Author: Payton Swick

Aimlessness as spiritual path?!  We might dismiss such a notion out of hand, until we learned that it was recommended highly by Thich Nhat Hanh, and that he was pointing to a style of practice that is  also signless.  And empty.  

Does such an eccentric approach interest us? or make us suspicious?  

Using excerpts from a talk by Kara Jewel Lingo, Max guided our reflections this week on this non-way of practice, and invited us into a style of meditation that draws its vitality from qualities, which we, in our purposeful practicing, might otherwise pass by, and miss tasting.

Much of our life seems to be consumed with making decisions, important or trivial: What to eat? what to wear? whether to stay in a job or leave it?  whether to stay in a relationship or prepare for an exit?  Coffee or tea?  How to practice, and how much?

We might say, and even believe, “I decide” this or that.  But if we look more closely, we may find that it is rarely so clear cut, and that the roots of our choices are often quite surprising. 

Dharma Teacher Martin Aylward offers penetrating insights into these processes, and Michael shared a talk and a guided meditation by Aylward this week to frame our discussion of the processes of deciding, choosing, inclining toward, changing our minds, or throwing up our hands in the moments when it seems we must settle on one path of action or another.

      Our starting place in the BuddhaDharma is almost always marked by Craving – for all sorts of goals, spiritual, psychological & material.   The promise of the Path is that there is a reliable way to move in the direction of Freedom and Awakening.  Sam guided our discussion this week of a key characteristic in our understanding that can make all the difference. 

      One of the bright promises of the BuddhaDharma is that we can shape our own mind states. And rather than just wishing for good results, there are paths and practices which we can follow to arrive at this capacity.     

      Ellen shared part of a talk by James Baraz on right/wise/appropriate effort, focused on the aspect of nurturing wholesome states and maintaining them once arisen. 

A link to this talk is forthcoming.

The Buddha frequently urged his followers to contemplate daily the five Remembrances that he practiced in preparation for his ultimate awakening.  The first three may be familiar–but the last two are so radical that they have the power to startle us into attention no matter how long we have been practicing.

Sonia guided our investigation this week of these remembrances as laid out in the Upajjhatthana Sutta.  What do they ask of us?  And how can they move us to meet each day as a doorway to life authentically lived? 

Sonia played a talk by Narayan Helen Liebenson called “Reflections of the five recollections”, which you can hear at this link: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/player/70562.html

What does it mean to take refuge?  

When on retreat, we often take refuge in the Three Jewels on the first day, and in some cases, first thing each morning that follows.

But what does it mean to take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha in our everyday lives?  

Eric offered his understanding of this and invited us to contemplate and share our own.

Following the path of meditation from the initial stages to more advanced practice can be greatly aided by clear descriptions of how practice can change along the way.  Don utilized a dharma talk by Tina Rasmussen to share highly specific guidance on the techniques and markers of progress along the way.

You can listen to the talk here: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/3815/

That each person has an inherent capacity for awakening, or an already awakened consciousness or Buddha Nature is at the heart of the teachings of Dōgen Zenji, the founder of Sōtō school of Zen.

Michael guided our exploration this week of some of the pathways by which Dōgen invites us to discover our own Buddha Nature right in the midst of ordinary life.

Michael read excerpts from the Genjo Koan (Genjōkōan), which you can read here.

Other translations include one by the San Francisco Zen Center or this more scholarly exploration of various translations.

Stilling the mind connects us to a tremendous sense of wellbeing.  This is not something we can do, but something we can allow and become. So the skillful question is:

Living in a world filled with distractions, busyness, to do lists, etc, what can we do to create the ease and environment to allow our minds to become more calm and unified?

Jackie guided our reflections this week, drawing on the reflections of Akincano Marc Weber.

You can listen to the talk here: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/player/89557.html

Bringing awareness to our experience, we will eventually notice the motions of the mind that are known in Buddhist thought as the Five Hindrances. Desire and aversion, ill will, restlessness and worry, sloth and torpor, and doubt appear and disappear, mixing in a complex alchemy that can seem, at times, to take over our life.k

Fortunately for us, the teachings give us a collection of antidotes to make friends with these parts of human experience and transform them into skillful thoughts instead of letting them frustrate and cause us suffering.

This week, Payton returned to the basic teaching of the Five Hindrances and explored how we can recognize and transform them in the course of our days.

Payton played a talk by Kristina Bare which you can listen to here:

https://dharmaseed.org/talks/91300/