Burlington Buddhist Sangha

Jessica framed our reflections this morning, playing the first of Pema’s talks in this “Getting Unstuck” series, titled “Learning to Stay.”  Our discussion largely centered around our own practices and the three ways in which we typically refuse to stay with what comes up in our meditation.

If you’d like to hear the talk, just for itself, or in preparation for next Sunday’s continuation, click here

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kc5ckv1nynmr88c/Pema%201%20Learning%20to%20Stay.mp3?dl=0

These session will continue for six weeks, and you are welcome to join anywhere along the way.

Payton hosted us in a offering of the Chinese Tea Ceremony this Sunday.  Different in nature from the Japanese Tea Ceremony, this one is designed to serve – and awaken – a number of people at the same time, as we join in observing the preparation and then all partake of the tea at the same time.     Each phase of the ceremony is offered with great mindfulness and precision, and even to watch it is a meditation, quieting the mind, sharpening the senses.

Nancy guided our reflections today with the third session on Equanimity, which brings to a close our series on the Seven Factors of Awakening.  She drew on instructions by Ajahn Thanissaro

http://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/shorttalks/y2014/140601(short)_Patience_&_Equanimity.mp3

http://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/seven_factors/07%20Equanimity%20(110927).mp3

and an extended dharma talk and guided meditation by Ayya Khema

http://ayyakhematalks.org/Media/Green_Gulch_1996/GG_96_talk_08.mp3

Meeting at Joey’s place on our coldest morning this year, we explored Equanimity with a dharma talk by Martine Batchelor

http://www.dharmaseed.org/teacher/119/talk/24374/

Lorilee guided our reflections this morning as we embarked on the Factor of Equanimity, the final Factor of Awakening.  The morning centered on a talk by Christopher Titmouse titled “The Wisdom of Equanimity”
https://archive.org/details/DharmaTalkWisdomOfEquanimity

Same guided our reflections today as we met at Rebecca’s place for sangha.  The focus was our third session on Concentration as a Factor of Awakening, and featured excerpts from dharma talks by Jack Kornfield, “Quiet the Mind; Open the Heart”

http://www.dharmaseed.org/teacher/85/talk/2317/

and by Christina Feldman, “Refuge in Calmness”

http://www.dharmaseed.org/teacher/44/talk/10162/

This morning, Lorilee led our second Sunday devoted to Concentration.  Framing the practice with quotations from the Bhagavad Gita and accompanied by her harmonium, she led is in kirtan, the call and response style of chanting in Sanskrit, ranging from the simple to the complex, exploring each as a mode of concentration.  Later, we experimented with concentration by gazing at a candle flame.  You may find lovely examples of Kirtan to listen to or chant along with by clicking on one of these link.

http://www.shantalamusic.com/music/

http://www.krishnadas.com/

This morning Michael guided our reflections on Concentration, the Sixth Factor of Awakening.  We explored two different types of concentration, exclusive and inclusive, with the writings of Ajahn Thanissaro representing the former and those of Ashin Tejaniya representing the latter.  Our guided meditation, drawn from the teaching of Ashin Tejaniya,  focused on moving from strong concentration on the breath, to strong concentration on thoughts as they arose and changed, to strong concentration on underlying attitudes of mind or moods, thus moving fully into the Third Foundation of Mindfulness.

Today Joey guided our reflections on Tranquility, the 5th Factor of Awakening.  Featured was a dharma talk by Pascal Auclair and guided meditation on “Bringing Awareness to Mind States”

We began the year with an extended period of meditationframed by Michael, which included a sensory awareness experiment/meditation,  “Nothing to Do, Nowhere to Go” guided by Lee Lesser.  A little something to weigh in against resolutions one might be tempted to make for the new year.

You can access that meditation/experiment here

https://www.dropbox.com/s/t1klt719yi6f4bg/Lee%20Lesser%20Excerpt%20-%20nowhere%20to%20go%2C%20nothing%20to%20do.mp3?dl=0