations of mindfulness. Insight arises through watching the 3 marks and attachment falls away.
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was originally given in February 2003
American colleges are attempting to prevent students experiencing anything that may trigger anxiety or cause the to feel offended. Yet the students are experiencing ever-greater levels of psychological distress. This talk discusses how attempting to avoid the painfulness of life only generates and perpetuates yet more suffering, and how following the Buddha's Path resolves these issues properly.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in August 2015
Self-development is the gradual and systematic eradication of self-importance, the major obstacle on the spiritual path. Ultimately there is no self. When speaking in conventional terms, however, the Buddha often referred to 'self'. He taught that each of us could be said to have three selves:- 1) physical body self - developed by sila (five precepts) to counter the five guilty dreads (described in detail); 2) mental body self (i.e. 'control or management of desires and emotions'); developed by samadhi (inc. overcoming elation and dejection and metta/compassion); 3) consciousness self (awareness of refined concentrated levels of mind); developed by panna. Self-development brings many benefits but is not the end of the meditative road. The final goal is the complete transcendence of all relative phenomena, enlightenment. ‘True self-development but with no self-importance left‘.
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was originally given in April 1991.
We are making the audio files from the House of Inner Tranquillity YouTube channel available. This is a series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). This episode looks at what happens at the culmination of each of the four Insight paths and its implications.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.
Link to original YouTube video: https://youtu.be/DWqpJgaTnLg
Metta is the Buddhist term for friendliness or loving-kindness. Regular practise of this technique leads to a change in the culture of our minds, bringing openness, friendliness and faith in life.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.
We are making the audio files from the House of Inner Tranquillity YouTube channel available. This is a series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). This episode explores four qualities of mind needed for success in meditation. These are clarity of purpose, strong intent, sincere application and gentle persistence.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.
Link to original YouTube video: https://youtu.be/aWOYSml3wvc
Are there side-effects to practicing mindfulness or is it that people are practicing without properly understanding what it is all about? To practise well one needs to develop an understanding of the theory to help overcome mistaken assumptions. One also needs to protect and train oneself by learning to live in a harmless and friendly way. Finally, one must train under an experienced instructor, to be willing to explore one's dark side and accept that mindfulness is not a quick-fix but a long-term exploration of mind and body.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in March 2016
We are making the audio files from the House of Inner Tranquillity YouTube channel available. This is a series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). This episode explores the first three fetters that meditators deal with on the way to developing insight-wisdom.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.
Link to original YouTube video: https://youtu.be/JPzp-kEt1K4
Brother Theo is a Buddhist monk at the Monastery of Absolute Harmony. Together with Paul Harris, the Spiritual Director of the Centre, they discuss the life of a full-time monastic.
Running Order:
00.00 What are the conditions and requirements for someone to come into full-time training?
08:40 What is the difference between the way of training practiced here and the approach in which people might ‘pick and mix’ their spiritual pathway?
19:20In becoming a full-time recluse, is there a sense of joining an established lineage that supports the students and allows them to tap into the richness of the tradition?
26:20 What is the value and importance of the lay community in relation to the full time recluses?
28:50 How has providing the teaching changed with the different context caused by the pandemic?
35:40 Paul asks Brother Theo about his experiences of coming in for full-time training.
Video series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). This episode is an initial overview of the ten fetters, aspects of mind that bind us to our mistaken view of the world and interfere with our attempts to develop insight-wisdom.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.
Link to original YouTube video: https://youtu.be/wE5Ap9Zrntg
Empathy may be defined as being able to see life from different points of view. Attachment to views creates conflict because it blinds us to other points of view. The Buddha was a true diplomat and never took sides in disputes. He understood the underlying structures that govern life. Practising the Noble Eightfold Path we too begin to recognise these same governing principles. As a result, our ability to empathise with others grows. We begin see how everyone and everything, even predators such as lions and tigers, are simply acting according to their nature.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in December 2015
We are making the audio files from the House of Inner Tranquillity YouTube channel available. This is a series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). This episode discusses some practical issues to bear in mind about how to develop insight-wisdom.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.
Link to original YouTube video: https://youtu.be/5Kk_HIwSbro
Why is thinking so hard to switch off when we meditate? We have been developing a personal narrative since the moment we were born that we use to define and reinforce belief in our individuality. In the absence of such storytelling we can no longer locate ourselves in time/space. But how accurate are these narratives? This talk explains how deceptive facts, views and memory can be and shows us how to let go of our narratives in order to experience truth.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in February 2015
We are making the audio files from the House of Inner Tranquillity YouTube channel available. This is a series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). This episode looks at the nature of consciousness.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.
Link to original YouTube video: https://youtu.be/cSwwedpMWhY
All people seek an end of distress. Some favour food, work, drugs etc; others through meditation. But many meditate with wrong priorities and so continue to suffer. Explains ways of checking to see if we are prone to this problem. If so we need to practise humility, compassion, self-discipline, obedience. The wrong priorities are obsession with: 1) progress; 2) pleasure; 3) stimulation; 4) views; 5) fame; 6) fear of loss. To overcome obsession we need: i)precepts; ii) mundane right view; iii) acceptance of 4 Noble Truths; iv) systematic mindfulness; v) sense restraint; vi) mental restraint and noting of events. Covers each obsession and its remedy in detail.
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was originally given in October 1995.
We are making the audio files from the House of Inner Tranquillity YouTube channel available. This is a series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). This episode explores more deeply the much misunderstood universal characteristic of non-self.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.
Link to original YouTube video: https://youtu.be/PtnD9NQpPSI
The nature of existence is inherently unsatisfactory and uncontrollable, and suffering arises from ignoring and resisting the truth that this is the way life really is. All suffering can be transcended but before we can deal with the inherent problem, we must first know how to deal with the conscious expression of resistance. This requires meditators to learn about how hindrances work and to utilise different techniques to remove distracting thoughts. Someone who masters this method is said to be able to think whatever they like.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in November 2015
We are making the audio files from the House of Inner Tranquillity YouTube channel available. This is a series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). This episode explores more deeply the universal characteristic of suffering.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.
Link to original YouTube video: https://youtu.be/kkIpOuc2-eQ
"It's not that I'm afraid to die," said Woody Allen, "I just don't want to be there when it happens." This talk looks at how training in the Buddha's way helps us prepare for the inevitable transition from this life to another. Reflecting on the finite nature of this earthly existence and taking up the view of rebirth encourages us to perform good actions. Seeing the arising and passing away of things at the most fundamental level frees us from emotional attachments to the world and paves the way for the realisation of nibbana.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in June 2010
We are making the audio files from the House of Inner Tranquillity YouTube channel available. This is a series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). This episode explores more deeply the universal characteristic of impermanence.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.
Link to original YouTube video: https://youtu.be/OckihTJMuqU
In nature we can find self organising systems and highly complex processes that appear to happen by themselves. Paul describes a radio documentary about a marine animal that is able to reassemble its parts after they have been separated. Despite the automatic nature of our bodies, (as well as their unstable and unsatisfactory nature), we identify with them as self. Paul goes on to explain the meditation on the 32 parts of the body, in which we can truly observe non-self. Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in November 2019
We are making the audio files from the House of Inner Tranquillity YouTube channel available. This is a series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). This episode explores what is meant when we say that all ultimate phenomena are transient, suffering and non-self.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.
Link to original YouTube video: https://youtu.be/Mn2NSTJKiDc
Wanting is the cause of suffering - wanting things to be different. Most people ignore this fact, and they are also unaware of ethical action, kamma, and its inevitable results. For happiness in the world we need to live restraining harmful action. Attachment to things of the world is the problem, and leads to continued rebirth in Samsara. To transcend unhappiness altogether we have to gain direct knowledge of the three marks, particularly transience, for once we see that nothing lasts, craving and attachment
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was originally given in December 2002.
Upheavals in the geopolitical landscape have left many feeling vulnerable and anxious. Can we trust what politicians and the media tell us and what does the future hold? Disillusioned and seeking peace, freedom and truth, we cast about looking for an alternative meaning to life. Those that turn towards Buddhism discover a completely different way of looking at the world. This talk looks at what taking refuge in the Buddha, his teaching and the Sangha really means and how we can come to see for ourselves that, "Reality is empty of politics."
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in August 2016
We are making the audio files from the House of Inner Tranquillity YouTube channel available. This is a series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). In this episode we try to clarify what was said in the last one concerning the nature of ultimate reality.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.
There are differences of opinion in society, with people wanting others to conform to their own views. We believe that if they agree with us, we can improve the world and reduce suffering. This goes against the grain of the Buddha’s teaching, which encourages us to align with life’s flow. By following the precepts and developing gratitude and appreciation, we can generate happiness and equanimity. This will serve a strong basis for observing reality as it is.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in December 2019
We are making the audio files from the House of Inner Tranquillity YouTube channel available. This is a series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). In this episode we consider the nature of ultimate reality, how it differs from the more conventional way of describing the world and why we need to learn to clearly define that difference.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.
What do we mean by an emotion? That is really the first question to ask. Buddhism is quite precise on this, although it does not actually speak of emotion directly. An emotion is in fact a volitional activity accompanied by a feeling.
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was originally given in April 1982.
We are making the audio files from the House of Inner Tranquillity YouTube channel available. This is a series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). This episode looks at how feelings affect our ability to put aside thinking and using sense-contacts as the basis for developing insight-wisdom.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.
The Buddha taught that there are many more realms and dimensions to life than just the human. Paul describes life as an infinite game of snakes and ladders. Dependent on the kinds of actions we perform we can experience different levels of existence.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in October 2019
Sally Passfield is a long-standing member of the HoIT community. Together with the Centre's spiritual director Paul Harris they answer some questions posed via social media.
Running order:
00.30 - Conway's game of life
05.00 - What happens to "signature" consciousness at death?
11.25 - How does kamma work?
18.17 - How can you live without views?
22.20 - Investigating the "subtle sense of self"
27.30 - Do painful thoughts and feeling appear the same after enlightenment?
33.33 - Coping with bereavement
51.05 - How are goals different from craving?
We are making the audio files from the House of Inner Tranquillity YouTube channel available. This is a series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). This episode looks at the different kinds of knowledge that are generated and utilised as insight practise develops.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.
The main reason for meditating is to become conscious of unconscious areas of mind, in order to understand and let go of habitual patterns of mind that create dissatisfaction. Most people try to find happiness through acquiring external wealth. With practical examples, Jacqui describes how one develops the ‘inner wealth’ of a soft, accepting, non-judgemental and loving mind.
Jacqui James was a Buddhist Insight meditation teacher and the co-founder of the House of Inner Tranquillity. Jacqui passed away in 1989, aged only 42.
This talk was given in March 1984
We are making the audio files from the House of Inner Tranquillity YouTube channel available. This is the third episode in a series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). Explores why and how views are clung to and why and how they are to be surrendered through the practice of Insight meditation.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.
YouTube video link: https://youtu.be/FUo-vw2k7dg
In answering a meditator's question about how to respond to current concerns about the climate, Paul widens the scope to dealing with any view that is based in resistance to unfolding reality. Acceptance of the unfolding reality, however, in no way suggests passivity. In eliminating greed, hatred and confusion from our nature, we are better able to face life's inherent uncertainty.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in October 2019
Jason Rebello is a long-standing member of the HoIT community. Together with the Centre's spiritual director Paul Harris they answer some questions posed via social media.
Running order:
1:07 - "Is there a supreme God?"
7:40 - "On keeping a meditation journal"
18:25 - "What is the relationship between jhana and vipassana?"
25:14 - "Farming and being harmless"
28:58 - "Is it possible to ask too many questions?"
We are making the audio files from the House of Inner Tranquillity YouTube channel available. This is a series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). This episode looks at what is required for the mind to rest undistracted for protracted periods of time, in order to mindfully investigate unfolding experience.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was originally given in March 1987.
We are making the audio files from the House of Inner Tranquillity YouTube channel available. This is the first episode in a series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). Covers the context for why we practise in the way that we do, where to place one's attention, dealing with habitual tendencies and calming the mind down.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.
YouTube video link: https://youtu.be/0vYNkUwsNmY
Most people get caught up in the appearance of things and attempt to get the world to conform to desires and expectations. Paul’s talk guides us through the alternative. Rather than entailing worldly action of any kind, it requires a head-on confrontation with our suffering. By fully accepting the way things really are, one can escape the wheel of samsara forever, through the elimination of ignorance and the realisation of the transcendental, which is described as “the ever-present knowledge that life is just a passing show.”
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in September 2019
Two types of truth, conventional and ultimate, are distinguished. Conventional truth is based in generalisation, e.g. 'All men have 2 legs'. Problems can arise from making such truths into laws which are expected always to be true. Ultimate truth is based in analysis of experience; investigation. Doing this, the meditator finds that you can only experience one thing at a time - the senses don't overlap. The mind synthesises reality from discrete elements. Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle is mentioned, shows how the observer and the observed are inseparably linked. Individual experience is the only measure of truth.
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was originally given in June 1982.
Masculine and feminine sides to personality; double messages and super-image; total relationship with oneself needed before possible with another. Recognition that it is the feelings, not the person, we are reacting to. Reduction of self-hatred through accepting mental states rather than repressing them.
Jacqui James was a Buddhist Insight meditation teacher and the co-founder of the House of Inner Tranquillity. Jacqui passed away in 1989, aged only 42.
This talk was given in June 1982
Looking back at all the revolutions and transformations through which humans have gone, be they cultural, political or technological, we find there are fundamental aspects of life that have not been touched at all. Instead of trying to effect meaningful and lasting change in the external world, The Buddha's path leads to an internal revolution, in terms of how we see and understand life to be. Rather than trying to permanently fix life, it is a revolutionary wisdom that transcends the world of suffering altogether.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in December 2011
A video of Tibetan monks playing a game demonstrates how to take joy in the simple things in life. Meditators need that same guileless and unpretentious approach to following a spiritual path. We know that there are difficult times to be faced that will need courage and determination, but we learn also that the key to success in this is not to take ourselves too seriously. Through continued commitment we eventually come to discover that our true nature is happy, loving, confident and wise.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in October 2016
The blame culture has become all pervasive and has led to a very paranoid, cautious society. This talk discusses the need for meditators to understand the dynamics of blame. We need to know why we blame; how to respond to it when it comes our way and how, ultimately, to transcend it together. The meditator is encouraged to see being blamed and the painful feelings that arise with it as an opportunity to learn to surrender to the way life is.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in April 2009
Is consciousness simply the outcome of chemical processes? Or does the mind condition the arising of physical matter, as Buddhism maintains? These are important questions because the views we hold about how life works influences our aspirations and behaviour. This talk looks at how exploration of our own mind and body through vipassana meditation shows us exactly how life comes into being moment by moment. Eventually, the meditator comes to understand life perfectly in a way that is beyond the views of both science and religion.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in September 2011
Buddhism is criticised for being 'pessimistic', yet the Buddha often spoke of joy being in the world. Joy can be relatively coarse (arising from inefficient actions, e.g. hunting) or refined (arising from efficient actions, e.g. keeping the precepts). The joy which meditation can develop is better than these, since it's not based on attachment (to inefficiency or efficiency), but on acceptance of ourselves as we truly are, without comparisons.
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was given in October 1985
Volition is that mental quality that wills experience into being. As such we use it all the time and it is present in every moment of consciousness. Volition is kamma and understanding how it works is therefore critical if we wish to live successfully. This talk looks at the active and passive phases of experience, how to balance strong and weak volition, how to use volition to set up mindfulness practice and looks at volition in ultimate terms.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in October 2012
Any withdrawal from reality brings suffering. Meditation increases awareness of suffering; one learns that one is responsible - suffering is volitional. The worse the escapism, the worse the suffering. Increased suffering drives one to find a way out - hence the world is totally compassionate. There can never be eternal hells or hopeless cases.
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was given in October 1985
Not seeing the true profundity of our immediate reality, most people are endlessly caught up in the pursuit of personal fulfilment. Paul describes what it is like to be totally immersed in the dynamism and mystery of life. For example, a walk in the local countryside, although done many times, is experienced as if for the first time. True meditation, he says, is the practice of choice-less awareness without demands. By mindfully investigating experience for its own sake and lovingly encompassing everything encountered, it is possible to realise the perfection of now.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in May 2018
We all find ourselves in dispute with others from time to time and often, through the mutual need to defend oneself, rows are perpetuated. The discourse of the 'Parable of the Saw' forms the basis for this talk. It shows how the Buddha used stories and illustration to explain how those practicing his way might deport themselves. Through restraint of negative responses, and the development of loving-kindness, mindfulness and insight, it becomes possible to peacefully endure all ways of speech.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in August 2011
The learner is the person who, dissatisfied with life, turns to a spiritual way. He remains a learner until he reaches enlightenment - and there can be no sudden leaps in his progress. Progress is won by reducing self-importance; this is achieved by, initially, taking the precepts, and cultivating metta and dana - and sense-restraint. Having established these, one can allay the hindrances long enough for insight to grow, until enlightenment is reached. The two essential factors in one's attitude throughout are systematic attention and earnestness of endeavour. Without the latter quality, one will find no zest in the practice - and without zest, physical and mental tranquillity will not develop, nor will concentration.
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was given in September 1985
Most meditators are trying to get on, or are on, the path of stream-winning. Three fetters have to be overcome to reach the end of this, the first section of the total path: doubt, attachment to rule and ritual, and self view are discussed, with their opposites - devotion, adaptability, conditionality. The development of devotion is crucial - if doubt goes, the other fetters go too.
Jacqui James was a Buddhist Insight meditation teacher and the co-founder of the House of Inner Tranquillity. Jacqui passed away in 1989, aged only 42. This talk was given in September 1985
Due to ignorance, beings have lost awareness of their innate wholeness and life becomes a restless search to try and rediscover it. This talk discusses restlessness in the form of sensual desire and how underlying issues such as boredom, painful feelings and even quietness perpetuate the desire for life to be different. Through learning to restrain acting upon such desires and generating insight knowledge, we eventually destroy the ignorance that creates restlessness and discover that the mystery of stillness is ever present.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in March 2013
Many come to the Buddha's teaching with fixed ideas and assumptions which cause them to warp the practice and resist instruction. The true path to understanding opens up when we accept that we do not really know. Developing inner honesty and becoming mindful of the transient nature of feelings, we create a space in which to experience the reality of what we do to cause our own suffering. Avoiding the trap of spiritual pride, we steadfastly follow the practice until we come to 'know that we know.'
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in June 2009
All passionate involvement in the world stems from the belief that life should be different than it is. The cessation of suffering comes from the total acceptance of life could not be different than it is. The first step in walking the Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path is to straighten one’s views to accord with reality. This talk explores two aspects of the training: the Divine Abidings and Insight Meditation. By learning how to be even-minded in every life situation, we can experience any of the worldly conditions without being disturbed by any of them.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in September 2009
Paul uses the analogy of a short walk to a gate to explain how it is not so much the Buddha's path to enlightenment that takes the time, but rather it is our habitual tendency to ignore reality and resist life that means we don't go straight to it. It is through vipassana (Insight meditation) that we correct our warped views of life and release ourselves from attachment, for, whilst there is still clinging to the parts, the whole can never be seen and understood.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in June 2013
This talk looks at the question 'Why are you here?' in terms of what the Buddha called Mundane Right View. Mundane Right View consists of a list of five statements about the nature of existence. It is maintained that these views are an accurate reflection of the way life really works. As such, the five points of Mundane Right View provide an ideal framework for pondering the question 'Why am I here?' and the possibility of discovering our true purpose in life.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in February 2012
Jacqui talks about the rise and fall. How noting the mark of change alters our perception - to be more aware of transience, of body, feelings and states of mind. Describes how to practice, by repeated observation, retrospection and restraint, to come to see for oneself that comparison is the root of all suffering. When encountering resistance, one learns to not act upon the urge to respond habitually, and return to the original meditation instruction, gradually finding the peacefulness of a well-concentrated mind. In Aukana book, ‘A Meditation Retreat.’
Jacqui James was a Buddhist Insight meditation teacher and the co-founder of the House of Inner Tranquillity. Jacqui passed away in 1989, aged only 42. This talk was given in September 1985
Death is not the opposite to life. Through meditation we find that both the arising and passing away of things are equally fundamental and necessary aspects of life. Far from being morbid, death is actually our friend. Reflecting wisely on our mortality brings a zest and lightness to life, helping us make the best choices. Treating death as a wise advisor can help us clarify and focus on what is really important, both in formal meditation and life generally.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in May 2019
Outlines the exercising of patience (forbearance) regarding the faults of others and for oneself. Examples within relationships are given; speech and thought are also mentioned. Forbearance is essential for peace of mind. It is brought about by restraining fault-finding, hatred and anger, with the aim of eventually becoming a perfected source of peace, thus being of value both before and after enlightenment.
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was given in May 1984
The Buddha found that peace, happiness and fulfilment are to be found within all of us. The extraordinary is to be found within the ordinary. Trying to move beyond the moment is the problem not the solution. This talk describes a very direct method for stilling the mind in order to unlock the infinite potential inherent within it. Having done so, meditators can develop beautiful states of concentration and explore the infinite highways of the mind. They can also develop insight that leads to enlightenment.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in February 2010
How do we determine what is right and what is wrong? Is it possible for there to be a universal ethic that everyone can agree upon? This talk looks at the process by which ethics are determined and how to live life ethically in the light of the goal of the Buddha's teaching.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in May 2019
Why isn’t it easy just sitting down quietly, calming the mind to see the arising and passing away of things? Paul talks about how suffering is created internally, through the three kinds of craving, the endless striving to make life different. To develop the wisdom necessary to know how to sit quietly, we must be willing to go through the difficulty of learning exactly how we refuse to allow life just to be the way it is.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in March 2019
This talk looks at the vipassana meditator's journey to stream-winning, the first of the four paths that make up the Buddhist insight-wisdom training. The relationship between the fetters of personality belief, sceptical doubt and rule and ritual, and how they interfere with progress on the first path are described.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in September 2018.
We all want meditation to bring happiness, peace, contentment and a vibrancy to living. Paul describes these as our natural state, and that anyone can learn how to craft the best supporting conditions to regularly enjoy such beautiful states of mind. For example, generously thinking of others, by systematically practicing loving-kindness cultivates a divine mental space. The resulting balanced, happy, focussed mind can then generate insight, which gradually brings the transcendental realisation that life is always unfolding perfectly in wonderfully dynamic and beautiful ways.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in September 2018.
A story from the life of the Buddha demonstrates how he maintained an attitude of high vulnerability with regard to who he was and the truth that he stood for. He was, however, also low in emotional investment in others and in dependence on results. This combination meant that he was supremely confident and commanding in all that he did. This talk looks at how following his path is a journey towards true confidence, which Paul describes as, "unselfconscious, spontaneous being, free of all neurotic preoccupations."
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in April 2015.
Even if you cannot currently ordain, everyone attending the House of Inner Tranquillity is part of the beneficial and reciprocal arrangement between the monastic and lay community. Paul uses the example of his own training, and relationship to the teacher, to describe how monasticism presents a unique opportunity for wholehearted practice in lessening self-centredness and developing wisdom. The training is essentially the same for all, through paying mindful attention, anyone can come to liberation from the roots of all dissatisfaction and the "cult of selfhood."
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in November 2018.
This talk on practicing Metta, loving-kindness, is from Venerable Kapilavaddho Bhikkhu, given at the Hampstead Vihara, London, in April 1970. At that time, both Alan (who was ordained) and Jacqui, the founders of the House of Inner Tranquillity, were his students. Using colourful personal accounts from his time practicing in Thai jungles, it gives an overview of the whole practice, and details of ways to develop this powerful meditation which overcomes fear and aversion, can transforms one’s outlook, personality, and positively affect the world generally, through cultivating and spreading goodwill.
This talk was provided for public distribution by Terry Shine to accompany his book, ‘Honour Thy Fathers’, (also available online), as a tribute to the man who did so much to introduce Buddhist Meditation to the West.
Born in London, William Purfurst was the first Englishman to be ordained in Thailand in 1954, as Kapilavaddho, meaning “to spread and increase the teachings.” After training intensively there, he returned to the UK to establish the first English Theravada Sangha in the West, providing training for many monks, nuns and laypeople. He died in December 1971.
We have been telling ourselves and expanding upon the story of our lives since the moment we became conscious and self-reflecting as children. Now, when we meditate, we find these narratives to be an obstacle to our calm and happiness. This talk discusses how to improve the story of our lives in order that there be fewer to distract us when we meditate. Further we can learn how to remove ourselves from the content of thinking, before finally transcending all our stories completely.
Paul's story is that he is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in February 2019.
What constitutes a good Buddhist? Mindfulness is called ‘choice-less awareness’ which means acknowledging and accepting the parts of our personality we consider negative. This way we can see that all mental states have the nature to change and are not ‘me’ or ‘mine’. This talk gives an overview of the four applications of mindfulness and stresses the need for establishing the right context for our mindfulness practice and what it reveals – what in Buddhism is called ‘clear comprehension.’
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in May 2014.
People want evidence of rebirth, but what proof is there for a one-life view, of an entity that continues unchanged by conditions? There is, however, overwhelming evidence of the transient processes that give rise to conscious experience. We routinely will actions into being, and learning to use volition skilfully ensures pleasant future results. Developing insight wisdom gradually removes all misperceptions and clinging to the idea of self. This gives limitless freedom to explore the infinite mysteries of the ever-flowing, ever-changing stream of conscious experiencing.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in December 2018.
Is it possible to always love the people around you? Paul explains that the realisation of ‘non-separation’ or ‘non-duality’ found at enlightenment is the realisation of love, however it is much more subtle than many think. Following a spiritual path helps us transcend the apparent divisions between things. For instance, practicing compassion brings the understanding of what unites us, rather than what divides us. Practicing Insight meditation shows us ultimately indivisible nature of conscious experience and leads to the recognition of that peace, happiness and undivided love that we are all seeking.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in October 2018.
Composure is the attitude of being self-possessed, or the absence of wildness. The Buddha encouraged his monks to adapt this mental quality in order to deal successfully with the ever-changing conditions of the world. This talk discusses four key aspects to develop mastery in composure: our views and intentions; being harmless; knowing oneself and realising emptiness. Even when you stub your toe, "the wisdom becomes so deep and complete that, in the end, you don't even have to practice composure."
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in August 2015.
What can we do when the mind is gripped by resentment? The Buddha encouraged students not to repay mean and hurtful behaviour in kind. Instead he taught loving-kindness as a way to respond positively. This talk explains various reflections we can employ to help release ourselves from resentment when it arises. When we can send out metta equally to everyone, including those with whom we have experienced difficulties, then we can be said to have won a battle hard to win.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in November 2014.
The topic of food is a good way to show us how the Buddha's teaching works. He advocated generosity as a simple way to learn about action and result, and established the tradition of giving alms. The talk looks at the problems of obesity and anorexia, and how to mindfully deal with craving for food. Using Vipassana meditation we to observe the transient nature of the six senses and in so doing overcome all clinging attachment to the senses.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in September 2012.
To find lasting peace, love and understanding requires us to examine our deeply held assumptions about life and this requires commitment. In the world, we gauge a thing's worth by how difficult it is to acquire - there is always a cost. The cost of following the Buddha's way is in giving up our choices and options. This talk explains two levels of commitment: external and internal, and demonstrates how the recollection of death helps to clarify one's priorities in life. Enlightenment is rare but entirely possible with the right commitment.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in June 2012.
To find the highest happiness, the Buddha said, you have to know how this life works, rather than being preoccupied with the past or trying to make the future as you wish it to be. This talk looks at the Buddha's teaching on non-self, a much misunderstood aspect of his description of reality.
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was originally given in January 1996.
Descriptions of enlightenment are like postcards in that they express what it's like to go 'beyond' but can never produce the experience itself. This talk looks at the value of hearing descriptions, debunks a few of the myths that surround it and discusses the limitations and dangers of all such descriptions. Hearing more and better descriptions cannot bring about the realisation. Rather, we must find out directly for ourselves that, "There is a conceptual reality which is constructed from ultimately existing phenomena. The total realisation of this is the 'beyond.'"
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in December 2007, when Paul was still a monk.
A talk on mindful investigation of what in Buddhism is known as the materiality aggregate. Are the fundamental building blocks of our physical universe dependable? What is the relationship between the material world and mind?
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in December 2004, when Paul was still a monk.
What are some of the qualities of an "unshakeable" mind, the meditative mind that is capable of investigating and comprehending the deeper realities of existence?
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in October 2018
It could be said that there are as many definitions of love as there are people; from greed and attachment at one end of the spectrum to religious or mystical experience at the other. This talk describes how following the Buddhist training helps to develop and nurture our capacity to love by gradually discarding selfish action that harms ourselves and others, and generating relatively unselfish action that produces beneficial results. Finally, the training shows us the way to realise, for ourselves, the love that transcends all opposites - enlightenment.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in December 2013
Spiritual teachings often portray life as an eternal dance, coming and going, twisting and turning, rolling up, evolving and dissolving, changing and changing again, all the while saying that this apparent movement is nothing more or less than "maya" illusion.
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was originally given in March 1988.
Seeking is craving. If you seek calm, all you get is turmoil. If you seek wisdom, all you get is stupidity. You need to learn how to abandon the search for happiness. When you finally stop seeking, then, and only then, can happiness visit you.
Jacqui James was a Buddhist Insight meditation teacher and the co-founder of the House of Inner Tranquillity. Jacqui passed away in 1989, aged only 42.
This talk was given in December 1987
Some people are attracted to the Buddha's teaching because of its exotic eastern cultural heritage. At the House of Inner Tranquillity, we choose not use wind-chimes or prayer flags and neither do we chant or sit cross-legged. One student was disappointed about that and suggested that we "hadn't quite caught the essence of Buddhism."
This talk considers the Buddha's most fundamental teaching, the Four Noble Truths. Suffering, its origin and cessation constitute the basic premise on which the entire teaching rests. The sole aim of its practice is to provide the means for direct realisation of enlightenment and this is the true essence of Buddhism.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in February 2006 when Paul was still a monk in training.
An outline of best practice for metta, a Buddhist meditation technique for the development of loving-kindness, friendliness and patience.
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was originally given in December 1981. It has been remastered but the sound quality is variable.
Myths abound about the goal of the Buddha's teaching. Is enlightenment really absolute goodness and, if so, how do we define goodness? Is it the end of all desires, even the desire to get up in the morning? This talk looks at how wrong ideas about nibbana can warp a meditator's practice and how to let go of them, whilst continuing to walk the Buddha's Noble Path.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in April 2015.
Following the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path requires us to generate and encourage the growth of right speech. There is more to speech, however, than simply the words we use. We are in constant communication with one another both verbally and non-verbally.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in March 2005 when Paul was still a monk in training.
How many of us have felt frustrated and disconnected from life? How many of us have felt that there must be more to life than just going to work everyday to earn money in order to eat just to go back to work again the next day?
The infinite is calling each and everyone of us. It calls in a deep, silent voice, one that we find extremely difficult to recognise…
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was originally given in July 1982. It has been remastered but the sound quality is variable.
We have a genetic heritage and an identity created for us when we enter this world. Is that, however, who we really are? In this talk Paul describes life as seen from the point of view of a Buddhist practitioner who is open to the idea of rebirth and that we are inheriting the results of our own past actions. Through the development of vipassana, insight-wisdom, we can come to realise that which lies beyond all worldly identification.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in October 2013
The idea behind this talk will only really make sense if we first accept that the purpose of life is to realise nibbana, the cessation of suffering.
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was originally given in April 1985
The title of the talk says it all, but, as Jacqui points out, the difficulties faced by newcomers to meditation may still be just as relevant for those with years of meditative experience. Despite the age of the talk, the points raised are just as pertinent for today's practitioners.
Jacqui James was a Buddhist Insight meditation teacher and the co-founder of the House of Inner Tranquillity. Jacqui passed away in 1989, aged only 42.
This talk was given in December 1982
Our modern western education tends to create within us a bias towards a rational, empirical view of the world. When approaching the Buddha's teaching there can be a strong urge to dismiss anything we find that does not conform with such a-priori assumptions. In this talk, Paul discusses why this is a mistake. He contents that there are vastly more things and ways to know and experience than our scientific materialist philosophical orthodoxy admits.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in June 2018
A somewhat more technical talk about the Buddha's higher teaching on the constituents of ultimate reality.
In meditation, once the mind is calm and free of hindrances, the next step is to turn the attention to investigating and noting the arising and passing of the five aggregates. It is this process that undoes the tendency to passionately crave for life to be different. We recognise that the things of life to which we normally cling are, in reality, no more real than a rainbow; all appearance, but empty of any solid, enduring self-existence.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in April 2017
'Awareness' is a word you hear used time and time again when you come across meditation. What is awareness? How do you develop it? And what benefits will it give you if you do develop it?
Jacqui James was a Buddhist Insight meditation teacher and the co-founder of the House of Inner Tranquillity. Jacqui passed away in 1989, aged only 42.
This talk was given in September 1986
Have you ever smelled a rose in the evening after the rain has fallen? Anyone who has examined and explored life to any degree knows that there is something special and mysterious about the world we live in. The Buddha's teaching shows us how to realise the wonder and perfection of life for ourselves.
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was originally given in July 1988
The increased popularity in mindfulness practices is to be welcomed, although with some reservations. Paul talks about how, through taking the practice of mindfulness beyond just aiming to feel "a bit calmer," we can begin to revolutionise the way we comprehend life.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in October 2015
Many spiritual traditions emphasise the more feminine aspects of meditation, like faith, tranquillity and openness, but can sometimes neglect the equally important masculine components, such as investigation, essential for the development of insight-wisdom and the realisation of freedom from suffering.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in March 2018
Are political views simply the invention of the ignorant mind that craves for life to be different? Paul explores how embracing the law of kamma and adopting the view of rebirth fulfils both the need for collective responsibility and personal liberty. Further, discovering how the conventional reality of time and space emerges from the play of conditional forces, brings the transcendent understanding that life has always been perfect as it is.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in November 2017
What is the role of the meditation teacher and how best might students behave towards their guide? Although only 24 minutes long, this is one of the most powerful talks Jacqui gave. The sound quality of the recording is not so great, but the subject matter is still just as relevant and important.
Jacqui James was a Buddhist Insight meditation teacher and the co-founder of the House of Inner Tranquillity. Jacqui passed away in 1989, aged only 42.
This talk was given in September 1981
What is the perfection of compassion and how does it relate to walking the path to enlightenment? Paul discusses the bodhisattva vow and whether spontaneous enlightenment ever really happens without significant prior spiritual work.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity. This talk was given in February 2018
Composure is an attitude of self-possession, collectedness, readying oneself and understanding what needs to be done. It is the absence of a "wildness of heart." Paul talks about the role composure has in meditation and walking the spiritual path.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in August 2015
Jacqui talks about why we are here on this planet Earth and whether there is or is not a purpose to life.
Jacqui James was a Buddhist Insight meditation teacher and the co-founder of the House of Inner Tranquillity. Jacqui passed away in 1989, aged only 42.
This talk was given in February 1987
It is fair to say that people meditate because they believe there is a deeper dimension to life, one with which they can get in touch by pursuing that particular path.
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was delivered in December 1988
At some point, especially when things are not going well, most of us wonder what life is all about. We ask questions like, "Why me?" or "What have I done to deserve this?" This, Alan James suggests, is the call to the spiritual quest, to discover for ourselves that which lies beyond the conditioned universe.
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was originally given in March 2002
What is the one thing that omniscient knowledge lacks? Can you say life is perfect without imperfection?
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in December 2017
What gives rise to compassion, the "melting of the heart," where one intuitively understands another's suffering and its cause?
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in May 2016
Jhanas are deep states of concentration wherein the mind is fixed or absorbed in a single object of contemplation. Hindrances are the mental qualities, based in self-concern and resistance, that prevent such deep states of absorption from arising.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in May 2016
Why is perception such an important part of life and meditation?
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in October 2016
How do we deal with unwanted memories, the concomitant painful feelings and sense of regret that arise as a consequence?
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in April 2017
Why is the Sangha, the community of practitioners, such an important part of the Buddhist philosophy and training?
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given in August 2017