Shell Fischer's Podcast: Recent Episodes
Shell Fischer
Insight Meditation teacher, Shell Fischer, founder of Mindful Shenandoah Valley, offers her 25+ years of study and experience in these weekly talks about meditation practice, and how it can help us nurture more compassion, kindness, joy, and calm in our lives.
We all tend to seek out and hope for gain, status, praise, and pleasure, and resist or fear loss, disgrace, blame, and pain – even though all are inescapable, and visit each of us in different forms throughout our lives. And how we relate to these hopes and fears – often called the 8 Worldly Winds – often dictates how we experience our entire world. This talk explores how our meditation practice can help us to pay closer attention to these various winds so that we can learn how to better allow them to rise and pass without clinging so tightly to them, and therefore, discover more freedom and ease in our lives. It includes a meditation at the end.
Often during our meditation practice, we encounter a state known as “busy mind,” which is when there’s a kind of ongoing flow of anxious or repetitive mental chatter that tends to keep us locked in the realm of the past or the future, and therefore, mostly distracted from the reality of the present moment, or … the life we’re actually living. This talk explores how this particular mind state is created, and how we can use our mediation practice to mindfully observe and slow down the flow of thoughts, and in turn calm both the mind and body. It includes a meditation at the end.
During difficult times, allowing ourselves to pause, breathe, and come back home to the present moment is exactly how we can regain our footing, become more grounded, and shore up our ability to more wisely respond instead of automatically react to whatever’s happening. This talk offers us a variety of ways that our meditation practice can help us learn to rest our attention in awareness itself, and discover more calm, compassion, and wisdom in the face of our challenges. It includes a brief meditation at the end.
An essential aspect of our meditation practice involves training ourselves to very consciously and compassionately navigate the truth of constant change, instead of allowing ourselves to become so unconsciously distracted by the swirl of it that we end up missing out on the life we’re actually living. This talk explores how we can use our mindfulness practice to discover more kindness, presence, and a sense of safety - especially during the more major periods of change and grief in our lives. It includes a 10-minute meditation at the end.
Instead of resisting, denying, or trying to ignore a big change in our lives or in our world, the Buddhist teachings invite us to open up to it and deeply acknowledge: “This Is It,” and then ask ourselves: “now what?” Meaning, what’s the wisest, most compassionate response to this change? How can I relate in a way that is going to open my heart, rather than shut it down? This talk explores how we can use our mindfulness practice to help us remain calm in the midst of chaos, and discover the most beneficial answers.
Our common experience of doubt – in ourselves, and in our ability to make good decisions for ourselves, especially - is actually the very last thing the Buddha himself struggled with just before he became enlightened. In fact, his own awakening was his profound message to us: that we all have the innate capability to discover for ourselves what will lead us towards more happiness, and what will lead us towards more suffering. This talk explores how we can use our healthy doubt as the antidote to our unhealthy doubt in order to reveal what is true.
Whenever we experience pain or suffering, our common tendency is to believe that not only is the cause of our suffering in some way wrong, but that our own response to it is also wrong. And therefore, we tend to surmise that we, ourselves, are also somehow wrong. Happily, the Buddhist teachings are designed to help us notice this common pattern, and learn how we can bravely open up to our own suffering and really get to know it – very intimately – so that we can become wiser and more compassionate, and eventually, become free of it. This new talk from Shell explores how we can better allow ourselves our own feelings through the lens of a half-a-dozen different teaching phrases. It includes a meditation at the end.
The Buddha insisted that our relationships make up the “whole” of our spiritual life, and and urged us to use our mindfulness practice to become more aware of who we’re choosing to associate with in order to assure our sense of peace and well-being. Happily, his teachings offer us numerous ways that we can use our meditation practice to better discern whether our relationships are offering us poison (or, something that makes us feel bad), or medicine. This talk explores how we can tap into our wise bodies and hearts to help us make these important decisions. It includes a meditation at the end.
As opposed to the act of “striving,” which involves a kind of unhealthy or stressful clinging to some sort of expectation, and typically arises from our more self-centered mind, or ego - the quality of aditthana (or determination, in the Pali language) almost always arises from the heart, as in, from our heart’s desire.
And because our heart is just naturally wise and compassionate, if we commit ourselves to following it, it will almost always lead us towards more joy, ease, and peace in our lives.
This talk explores how we can not only use our meditation practice to establish this powerful quality, but learn how to more mindfully discern whether we’re being driven by our tricky minds, or by the much vaster space of our heart. It includes a meditation at the end.
Whenever we perceive that some sort of harm is being done – either by another person, people, or even on a more national or global level - how can we best confront this without nurturing aversion in our own hearts, or letting it consume us in some way? This talk explores the Buddha’s teachings on how we can use our meditation practice to help us to say “no” or maybe “that’s enough” without doing further harm to either ourselves or others, or allowing our aversion to shut down our hearts. It includes a meditation at the end.
This talk addresses the question: How can we flow between all the different roles, hats, or identities that we place on ourselves every day, and that kind, wise, compassionate presence within us that is actually free of those often-limiting identities, or beliefs about who we think we “should” be? The answer involves using our meditation practice to examine how we can begin to loosen our strong grip on all of our toxic “shoulds,” and uncover and find comfort in what is often called our Buddha Nature, or, the truth of who we really are. It includes a meditation at the end.
Right before the Buddha’s enlightenment, a single memory from his childhood apparently not only led him to nirvana, but to the profound teachings of the Middle Way – the whole thing. Essentially, what he remembered was what contentment (or passaddhi) had felt like to him, at age 8. This talk explores how the Buddha was led to this understanding, along with some of his teachings on how we can train ourselves to experience even more of this precious quality in our lives. It includes a 10-minute meditation at the end.
The Buddhist teachings are continually calling our attention to the truth of what is called annica, or impermanence, because essentially, it’s exactly what we tend to struggle with, in the form of both the fear of uncertainty, and the grief that comes with change. But instead of trying to avoid our fear and grief – which is our natural tendency - the teachings are asking us to instead pause, and allow ourselves to BE with these feelings, so that ultimately, we can transform them, and discover more peace. This talk explores how we can use our meditation practice to train ourselves in the sacred, healing art of the pause. It includes a meditation at the end.
As the Buddha’s teachings remind us over and over, even though it’s difficult, we never want to let another person’s anger, disrespect, or cruelty harden our own hearts. Instead, we want our meditation practice to serve as a kind of guard for our hearts - a strong shield that can protect us against the power that other people's disrespect can often have over us. This new talk explores how we can develop the mindfulness tools that can help us to more calmly and kindly respond to the unkind behavior of others. It includes a mediation at the end.
While the Buddha assured us that it’s healthy to be aware of all our different intentions, he also suggested that once we’ve planted the seeds of our plans, our practice becomes surrendering to any determined outcome whatsoever – to truly let go, of all of it. This talk on Shoshin, or “Beginner’s Mind,” is aimed at helping us to let go more and more often by inviting us to see all things as new – including all situations, people, and especially ourselves – rather than clinging so tightly to our preconceived beliefs and expectations, which tend to keep us stuck. It includes a meditation at the end.
When we practice what the Buddha called The Middle Way, we start to realize with more clarity that contentment resides at the center of our wanting and not wanting, our indulgence or deprivation. We learn that nothing is really happy or unhappy in and of itself - no person, thing, or situation, and that our joy or sorrow depends entirely on how we are relating to our experience. This talk explores how can use our meditation practice to learn to “walk in the middle” more often in order to discover more joy, ease, and balance in our lives.
In order for us to practice well, we need to learn how to create and then dwell in a quality the Buddha called Noble Silence – something that is precious and multi-faceted, like a jewel, and not simply about being quiet. This talk explores all the many reasons why it’s necessary and essential for us, along with offering practices that can help us to experience it more often, and slowly learn to live our lives from within this peaceful space of silence. It includes a meditation at the end.
In the Buddhist teachings, the practice of dana (or generosity) is considered the number one heart quality that we are urged to cultivate, in order to discover more joy, and less suffering in our lives. This new talk from Shell explores how we can use our mindfulness practice to become more kind and generous not only to others, but also to ourselves, by honestly revealing and investigating all the ways in which we might not be being as kind, or as generous as we may think. It includes a 10-minute meditation at the end.
As the Buddha tells us, rejecting, avoiding, or pushing away the reality of the moment - which might be unpleasant - is one of the main ways that we create suffering (or dukkha) not only for ourselves, but also for others.
In the Pali language, this quality of aversion is called dosa. And because it tends to cause so much unnecessary pain and stress in our lives, the teachings urge us to use mindfulness practice to really get to KNOW our dosa, at all levels – from the most minor ways that we resist to the most troubling, or destructive.
In this new talk, Shell explores all the many ways that we can start to notice when we’re in some way resisting what IS, and start to let BE, instead of being so aversive to other people, life itself, and of course, ourselves.
It includes a 10-minute meditation at the end.
Most of us tend to grapple with what is considered an ancient human torment: the challenge of trying to balance a need for self-care, along with a strong sense of feeling responsible for helping others, and the world in general – a particular push and pull that can often be so painful. Happily the Buddha was also aware of this struggle, 2600 years ago, and offered us some very sage advice about how to work with it. This talk explores one of his most famous sermons, the Acrobat Sutta, which addresses how we can find a more harmonious and peaceful balance between these two needs.
In the Buddhist teachings, the Buddha urged us to very consciously be on the lookout for harmful qualities he called “The Near Enemies,” – qualities that all “pretend” to be the heart-qualities of kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity, or, The Divine Abodes, considered the highest, most beneficial emotions in the Buddhist teachings. In this talk, we explore how we can use our practice to bring these types of tricksters or “frenemies” up into the light, see them more fully for what they are, and begin to embody their opposites. It includes a meditation at the end.
The Buddha was once asked “what is the most important thing for us to practice?” And his answer was simple: patience (or khanti, in Pali). Happily, this vital quality is something we can learn to apply to absolutely everything we struggle with in our lives - every person, situation, and even ourselves - in order to become much more peaceful, self-controlled, compassionate, and undisturbed by life itself. This talk explores the many different ways that we can do this. It includes a 10-minute meditation at the end.
In the Buddhist teachings it is said that there are 8 different “winds” or conditions that we either hope for, or fear - all of which are constantly blowing into our lives, just like the wind. These 8 are the main things that we tend to preoccupy ourselves with, and consequently become stressed out about. In this talk, Shell explores how we can use our practice to more clearly see and acknowledge these 8 when they rush in, and begin to let go of our strong grip or preoccupation with them in order to discover more peace, joy, and ease in our lives. It includes a 10-minute guided meditation at the end.
Whenever we think of the word “home” we often think of a kind of brick and mortar “place” where we can physically dwell. But in the Buddhist tradition, home or “refuge” is not something we find outside of ourselves, but instead directly within. In fact, it might be said that the entirety of our practice is aimed at training ourselves how to develop this place of “home” right here - in our own minds, bodies, and hearts. In this talk, we explore what are often called the 3 Refuges or Treasures of our practice, and how we can create a place of safety, ease, and belonging by cultivating all three.
Modern science has now shown us that what the Buddha was trying to tell us more than 2600 years ago is spot on: that by consciously choosing to incline our minds towards more joy, we can actually change the structure of our brains in a way that will generate even more experiences of joy for ourselves in the future. This talk explores not only how we can use our practice do this, but how we can bust some of the common misunderstandings about how we go about it. It includes a 15-minute meditation at the end, designed to help us discern and loosen habitual or unconscious beliefs that might be blocking us from experiencing more joy and contentment in our lives.
While the Buddha assured us that our meditation practice is the path to freedom, he also explained that in order for us to achieve a more profound happiness than we could ever find outside of ourselves, we first need to take an honest, courageous look at all the ways that we create more suffering for ourselves. This talk explores the many different types of dukkha (suffering) that we experience, and how shining a light on them through our practice can help soften and even dissipate them.
Modern science has shown us that our words are not harmless: they have the very real power to not only affect our actual brains, but to either create more hurt and discord in this world, or more harmony and connection. This talk explores some of the Buddha’s rich teachings on Wise Speech, and how we can use our meditation practice to train ourselves to become more aware of our unconscious habits of communication, and better understand what we're creating in our lives and in our world through our speech.
Apologizing is such a challenging skill that the Buddha himself said that learning to do it well is “THE essential factor in achieving purity in thought, word, and deed.” This new talk explores how we can use our mindfulness practice to become better at this, and also how we can better discern whether we are either receiving or giving a real apology - or not. It includes a 15-mintue meditation at the end, designed to help us accept when an apology we expected was either lacking, or maybe caused more harm than the original hurt.
Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh suggests that instead of focusing on everything that’s wrong with ourselves, other people, or the world … we should ask: “What’s NOT wrong,” as a way of practicing the incredibly transformative quality of gratitude. This quality of thankfulness is so powerful, in fact, it’s considered 1 of 2 main antidotes to our experience of fear. It also represents the very fruit of our practice, or Equanimity. In this talk, Shell explores how we can use our mindfulness practice to access this quality more and more often, so that eventually, we can live from a place of thankfulness, rather than from a place of complaint.
The Buddhist teachings warn us of 5 main challenging and complicated mental states that block, confuse, or “hinder” our ability to more fully open our hearts and minds, and prevent us from discovering freedom from suffering. In this talk, Shell explores how we can use the practice of energy (or viriya, in Pali) to more clearly recognize these five mental states, and eventually loosen our grip on them in order to discover more joy, freedom, and ease in our lives. It includes a 15-minute meditation aimed at helping us overcome the pain of desire.
A common expression among those who practice Insight Meditation is “don’t believe everything you think,” which points to the idea that in order for us to discover the truth – or any transformation or release from suffering in our lives - we first need to take a good look at what we’re believing, then courageously question the validity and/or benefits of these beliefs. In this talk, Shell explores the crucial practice of Investigation (or vicaya), which is considered the 2nd Factor of Awakening.
The Buddha taught that you can search the entire universe for someone more deserving of your love and compassion than yourself, and you will not find that person anywhere. And yet, so often for many of us, it seems much easier to offer our care, compassion, and even forgiveness to others than to ourselves. We tend to beat ourselves up, or give ourselves an unnecessarily hard time for our "perfectly human" emotions and imperfections. This talk from Shell explores how our meditation practice can help us learn how to offer more of our love, care, and forgiveness to the person we spend the most time with - ourselves. It includes a 10-minute meditation at the end.
As the Buddhist teachings show us, our deepest source of pain and suffering arises from our delusion that we are somehow separate from one another, and from Earth itself. Given this, one the most profound practices we are offered to dispel this delusion is by exploring what is called Mahabhuta, or The Great Elements contained within our bodies. This talk explores not only why this practice is essential, but how we can use our meditation practice to investigate it. It includes a 15-minute meditation at the end.
In the Buddhist teachings, we are asked to use our meditation practice as a way to reflect on the profound truth of anicca, or impermanence: the truth that everything – including ourselves, is always and forever in a constant state of unfolding … along with the truth that if we can learn to trust that flow, and let go of needing to control it, we can truly live with much more joy, freedom, and ease in our lives. This talk investigates how we can learn to live in and even as that constant unfolding. It includes a meditation at the end.
In the Buddha’s teachings on Wise or Right Livelihood, we are urged to shine a strong light on what we’re believing about our own worth, as well as our opinions about the worthiness of others, because these assumptions touch, shape, and affect almost everyone and everything in our lives – individually, culturally, and even globally. This talk explores how we can use our practice to take a closer look at these beliefs so that, ultimately, we can take actions that will lead to more joy, compassion, and connection.
One day, when the Buddha was just 8 years old and upset, he decided to offer himself both calm and compassion by very naturally sitting in what has been called “the first meditation,” and consciously nurturing a quality called Passaddhi – a Pali word translated as serenity, composure, or tranquility. In this new talk, Shell explores how we can follow the Buddha’s wise example, along with his instructions on how best to develop the same calming, soothing effect through our practice.
The Buddha’s last words to us were said to be: “All conditioned things are impermanent; strive on with diligence!” In these difficult times we’re all living through, maintaining our practice, as well as our sense of hopefulness, can often be challenging. In this new talk, Shell explores the quality of aditthana - a Pali word meaning “determination” or “resolve” - and offers us ways to “strive on with diligence” to help us strengthen not only our commitment to our practice, but to ourselves.
Whenever there seems to be a gap between what is, and how we want it to be – whether this means a situation, person, ourselves, or life itself – we tend to experience frustration, or anger. Yet, if we can allow ourselves to let go of our strong expectations, our suffering can often drop dramatically. In this new talk, Shell offers us some tips – both classic and modern – for how we can use our practice to slowly loosen our grip, and discover more freedom, joy, and ease.
The Buddhist nun Pema Chodron suggests that we remember to ask ourselves one key question, every day: “Since death is certain, and the timing of death uncertain, what is the most important thing?” In this talk, we explore what the Buddha calls The Five Remembrances, or, 5 essential truths about our lives, ourselves, and our loved ones which, when contemplated daily, can help us discover more joy, ease, and freedom in our lives.
In the Buddhist tradition we are asked to develop a quality called Noble Silence, which serves not only as a sacred vehicle for us, but is also in a very real way our destination. In essence, the more we can create the space of Noble Silence, and live and practice within it, eventually, it is what we BECOME. In this talk, Shell explores this multi-layered topic of silence, and how we can use it to become more joyful, awake, and at ease in our lives.
The Buddhist teachings offer us numerous ways of praying, yet people often ask: in this non-theistic tradition, what does it mean to do this? Or, what is it that we are aspiring to, when we place our hands together and bow our heads in prayer? In this talk, we explore how we can use this powerful form of aspiration to not only direct and open our hearts, but heal our deepest source of pain – which is a sense of a separate self.
The teachings show us that setting healthy boundaries with others is an incredibly important skill that can help us to live with more balance, joy, and ease in our lives - but of course, this isn’t always easy. Students often ask: “The teachings point to the concept of annata, no-self … so, why is there a need for boundaries? The Buddha urges us to care of others like a mother might care for her only child … so, why do I feel selfish or cruel when I say no?” In this talk, we explore what the teachings have to say about these questions and more as they relate to learning how we can more wisely and compassionately know and protect our limits.
One of the most essential teachings of the Buddha can be found in a single and famous line of advise from him, which is, “Be a lamp unto yourself; be a refuge to yourself; take yourself to no external refuge.” In this new talk, we take a deep dive into the Acrobat Sutra, a story and teaching that points to the importance of caring for yourself FIRST, by becoming the source of your own refuge - which in turn transforms into an offering of care for others. It includes a meditation at the end.
According to the Buddhist teachings, one of the main ways that we suffer is by trying to hold onto or even control that which is inherently impermanent – including everything and everyone in our lives, as well as our ourselves. Our practice, then, becomes a bit of a paradox: in order to discover more freedom and ease in our lives, we need to learn to let go, and start viewing all phenomena as new – especially ourselves. This new talk from Shell investigates the truth of anicca (impermanence) and how we can learn to live in as even AS that flow of change. It includes a meditation at the end.
In order for each of us feel understood, and cared for, it’s important that our hearts are both seen, and heard. And while our listening skills are absolutely essential for this, so many of us don’t know how to do this well. This new talk from Shell explores how we can practice the art of Mindful Listening, and nurture our skills to not only connect more with others, but also with ourselves.
As we slowly begin to emerge from this difficult time in our history, it’s essential for us to remember that we’ve all experienced loss this year, and to make every effort to offer our kindness, compassion, and care out to both ourselves, and others. In this new talk, Shell explores the Buddhist concept of Sila – or no harm - and how we can use it to not only bring more healing into the world, but to truly awaken.
According to the Buddha, choosing good relationships in this life doesn’t just constitute part of our spiritual development, but in fact the whole of it. Because these choices are so critical to our happiness, the teachings offers us numerous and detailed ways in which we can better discern which companions we should seek out, and which we might want to avoid, or abandon. This talk delves into these vital contemplations, and includes a deeper investigation into the relationship we have with ourselves. It includes a meditation at the end.
The Buddha tells us that our relationships are “the whole of this spiritual life”; that in fact they can greatly determine both our happiness, or our sorrow. Because of this, he urges us to use our practice to closely discern which relationships we should nurture, and which we might want to abandon. This talk dives into the teachings on this in more detail, and offers examples about how we might go about doing this.
Given all the conditions that are giving rise to worry, anxiety, and fear in our world, it’s natural that many of us find ourselves struggling with what the Buddha called unhealthy fear – which occurs when we become trapped in a kind of spiral of our own stories about what the future holds for us. This talk explores how we can use our practice to take a good look at our own fortune-telling skills, and discover more calm and ease by examining and questioning some of these predictions.
Inevitably, throughout our lives, we will all experience both the beauty and terror of what are called the 8 Worldly Winds, which can arrive in varying degrees –sometimes as a gentle breeze; at other times like a gusting tornado. Either way, the way we work with these winds is what determines how much they affect us as they’re passing through. This new talk explores how we can use our practice to discover and take refuge in that calm, still point that rests in the center of this storm we call life.
Though the experience of being insulted can feel extremely painful, it’s actually a common experience. Yet, if we continue to cling to each and every barb, it can greatly affect the quality of our lives. This talk explores some of the Buddha’s teachings on this subject, and how it can help us work through these experiences with the qualities of kindness and compassion, rather than with a sense of bitterness, anger, or hatred.
This new talk is based on the phrase, “This Is A Moment,” which through practice can help us to detach from our busy, discursive, and negative thoughts, and bring us back home to the more open, calm, awake space of the present moment - just as it is - with great kindness, compassion, and care. It includes a 10-minute meditation at the end.
So often, we tend to believe that whenever we’re experiencing sadness, there must be something “wrong,” or that it “shouldn’t” be happening. But when we can use our practice to courageously and compassionately allow ourselves to not only feel our sadness, but listen to what it has to say, we can uncover a profound sense of peace, connection, and freedom. In this new talk, Shell explores how we can open up to the whole flow of our emotions, without making any of it – including ourselves – wrong.
Especially in times of difficulty, the practice of gratitude (or katavedita, in Pali) is one of the most profound skills we can use to help us discover some sort of balance in our lives, some ground beneath our feet, a sense of safety when everything else around us seems to be coming undone. In this new talk, Shell explores this essential element of our practice, and how we can use it to not only make a deep shift in our consciousness, but open our awareness to the preciousness of each moment of our lives. (It includes a 10-minute gratitude practice to end.)
As the teachings show us, in order for us to respond to suffering – our own, and that of others – it is essential that we very consciously give ourselves permission to pause, to temporarily take some sacred time to shore up our own capacity for wisdom and compassion, so that we don’t allow what’s happening to harden our hearts. This pause is often called “sacred,” because when we allow ourselves to enter it, we become better able to not only see what is true, but what is needed.
Often, during difficult times, what’s most needed to help soothe, quiet, and ease our troubled minds – the quality of patience - is also the most difficult to access. In this new talk, Shell taps into the Buddhist teachings to explore how we can develop more calm, compassion, and patience not only for the situation we find ourselves in, but also for others, and ourselves.
In this talk, recorded live on Mar. 10, Shell explores how we can use the practice of equanimity (or balanced awareness) to work with our fear, panic, and uncertainty, and discover more kindness, compassion, connection, and ease during these difficult times. (This talk is the 7th in a series of talks on the 7 Factors of Enlightenment).
In mystical and spiritual literature throughout the ages, deep states of consciousness have been described as having been achieved through the art of concentration – which is exactly what we’re trying to cultivate in our meditation practice. As we learn to develop a more refined and skilled awareness, this in turn offers us access to even deeper levels of understanding and insight. In this talk, Shell explores how we can use our practice to train our minds to become more focused, steady, and clear.
As we deepen our meditation practice, it is crucial for us to learn how to develop the powerful quality of Passaddhi, also translated as “calm,” “tranquility,” “serenity,” or “composure.” This soothing, cooling quality of mind and heart can help to keep us peaceful and at ease, especially during times of difficulty. In this talk, Shell explores this essential step along our path, and how we can better develop it.
In this 25-minute guided meditation, we're invited to look beneath our more shallow intentions to discover our deepest intention, so that we can learn to cultivate, nurture, and embody it, and carry its light out into our lives and our world.
The good news of our practice is that, as it deepens, we are bound to experience what in the Pali language is called piti - otherwise known as joy, happiness, delight, and even rapture. It’s an important aspect of our journey, and we absolutely want to cultivate and nurture this sense of pleasure, and joy.
Yet, it is also vital that we learn how to skillfully work with it as it arises, so as to not become attached to it - which can take us in the wrong direction. In this talk, Shell explores this 4th Factor of Awakening, and how we can both access it, and know when to wisely let it go.
The root meaning of the Pali word viriya, or energy, is “hero” … and in the Buddhist tradition, when we start walking on the path of meditation, we are considered warriors. This is because what we’re doing as we practice is acting as ‘warriors’ against the great forces of greed, hatred, and fear in ourselves. We’re also courageously facing and confronting our natural tendencies … which are to run away from ourselves and our problems, or to fight them, or to completely ignore them, drown them out, or pretend they aren’t there. In this talk, Shell explores this 3rd Factor of Awakening - viriya - and how it can inspire us to become more bravely dedicated to our path towards freedom.
The great teacher Joseph Goldstein tells us that the awakening factor of investigation (vicaya) is a refined quality of mind that “discerns and illuminates the truth by means of discriminating wisdom.” In our practice, this is the crucial factor that can cut through our delusion, and liberate the mind. In this 2nd talk of a 7-talk series, Shell explores how we can develop, nurture, and harness this important quality of wise discernment to discover more clarity – and therefore more joy and ease – in our lives.
As you might imagine, we cannot develop a good mindfulness practice without first learning how to be mindful. But, what does mindfulness (or sati, in Pali) really mean? And, how do we do this? In this new talk, Shell explores this foundational factor of our spiritual development, and offers suggestions about how we can both utilize and strengthen it in order to discover more joy and freedom in our lives.
In the teachings, it is said that there are seven profound qualities of mind that not only lead us to awakening, but also perfectly describe the awakened mind. In fact, all our approaches to practice are to be considered in the light of the development of these profound qualities, or factors. In this talk, Shell offers a summary of how we can use our meditation practice to develop these, in anticipation of a series of talks on each one.
One of the most profound gifts we can offer both ourselves and others is our kind, compassionate presence. In truth, the most important aspect of all our interactions lies in our ability to listen, along with a deep intention to truly understand – a skill that takes conscious practice. In this talk, Shell explores how we can tap into our practice to create true connection – or communion - with both ourselves, and others, through the art of listening.
There are many definitions of the word “dharma,” which includes natural phenomena, as well as the Buddha’s teachings. In our own practice, rather than relying on an outside authority to offer us the answers, we are being asked to contemplate the dharma (or truth) within ourselves, with guidance from the teachings. This inner seeking is often called “come and see” and is the basis of our practice – being willing to look inside, and see for ourselves whether or not the dharma is true. In this talk, Shell explores how we can do this through the 4th Foundation of Mindfulness - Mindful of Dharmas.
Ever wonder what it means to Take Refuge in the 3 Jewels? In celebration of the meditation group’s 9th anniversary, Shell offered a traditional Refuge Ceremony for sangha members, including a brief summary of what it means to take refuge (find sanctuary) in what are called the 3 Jewels of Practice: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. You can listen (and participate) here.
A popular myth about meditation practice tells us that in order to meditate, we need to get rid of all of our thoughts. This is not only untrue, but unhelpful.
Vipassana Insight meditation is actually asking us to take a good, close look into the nature of our minds, and this includes becoming aware of what we’re thinking.
As we get better at exploring the mind more intimately - gradually we recognize that our thoughts are not “us,” and understand that they don’t need to define us, or control us.
In this talk, Shell explores the 3rd Foundation of Mindfulness - Mindfulness of Mind - in the 3rd talk in a series of 4 talks on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.
In our exploration of meditation, we are asked to be “mindful of feelings,” and to contemplate the “feelings IN the feelings,” often described as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.
As we learn how to more accurately discern these subtle sensations, we gradually develop a more calm, non-judgmental awareness of whatever is happening in our lives, so that we’re no longer so controlled by our conditioned responses to experience.
In this new talk, Shell explores this 2nd Foundation of Mindfulness - Feelings - as part of a four-part series of talks on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.
This meditation was adapted by Thanissaro Bhikkhu the Abbott of the Metta Forest Monastery near San Diego. He learned this from his Thai teacher Ajaan Fuang who learned this technique from Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo (1907-1961). I learned it from my teacher, Pat Coffey, and now it is yours!
Thich Nhat Hahn:“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.”
For thousands of years, the famous Satipatthana Sutra has been used as a powerful and profound spiritual road map. Contained within it are the rich teachings on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, which the Buddha himself called the “direct path to enlightenment.”
In essence, this sutra is the very basis and ground of our entire practice, and diving deep into its teachings is exactly what can lead us out of suffering, and into more freedom, joy, and ease in our lives.
During this series of talks, Shell will explore each of these Four Foundations in more depth.
Talk 1: The 1st Foundation of Mindfulness - Mindfulness of Body.
This is the grounding foundation, where we begin. By practicing mindfulness of the body, the Buddha is asking us to see “the body IN the body,” and to recognize that it is not a solid entity, but made up of parts that are impermanent, constantly changing, and “not self” (anatta). It is here where we discover that our entire spiritual life is em-bodied, that we experience everything from this sacred place of home.
Instead of offering the weekly dharma talk, Shell opened the room up to about 30 minutes of questions this week.
If you have a question you'd like to ask Shell, please visit us at the website to write your question, and Shell may answer it in the next session!
Starting in October, 2019, Shell will be offering these Q&A sessions once a month.
While the teachings offer us numerous ways of praying, people often ask: in this non-theistic tradition, what does it mean to do this? Or, what is it that we are aspiring to, when we place our hands together and bow our heads in prayer? In this talk, Shell explores how we can use this powerful form of aspiration to open our hearts, expand and connect, and extend more compassion and care to both ourselves and others.
When we practice what the Buddha called The Middle Way, we start to realize with more and more clarity that happiness resides at the center of wanting and not wanting; that nothing is really happy or unhappy in and of itself - no thing, person, or situation; that our joy or sorrow depends entirely on how we are relating to our experience. In this talk, Shell explores how learning to “walk in the middle” can help us discover more joy, ease, and balance in our lives.
The teachings warn us of 5 main challenging and complicated mental states that block, confuse, or “hinder” our ability to more fully open our hearts and minds, and prevent us from discovering freedom from suffering.
In this talk, Shell explores how we can better recognize these five, and learn to transform and eventually overcome them.
Often, as we search for deeper spiritual meaning in our practice, it’s easy to become stalled or stuck at certain points, and become unclear about which direction we need to take in order to continue further.
This talk from Shell explores the famous Heartwood Sutra, which points out four things that are often mistaken for progress in our practice.
The Buddha spoke about 5 spiritual faculties which, if cultivated and developed, can flower into spiritual powers. The truth is, we all have these faculties within us, and when we learn to nurture them through our practice and our lives, they can lead us to more joy, ease, and freedom. In this talk, Shell explores these five, and offer ways that we can begin to harness their profound power, and offers a meditation on these to end.
Though it’s considered an integral part of our formal meditation practice, walking meditation is something that is often not well-known in the West, or practiced, and can seem odd when we first try it.
Yet, it can not only help the body refresh and rejuvenate between meditation periods, but can help us to take our practice “off the cushion” and into every single moment of our lives, so that we can become more and more aware of being fully embodied, experiencing the whole of our lives through all of our wonderful senses.
In this episode, Shell “walks us through” this important practice with explanation, guided practice, and q&a to end.
As we all know, whenever we’re having difficulty relaxing, or sleeping, this can often profoundly affect our thinking, mood, behavior, and quality of life. The good news is, the Buddha’s teachings (especially those that deal with the hindrance of worry and restlessness) can not only help us to fall asleep more easily, but can allow us to live with greater calm, joy, and ease. In this talk, Shell offer some ways that we can discover sacred rest through the teachings and our practice.
"If there is to be understanding, compassion, and peace in the world, spiritual teachers must learn to honor the 'jewels,' or 'best values,' at the heart of diverse traditions, and to keep their own alive by interpreting them in light of the here and now" ~ Donna Seaman. In this talk,Shell explores how, so often, the teachings of both the Buddha and Jesus were essentially pointing to the same truths.
One of the main ways we tend to suffer is when someone insults or blames us, and we can’t seem to let go of the hurt or anger it evokes; when it lives in us, and grows bigger and more intense, maybe even overwhelming. During this talk, Shell explores how we can use the teachings and the practice to help us to better let go of our strong grip on blame and insult, and to bring some healing to our vulnerable hearts.
There are a multitude of reasons why we fall into sleep or a kind of dreaminess or even a sense of “nothingness” during meditation, and it’s helpful to know what these are so that we can use our practice to work with these states, and discover more clarity, energy, and wakefulness - not only in our practice, but in our daily lives. Shell explores these and more in this talk on what is called the hindrance of "sloth & torpor."
This meditation - recorded during one of Shell's Tuesday night classes - is a 30-minute guided visualization practice, designed to help us discover our wisest self, and listen to the wisdom of our hearts for the answers we have been seeking.
In our modern western lexicon, the word “karma” is often employed as a kind of derogatory term that implies that someone who is experiencing some negative consequences is somehow getting their just reward, or cosmic punishment.
Yet in the Buddhist teachings, this is not at all an accurate description, and the Buddha himself was actually critical of many of the beliefs and myths that are attached to this word.
In this talk, Shell explores this complicated concept, and how we can use it to bring more happiness and joy into our lives, and into the lives of others.
In the famous Upaddha Sutta,the Buddha’s disciple Ananda suggested that ”admirable friendship” is half of the holy life … and the Buddha exclaimed, strongly, “no, it is the wholeof the holy life.” In this new talk, Shell explores the importance of cultivating Kalyanamitra(a Sanskrit word that means “spiritual friendship, or “noble friend”) and why it’s essential that we nourish this same strong friendship with the most important person in our lives – ourselves.
According to the Buddhist teachings, there are 8 main “anxieties” or “hang-ups” that take up an enormous amount of our emotional energy, and keep us trapped in a cycle of pain, frustration, and suffering. These 8 are praise and blame, recognition and disregard, gain and loss, and pleasure and pain. As we use our practice to learn to face these inevitable winds in our lives without being constantly blown over by them, the more peace, steadiness, and ease we experience. In this talk, Shell explores these 8 Winds (also called 8 Worldly Dharmas, Attachments, or Concerns).
In the Pāli canon, the Buddha asks us to practice reflecting each day on what are called “The 5 Remembrances” as they relate to the truth of annica (impermanence). Over time, and with practice, reflecting upon these 5 things can help us to more deeply recognize and accept that change, loss, and death are not unusual events, but are woven into the very fabric of existence. As we continue to reflect on these truths, the more the mind becomes imbued with peace, & equanimous in the face of difficulties. This talk from Shell explores these 5.
“If we had a keen vision and feeling of all ordinary human life, it would be like hearing the grass grow and the squirrel's heart beat, and we should die of that roar which lies on the other side of silence.” ~ George Eliot
This talk explores how we can cultivate a deeper sense of sustained silence and presence through meditation practice, and how, more and more, as this silence deepens, we can begin to let go of words and concepts and preconceived notions, and go right to direct experience.
During a recent "Noble Silence" night at Shell's meditation class, she was asked to record the metta (loving-kindness) meditation that she offers. This recording includes a brief explanation, followed by the meditation. Enjoy!
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom.” ~ Victor Frankl
In this talk, Shell explores how, through our mindfulness practice, we can better access what has often been called “The Sacred Pause,” to create more calm, ease, and grace in our lives.
“Listen to Sadness. Sadness is important. Sadness has something to teach you. It stands in opposition to an entire culture that tells people that happiness is the highest, best, and sometimes only permissible emotion, and that sadness is an obstacle to being happy, and that we should concentrate all of our emotional and cultural energy on trying to eradicate sadness so that everyone can be happy.” ~ Roger Ebert
During this talk, Shell explores the great importance of allowing ourselves to be sad, and points to the truth of the saying “the way out is through.”
As the Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh tells us, “Suffering is not enough.” Yes, the First Noble Truth tells us that there is suffering, but our practice is not to live and dwell there; it is to cultivate a kind of lightness, joy, and ease in our lives, so that we’ll be better able to deal with the inevitable suffering. One of the easiest ways to practice this is to nurture and cultivate a strong sense of gratitude. During this talk, Shell explores how we can access even more thankfulness and joy in our lives through our practice.
In this talk, Shell dives into the idea of "humility" - a word fraught with shame in the English language - and explores how, through the teachings and the practice, we can start to view humility more and more as a pathway to love, genuineness, reverence, and connection.
Traditionally, realms and states of deep consciousness have been described in mystical and spiritual literature as having been achieved through the art of concentration – which is exactly what we’re trying to cultivate in our Vipassana practice. As we develop a more refined and skilled awareness, this in turn offers us access to even deeper levels of understanding and insight. This talk explores how we can use our practice to train our minds to become more focused, steady, and clear.
Mindfulness is whole-body-and-mind awareness of the present moment. When we are mindful, we are fully present, without judgment, with exactly what’s happening, right now. We’re not lost in the past or future … not tangled up in daydreams, anticipation, indulgences, or worry. We are right here, witnessing our bodies and minds and whatever is present. During this talk, Shell explores this essential component of our practice and path.
In his teachings about how we should go about investigating the nature of our minds and hearts, the Buddha continually emphasized the words diligent, ardent, and resolute.
If we really want to experience more joy and freedom in our lives, we need to apply a more sustained and wise effort to our practice in order to discover more clarity - or insight - into which mind states lead us to happiness, and which ones lead us towards more suffering.
In this talk, Shell dives into what this “wise effort” looks like in more detail.
In anticipation of an annual Refuge Ceremony, Shell offers this talk on what it means to Take Refuge (find sanctuary) in what are called the 3 Jewels of Practice:
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Buddha: (who we are not worshiping in any way, but honoring as an example of what is possible within ourselves.)
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Dharma: Here we are agreeing to take a deep look within ourselves, through the teachings, and discover for ourselves what is true, and what leads us towards freedom.
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Sangha: Here we are honoring the support and encouragement we find in the community of us who meet weekly to practice together, as well as the larger community (the maha-sangha) of like-minded people who are also courageously looking within their own hearts, bodies, and minds to discover more peace and freedom.
As the great Zen master Thich Nhat Hahn tells us, “Suffering is not enough.” In order for us to not be pulled under by the great forces of greed, hatred, and delusion in our world, the teachings urge us to continually and consciously nurture the heart and mind states of kindness, compassion, peace, and joy (mudita), which includes a deep wish or aspiration for all beings to be happy and to know the causes of happiness – including ourselves. During this talk, Shell dives into the rich practice of Mudita, and shows us how it can help to more fully open and expand our hearts, and discover more joy in our lives.
When we are practicing this step on our path, we’re being asked to consciously, and very honestly reflect on the question: How am I living my life? along with considering, “What am I really offering?” In essence, we are being asked to contemplate our deepest intention for ourselves, and whether this aspiration is arising from a sense of “what’s in it for me?” or from a more compassionate response of “how can I help?” During this talk, we dive into this rich practice of investigation.
In the Buddha’s teachings on Right Action (samma kammanta) we are being asked to be mindful of the harm we’re capable of causing with - and to - our physical bodies, and in our expression of our bodies and how we use them – and to consciously avoid or abstain from those things by following the 5 Ethical Precepts, which Shell explores in this talk.
During this talk Shell begins to explore the sila(or virtue, moral conduct) section of the Noble 8-Fold Path, which is considered the foundation of the whole path, what it’s built upon. Without an essential grounding in sila, our practice can easily morph into a kind of self-improvement project … or, a type of self-serving practice that might help us to feel a little more calm or peaceful, but lacks the transformational aspects of ethical speech, action, and livelihood. And this 3rd spoke - Right Speech - is said to be where the practice of silastarts. As the great monk Thanissaro Bhikkhu tells us: “If you can't control your mouth, there's no way you can hope to control your mind.”
According to the Buddhist teachings, every single moment of our lives involves an intention, and a choice -- and we can either make these decisions consciously, or unconsciously. The Buddha is urging us to make them consciously, to “intentionally” plant and cultivate 3 main seeds of thought and action (renunciation, goodwill, and non-harm). These 3 more refined and conscious intentions are meant to counter the more base and toxic choices of greed, aversion, and ill-will … with the understanding that whatever we nurture and water is what will eventually grow.
If you can imagine that the Noble Eightfold Path is a kind of ancient spiritual GPS that the Buddha mapped out for us … then the first spoke in the wheel – Right View (samma dhitti) is like being able to zoom our inner screen all the way out to its fullest so that we can see the vast scope of the terrain, and therefore gain a clearer understanding of the path we’re walking on, where we’re headed, and why.
(This is talk #2 in a series of talks on the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path; the 1st talk is the summary talk.)
The Buddha taught us that, happily, there is a way out of suffering, and that way is the Noble Eightfold Path. Yet, the path itself is often illustrated as a wheel … the Dhammachakra (chakra = wheel) … and each of the 8 parts of this wheel is represented as a spoke - which means that our practice of them should flow seamlessly together. In this talk, Shell offers a summary talk on the Dhammachakra in anticipation of a series of talks on these 8 essential practices.
This talk explore what is often considered the “fruit” of our practice - equanimity (upekkha) - or balanced awareness - in the face of the so-called 10,000 joys and 10,000 sorrows that make up all the days and moments of our lives.
This primary quality of mind and heart is the essence of what the monk and scholar Bhikkhu Analayo was pointing to when he summed up the entire practice in just four words: Keep Calmly Knowing Change.
(And, as equanimity is the last of the 10 paramis, this will conclude the final talk in the series of 11 talks on the paramis.)
Metta, a sense of unconditional friendliness, is said to be the very ground of our spiritual life, and also the most powerful practice, in that it can overcome all the states that accompany the biggest delusion and source of our suffering – that of separateness.
Metta is also the 9th of the 10 paramis, or perfections – qualities of mind and heart that the Buddha taught us were essential to nurture in order to reduce our suffering, and discover more joy and ease in our lives.
This talk explores this 9th parami, and how we might live more fully and authentically from this state of unconditional friendliness, and kindness.
In the Thai language, the word for ‘vow’ is also translated as determination. And, in a very real sense, when we become even more “determined” to honor our practice and all that this entails, we are making a vow - like a marriage vow - to ourselves, and to the continuation of our spiritual practice and development.
In this talk, Shell explores the importance of this 8th parami (determination), and how honoring it can not only deepen our resolve, but strengthen our practice.
(This is talk #9 in an 11-talk series on the 10 paramis, or 'perfections' - qualities of mind and heart that the Buddha taught us were of primary importance to nurture in order to free ourselves from suffering, and bring more joy and ease into our lives.)*
As the teacher Gil Fronsdal has said, without a commitment to truth, there isno spiritual path. This is so important that we can safely say - as a kind of absolute truth in practice - that deceiving oneself or others is never acceptable.
Yet, so often, we tend to either ignore or suppress our own truth, or are fearful about expressing it.
During this talk, Shell explores this 7th parami (truthfulness) and how courageously allowing and nurturing this quality of heart – as well as living inand acting from our truth - can help us to release more joy and freedom in our lives.
(*This is talk #8 in a series of 11 talks on the 10 paramis, or 'perfection' - qualities of mind and heart that the teachings urge us to nurture in order to reduce our suffering, and discover more peace and ease.)
In the Buddhist practice, patience (khanti) involves three essential aspects: gentle forbearance, calm endurance of hardship, and acceptance of the truth.
As the teachings tell us, the more and more we practice and really get to know and understand the vast blessings of patience, the more effortless it becomes, and the more we can live from a mind and heart that is calm, kind, and filled with ease.
During this talk, Shell explores this 6th parami (patience). (*This is the 7th talk in a series of 11 talks on the 10 paramis, or perfections, which includes a summary talk.)
The root word for the Pali word ‘viriya’ is “hero” … and in the Buddhist tradition, when we start walking on the path of meditation, we are considered warriors.
This is because what we are doing as we practice is acting as ‘warriors’ against the great forces of greed, hatred, and fear in ourselves. We are also courageously facing and confronting our natural tendencies … which are to run away from ourselves and our problems, or to fight them, or to completely ignore them, drown them out, or pretend they aren’t there …
In this talk, Shell explores this 5th parami (energy) and how it can inspire us to become more dedicated to our path towards freedom. (*This is talk #6 in a series of 11 talks on the paramis, or "perfections" - 10 qualities of mind and heart that the Buddha tells us are essential to nurture in order to discover freedom from suffering.)
Along with being one of the 10 paramis (or primary qualities of mind and heart that we are urged to practice), wisdom (prajna) holds a special place in the teachings because it is also one of the three main major pillars of practice. (The other two are virtue, and meditative depthor absorption.) Of these three, wisdom is seen as most central, since this is exactly what we are cultivating during meditation to counter it’s opposites: delusion, confusion, and self-deception. During this talk, Shell explores this 4th parami. (*This is the 5th talk in a 10-talk series on the 10 Paramis)
There is often a mistaken belief that the practice of “renunciation” involves a type of strict repression, denial, or even punishment. But in the Buddhist tradition, it is none of these things.
In fact, the words most often used to describe the result of practicing renunciation (nekkhamma) are: release, freedom, and liberation. The idea is that when we practice letting go, instead of something being lost, something is actually gained.
And, our continued practice of renunciation can lead us to an even greaterhappiness … often called the “sacred dimension of liberation.”
Shell explores this 3rd parami or "perfection" in this 3rd talk in a 11-talk series on the paramis.
The Pali word sila(virtue, or morality) is derived from the word for “bed,” and is considered the bedrock - or foundation - upon which the rest of our spiritual practice is built. Yet, these ethical guidelines are less “though shall not do these things,”and more of a map to help us deeply investigate our own mind, body and heart to recognize which actions lead to suffering (for both self and others), and which lead to more joy and freedom. In this talk, Shell explores this 2nd parami, or "perfection." (This is talk #3 in a series of 11 on the 10 Paramis)
The Buddha taught that if we are really committed to discovering more peace and joy in our lives, the very first thing we need to practice is dana, or generosity, which involves a deep letting go – a release of our strong grip on greed, aversion, and deluded thinking. We also need to consider what we are offering … Are we “giving” others our patience, kindness, and understanding? Or, are we offering them something else? During this talk, Shell explores the 1st parami, or “perfection” – the rich practice of dana. (*This is talk #2 in an 11-talk series on the Paramis, or Perfections.)
“Wherever You Go, There You Are” – As the title of Jon Kabat-Zinn’s book tells us, our happiness doesn’t come from the things that we own, or where we live, or what we have in this life - it comes from the qualities of mind and especially of heart that we’ve cultivated.
In the teachings, the Buddha urged us to practice 10 of these qualities that he considered “priorities of supreme importance” on our path towards finding freedom from stress and suffering.
In this talk, Shell offers an overview of these ten - the “paramis” or “perfections” - in anticipation of a series of 10 talks on each of them.
Often during our practice we are asked to consider the question: “Who am I?” or “What is my real self?” To help us answer these questions, the teachings urge us to closely examine and contemplate what are called the 5 aggregates, or skandhas … things that appear to form the physical and mental continuum of an individual life, or … the way the Buddha describes the totality of what constitutes the “world” and the “self.” This talk explores these 5.
The teachings show us that setting healthy boundaries with others is an important skill that can help us to live with more joy and ease in our lives - but of course, this isn’t always easy. Students often ask: “The teachings point to the concept of annata, no-self … so, why is there a need for boundaries? The Buddha urges us to care for others like a mother might care for her only child … so, why do I feel selfish or cruel when I say no?” This talk explores what the teachings have to say about these questions and more as they relate to the question of protecting our limits.
In honor of Valentine’s Day, this talk explores the topic of love by diving into the Acrobat Sutra, a story and teaching that points to the importance of caring for yourself, which in turn transforms into an act of caring for others.
This talk explores what is considered a kind of underground Buddhist classic: the 1993 movie “Groundhog Day” starring actor Bill Murray. Embedded in the story are some of the most common (and profound) of the Buddha’s teachings, including things like samsara, karma, beginner’s mind, and hope … among other teachings.
Whenever we sit down to meditate, an important question we can ask ourselves is, “why am I practicing?” Or, “What am I looking for?” We can also consider asking: “who” am I practicing for? … Are we practicing for others, but not ourselves? Are we practicing for ourselves, but not for others? This talk explores the Buddha’s thoughts on these answers from the Firebrand Sutta, and offers us fodder for even more inquiry into both our practice, and our lives.
In the Pāli canon, the Buddha asks us to practice reflecting each day on what are called “The 5 Remembrances” as they relate to the truth of annica (impermanence). Over time, and with practice, reflecting upon these 5 things can help us to more deeply recognize and accept that change, loss, and death are not unusual events, but are woven into the very fabric of existence. As we continue to reflect on these truths, the more the mind becomes imbued with peace, and equanimous in the face of difficulties. This talk will explores these 5.
The Heartwood Sutra: Often, as we search for deeper spiritual meaning in our practice, it’s easy to become stalled or stuck at certain points, and become unclear about which direction we need to take in order to continue further. Tonight’s talk will explore the famous Heartwood Sutra, which points out four things that are often mistaken for "the heart" of our practice.
In Buddhist psychology, the term “comparing mind” is considered a habit of mind that causes us a lot of unnecessary stress and suffering, as it involves evaluating how our perceived sense of “self” compares with other perceived “selves,” either as “better than,” or “less than,” or even equal. And the truth is, all of these assessments come from a vast misunderstanding, or perception. This talk investigates the suffering that arises from this mind state, as well as ways that we can use our practice to conquer it.
One of the main ways we tend to suffer is when someone insults or blames us, and we can’t seem to let go of the hurt or anger it evokes; when it lives in us, and grows bigger and more intense, maybe even overwhelming.
This talk explores how we can use the teachings and the practice to help us to better let go of our strong grip on blame and insult, and to bring some healing to our vulnerable hearts.
So often, when the word “communication” is brought up, most of us tend to automatically think of the “talking” aspect … the words that are said, the conversation itself, the dialogue … But the truth is, the most important aspect of Mindful Communication is actually the Listening aspect, since if our communication isn’t first grounded in good listening, it doesn’t tend to lead to good communication. This talk explores how we can use our practice to not only listen more closely to others, but (perhaps mostly importantly) to ourselves.
The Buddha spoke about five spiritual faculties which, if cultivated and developed, can flower into spiritual powers. The truth is that we all have these faculties within us, and when we can learn to nurture them through our practice and our lives, they can lead us to more joy, ease, and freedom. This talk explores these five, and offers ways that we can begin to harness their power more and more.
Thistalk explores a variety of different mindfulness methods we can use to approach and discover the peace of equanimity – or balanced awareness, the ‘fruit’ of our practice – in the face of the 10,000 joys and 10,000 sorrows that make up all the days and moments of our lives.
In the Buddhist teachings, greed (grasping, desire) is considered one of the 3 Poisons (along with hate and delusion) that causes us to create suffering not only for ourselves, but for others – sometimes in profound ways.
During this talk, Shell explores how we can use the practice to better recognize when we’ve become poisoned by our own greed and desires, and how we can loosen their strength over us so that we can cultivate more peace, harmony, and ease in our lives and in our world.
As the Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh has said, “Suffering is not enough.” Yes, there is the First Noble Truth of suffering, but our practice is not to live and dwell there; it is to cultivate a kind of lightness, joy, and ease in our lives, so that we’ll be better able to deal with the inevitable suffering. One of the easiest ways to practice this is to nurture and cultivate a strong sense of gratitude. This talk explores how we can access even more thankfulness and joy in our lives through our practice.
One of the ways that we can begin to understand the concept of emptiness is by cultivating what in the Zen tradition is called “Shoshin,” or “Beginner’s Mind.” This is also sometimes referred to as “Don’t Know” Mind. The idea is that, everything, including ourselves, is brand new in each moment, and if we can cultivate this knowing through our practice, and remember it in more and more moments in our lives, we can “awaken” to a more expansive freedom.
What we’re doing when we “take refuge” is finding sanctuary (refuge) within these three things, often called The 3 Jewels: The Buddha (which represents our own capacity for awakening); the Dharma (the teachings we have received and experienced; and The Sangha (the group of us who meet weekly to practice together, as well as the larger sangha of like-minded people who are also courageously looking within their own hearts, bodies, and minds to discover peace and freedom.)
The title of this talk is actually a quote from the Dalai Lama, who suggests that if we aren’t getting enough sleep in our lives, our meditation practice is not going to be as helpful to us. Shell recently explored how to “fall awake” during our formal practice, and how to conquer the hindrance of ‘sloth and torpor’. During this new talk, she explores how the practice can help us to truly “fall asleep,” at night when we need to, and experience more rest, joy, and ease in our lives.
Aversion, desire, sloth and torpor, worry and restlessness, and doubt – these five “hindrances” are really giant umbrella categories pointing to the myriad ways in which we “hinder” our meditation practice - as well as ourselves - from opening our hearts and minds and discovering more freedom. This new talk explores how we can better recognize these hindrances, and learn to transform and overcome them.
There are a multitude of reasons why we fall into sleep or a kind of dreaminess or even a sense of “nothingness” during meditation, and it’s helpful to know what these are so that we can use our practice to work with these states, and discover more clarity, energy, and wakefulness in our daily lives. This talk explores ways that we can use our practice to "fall awake."