Gaia House: dharma talks and meditation instruction: Recent Episodes
via dharmaseed.org
Gaia House is a meditation retreat centre offering silent meditation retreats in the Buddhist tradition. We warmly welcome people of every age, ethnicity, cultural heritage and religious background, socio-economic group, sexual orientation and gender identity, and we are actively working to investigate and remove barriers to inclusion. Join us in to explore the teachings of the Buddha, guided by experienced Dharma teachers from all over the world.
(Gaia House) An exploration of equanimity, and living with purpose. This Online Dharma Hall session includes a Guided Meditation, a Dharma Talk, and responses to unrecorded questions. Bear in mind, it was offered while Nathan had a cough and a fever.
(Gaia House) There is a felt sense of being more free (samadhi), we can use this as a way to return to, and deepen into the freedom that is possible for us. This shapes the ethical behaviour that expands freedom even more, and the deepening understanding of our perception of reality as we liberate it. All the aspects of the paths converge into freed up well-being, which opens the door even wider, and into which we can deepen far beyond.This Online Dharma Hall session includes a Guided Meditation, a Dharma Talk, and responses to unrecorded questions. This session includes an invitation to attend the Gaia House course Well Beyond: https://gaiahouse.co.uk/programme-2024-25/well-beyond/ and the week-long retreat on Feeling Freedom online: http://www.meditacevhledu.cz/retreats/
(Gaia House) Exploring the contradistinctions between the not-self strategy and radiant goodwill to all beings. And how we can put more of our personal care into the practice. Based on an insight from Thānissaro Bhikku in Good Mind, Good Heart. This Online Dharma Hall session includes a Guided Meditation, a Dharma Talk, and responses to unrecorded questions.
(Gaia House) Reflections on skilful engagement with thoughts; unguided practice session; short reflection on walking and general practice with Yanai Postelnik
(Gaia House) This path of freedom is a path of happiness, a happiness based on expressions of wisdom and care. This Online Dharma Hall session for Gaia House includes a meditation and reflection on how we can bring more inner and outer care to our lives, and how that might move us closer to the radical freedom and happiness that these teachings and practices direct us towards.
(Gaia House) An exploration of the dependent origination of dukkha down to the level of making things to grasp, demand, and obsess over. If we find things are ungraspable, really, how could we grasp onto them or push them away? What happens to reactivity, stress, and suffering in a world with no thing in it?A lightly guided meditation, Dharma reflection, and responses to (unrecorded questions).
(Gaia House) Exploring the middle way of pride, its positive role, and negative implications in our life and practice. Also, of the benefits and challenges of a comparison-based mind and its necessity in discernment. Apologies for the occasional scratchy sound in the recording: Nathan is wearing a thick scarf due to a persistent cough, and it catches on the microphone. (includes responses to unheard questions)
(Gaia House) This session includes a guided practice, Dharma reflection, and the answers to (unrecorded) questions from participants.
(Gaia House) The teachings of dependent origination encourage us to meet inner and outer dukkha with creativity and courage. This session includes a guided practice and Dharma reflection.
(Gaia House) A commentary and practice on the Five Daily Recollections or Remembrances. Here phrased by Caroline Jones: Breathing gently, I lovingly remember…this body is ageing;this body is vulnerable to illness;this body will die;loss is part of life;to meet this moment with wisdom. This session includes a guided practice, Dharma reflection, and the answers to (unrecorded) questions from participants.
(Gaia House) An exploration of the āsava teaching: our tendencies or karmic propensities of seeking happiness in sensual pleasures, in becoming, in ignorance, and in views. When we expect them, we are better served to defy them. Includes a guided meditation, refection, and responses to (unrecorded) questions. From the Gaia House Online Dharma Hall.
(Gaia House) At the core of the teachings, we have avidya: the fundamental point that we do not see things as they are. Our perception is not reality, it can be changed by how we look, where we look, and with what underlying principle concepts we look through. Let's bring in a few cognitive ideas into our Dharma approach. In particular, how 'fundamental attribution error(s)' are reinforced by 'naïve realism' to generate a self-world view that promotes impossible happiness claims. A recording of the meditation, Dharma reflections, and answers (only) to questions and reflections from participants (to preserve their privacy).
(Gaia House) The Buddha asked us to speak what is true and useful. Are those the same things? What is more important, usefulness or truth? And what is truly useful? Guided meditation, reflection, and (just Nathan's part of a Q&R session) Bear in mind, this is not speaking about truth as an objective exploration of scientific understanding, but an exploration of the truth of first person subjective knowledge: which is all a meditator can know about their experience.
(Gaia House) Exploring if how we meet the painful, and transform it wisely and kindly towards less reactivity and contraction, can open a kind of freedom with other difficult relationships. And even allow us to be able to embrace being difficult, or with what seems difficult.
(Gaia House) Finding a middle way between dukkha extremes. Includes a mention of https://media.ngly.de/intending-to-meditate-and-meditating-with-intent-74aad2387b8c as a way of exploring this theme in the whole of our life. Includes a guided meditation, talk, and discussion (in which only responses are recorded)
(Gaia House) Using our imagination is useful for extending the range of what feels and thereby is possible for us. Yet, we might feel (or imagine) like the teachings and practices we do are to be with reality more directly than via imagination. But, is it that even possible?
(Gaia House) A guided meditation, Dharma reflection, and the answers (only) to some questions on the theme. Vedanā is not an easy word to translate, (maybe Niceness Opinion gets close). Yet, it is a very subtle and significant teaching, about a very subtle and significant event-maker, that when followed through with, a subtle and significant freedom becomes available for us. In this practice session, we will uncover the subliminal happening of vedanā, drop our rigid belief in what it commands, and create unbelievable well-being through a more skilful way of relating to it, and to all life.
(Gaia House) Seeing how we can change our internal experience through the ways we attend and relate to them. Is this available in the whole of our life? A session in Gaia House's Online Dharma Hall: meditation, reflection, with answers to questions (questions not recorded, but referred to).
(Gaia House) Keeping the practice of cultivation alive in and between meditations. Guided meditation, talk, and the responses to questions
(Gaia House) There is always a sense of self-esteem operating, affected by and affecting how we evaluate, and how much we value and care about ourselves. Self-esteem also influences our perception of the world, as we see through the self-esteem flavoured view. When this flows into self-confidence (or lack thereof) we see how significant how much we back ourselves to act in the world, further shapes the world. Our real potential naturally lies beyond whatever constricted views, and blind spots (assumptions and presumptions) we inevitably have. Knowing we can, and how we can shape the self-esteem view, is another step on the path of freedom.
(Gaia House) The hindrances are essential to notice, and to question, to gently challenge their view. Doubt is one of the most pernicious hindrances: anytime we consider stopping or not starting our practice, it is doubt declaring confidently: "there is nothing here for you, no liberation, no beauty, no meaningfulness". But there is! Guided meditation, and Dharma reflection, with just the answer to some questions at the end.
(Gaia House) Looking into the insight of inconstancy (anicca). When we look for anicca we find everything is anicca, when we don't, most everything isn't seen that way. Anicca supports letting go: this way of looking is useful for freedom. Leading on from that, due to the importance of feeling free and knowing freedom, when we're honest, usefulness in our way of perceiving is more important than the truth or not of it. Letting go of truth claims (without losing our honest integrity) opens up even more creativity to apply even more liberating ways of looking. Includes: Guided Meditation (30 mins); Dharma Reflection (30 mins); Answers to Questions (questions not recorded).
(Gaia House) A reflection on the activity of being reborn as the person we find ourselves to be, time and again, moment to moment, in this life (put aside for now past and future lives in different bodies). Furthermore, how any culture is reborn via the activity of the collective of indivduals that make it up. This reflection uses an exploration of the "many lives in one life" of the radically awake Baba Amte, as we come to the 108th anniversary of his birth. The possibilties of taking birth are endless and accessible right now: is this not the very path of the art of intentional cultivation, AKA meditation?
(Gaia House) Dukkha is contracted and selfish. What happens to the heart-mind when we open in empathy, care, and kindness to all kinds of beings? What happens when we include all locations we can imagine? What happens when we include future generations into the most distant times we can imagine? An ethically wise and kind opening of dukkha contraction is a taste of freedom.
(Gaia House) Online Dharma Hall session including guided meditation and Dharma talk on the theme of the interwinding co-creating aspects of appreciation, gratitude, and joy.
(Gaia House) Collectedness (samādhi) beyond focus, in its 3 aspects: the attentional, the ethical and the flexible. Using water metaphors and the simile of the goldsmith (AN 3.101/102).
(Gaia House) It is natural and right to take reality as independently real, but every perception is the best guess of what reality is. We know a prediction, rather than a fact. This invites a freedom to shape our self and world towards an ethical liberation.
(Gaia House) There is only this one moment to meet well. Listening in to the Buddha's teachings, we find a repeating theme of fully sustaining awakening qualities over many moments. How can we maintain insight lenses, virtuous activity, or gathered well-being for a single day?
(Gaia House) How much of our lives do we live distracted and dispersed? Diverted away from being gathered, sensitive, and present. When we divide our attention, we move away from wholesomeness and fulfilment. We drift from freedom into dukkha. Guided meditation and talk with questions and responses in the Online Dharma Hall of Gaia House.
(Gaia House) A Dharma talk, meditation, and questions and responses session, the questions are not recorded, only the responses.
(Gaia House) Regarding the aggregates of existence (form; preferences; perceiving; mental activity; knowing) as areas we can open around. Shifting from identification and ownership to just happening activities for greater freedom and well-being.
(Gaia House) A Dharma talk, meditation, and questions and responses session, the questions are not recorded, only the responses.
(Gaia House) A Dharma talk, meditation, and questions and responses session, the questions are not recorded, only the responses.
(Gaia House) A guided meditation sending mettā and compassion to phenomena (rather than beings). Then a reflection and discussion about what insights, wisdom, and well-being, we feel from this kind of practice. Plus, where further can this practice take us. For more, see my upcoming course at Gaia House: https://gaiahouse.co.uk/programme-2022/wisdom-of-compassion/
(Gaia House) Summary of what we have covered: the four truths and the three characteristics.
This recording also includes Laura Bridgman.
(Gaia House) This session starts with a guided meditation (30 mins). Followed by a reflection on the Sister Sela sutta. The latter part is a questions and response session. For privacy, the questions have not been recorded, but it should still make sense.
(Gaia House) What are we doing on retreat, and why? Reflections on how times of retreat are relevant to the whole of our life.
(Gaia House) As we quieten the noise of aversion and grasping, some stillness and calm can arise in the spacious welcoming of our experience. We can start to feel a freeing of the heart from our often limiting agendas and sense that heart-mind can stay open, connected and engaged, even when we struggle or are not in control.
(Gaia House) The teachings on the Middle Way, in their different expression, all point to a dynamic, responsive balance that aims to avoid skewing to any side of a perceived polarity. They do not imply a "being stuck in the middle", nor do they promise that we can eventually find a place to land, settle and discover freedom in taking a side in any duality. The teachings on the Middle Way keep us on our feet, questioning, opening, refining. They reveal and offer the liberating perception of "Neither-Nor".
(Gaia House) How does our concept of for whom we're practising shape our practice? Including our energy and enthusiasm, what we might do in the practice, and more…
(Gaia House) Integrating Dharma practice into our life.
(This recording also includes Alan Lewis)
(Gaia House) Exploring metta, friendliness; karuna, compassion; and other transformative ways of relating to ourselves and the world. Guided meditation, Dharma reflection, in the Online Dharma hall of Gaia House.
(Gaia House) Exploring metta, friendliness; karuna, compassion; and other transformative ways of relating to ourselves and the world. Guided meditation, Dharma reflection, in the Online Dharma hall of Gaia House.
(Gaia House) Can we live in a sense of interconnection: where meaningfulness has meaning; and sensitivity takes priority? And can we be willing to live from there? Where the necessary renunciations call us into deeper, nourishing connection. Includes a guided meditation, Dharma reflection, and responses to questions.
(Gaia House) Getting to know our experience is so essential, and that is greatly deepened by accepting what has already arisen. But the Dharma is also about cultivation of beautiful, skilful, and wholesome qualities. And that also means abandoning unhelpful habitual ways of being and acting: wise non-acceptance is a part of wise and timely acceptance. This recording contains a guided meditation, Dharma reflection, and questions.
(Gaia House) We can habitually and instinctively feel like our self, and apparent things of the world have the nature of fixity and stability. Yet, when we look deeper, what appeared independent and inherently there, seems to melt into a kind of fluidity. From this more sensitive meeting, can we find an appropriate response to how we actually feel in the current moment? As if we can go beneath the frozen surface of the idea of who and what is into the dependently originating and fading fluidity.
(Gaia House) All changing and unreliable phenomena are neither satisfactory nor dissatisfactory. They neither contain the ingredients for contentment nor for distress. It is in the way of relating to them that the tangle of dukkha (distress) arises, or the openness of freedom, well-being, and happiness come to be. How much freedom might come from reminding ourselves that all things are both non-dissatisfactory and unsatisfactory? Guided meditation and Dharma Reflection, followed by a Q&A.
(Gaia House) Exploring the map of the jhanas, their beauty and benefit, and how samadhi practice connects with insight and the understanding of emptiness and dependent origination. This includes a guided practice that builds on the guided practices during the retreat.
Closing of the retreat.
(Gaia House) Playing with metta (2) and proceeding into one's base practice (builds on previous meditations from this retreat)
(Gaia House) Pointers and signposts of deepening, and a few words about metta practice for cultivating samadhi. Guided meditation: Playing with metta (1)