(photo from Project Another Country by Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan at Auckland Art Gallery)
Cultivating resilience in challenging times
Auckland Insight, Auckland, New Zealand
March-April 2020
2020-03-26 Guided meditation: orienting to compassion 26:18
A guided meditation orienting to compassion, in response to coronavirus
2020-03-26 Short talk: some responses to the coronavirus/karuna-virus situation 15:37
A few reflections on the coronavirus situation, and the possibility of cultivating karuna/compassion as a resource for ourselves and others
2020-04-02 Equanimity as a resource in challenging times 13:56
A short talk on cultivating equanimity: steadiness and balance, as a resource for ourselves and a benefit for others
2020-04-09 meditation: mindfulness of breathing, then gratitude at end 26:33
Beginning by settling into the body and the breath, then towards the end, orienting to mudita, appreciative joy or gratitude for a few minutes
2020-04-09 talk: the relevance of mudita, gratitude or appreciation during difficult times 23:28
An exploration of the role of mudita, appreciative joy and gratitude, as a support for equanimity during challenging times. Includes quotes from an interview with Rebecca Solnit on hope https://onbeing.org/programs/rebecca-solnit-falling-together/#transcript
2020-04-16 meditation: steadying the body, the heart, the mind 28:36
Beginning by steadying and stabilising the body and heart-mind, then noticing our relationship to present-moment experience, opening to the simplicity of here … now … this …
2020-04-16 talk: hope, hopelessness and equanimity 26:29
Exploring ways to open more fully to the truth of impermanence and death, then looking at equanimity as an antidote to any tendency to swing between hope and hopelessness
2020-04-23 meditation: settling in to calm and steadiness 28:47
A short guided meditation orienting the body and heart-mind towards stillness, calm, and ease
2020-04-23 talk: balancing urgency and trust 25:08
Exploring the balancing qualities of samvega, spiritual urgency with pasada, quiet confidence or trust, as support for our capacity to look more fully at the truth of impermanence. Ends with an invitation to briefly contemplate our own mortality.
2020-04-30 meditation: slowing, stilling, soothing 28:01
Orienting to the body and the breath to slow down, steady and soothe the heart-mind
2020-04-30 talk: seclusion, sangha, samvega (spiritual urgency) 17:16
A short talk exploring how taking refuge in sangha even while we’re in seclusion, can strengthen samvega or spiritual urgency. Closes with an invitation to explore in small groups, what’s been learned in response to the Covid-19 situation and how it might deepen our dharma practice.
Jill Shepherd: insight meditation 