Seven Factors of Awakening I've recently enjoyed leading a couple of longer residential retreats in New Zealand and Australia, exploring the teachings from the Satipatthana Sutta on the Seven Factors of Awakening: mindfulness, investigation, energy, joy or rapture, tranquillity, concentration or stability of mind, and equanimity. When cultivated together and brought into balance with each …
Continue reading August 2016 full moon – Seven Factors of Awakening and Equanimity (again)
Sea anemone by Virginia Draper http://www.virginiadraper.com/p822038089 Opening, closing, opening, closing ... Everything has its natural rhythm, including the human heart. I'm not sure why it took me so long to understand this, but a childhood memory - of exploring rock-pools with my father while on holiday in Scotland - helped. On family visits to chilly …
This December full moon I happen to be assisting James Baraz with a seven-day retreat in the Yarra Valley, outside of Melbourne, Australia. Those of you who are familiar with James' teaching know that he infuses the traditional mindfulness practices that lead to insight, with the "heart practices" known as the four brahma vihara: kindness/metta, …
Continue reading December 2014 full moon – wisdom and compassion
Hatred never ceases by hatred, but by love alone is healed. This is an ancient and eternal law. quoted in "The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times" by Pema Chödrön 2001 Hatred never ends through hatred. By non-hatred alone does it end. This is an …
Continue reading July 2014 full moon – Hatred never ceases by hatred …
A view of Kerteminde harbour Just wanted to share a few photo souvenirs from this retreat, which took place last week on the outskirts of Kerteminde, an old fishing village a couple of hours from Copenhagen. The retreat was led by Joseph Goldstein and Uffe Damborg, who have known each other for over forty years, …
Continue reading Danish retreat with Joseph Goldstein and Uffe Damborg, June 2014
This article (with minor amendments) was first published in the March 2014 BMIMC newsletter. Since returning to Australia and New Zealand from the United States eighteen months ago, I've been teaching several weekend retreats, day-long workshops and evening classes in New South Wales and Auckland. Alongside the insight meditation practice, I've usually included some focus …
Gratitude to all the dedicated meditators who attended this weekend's metta retreat at the Blue Mountains Insight Meditation Centre. A radiant group!
Update 24 July - ONLY 2 PLACES LEFT Freeing the Heart-Mind A non-residential weekend retreat exploring Buddhist meditation practices for developing wisdom and compassion During this non-residential weekend retreat we will explore two main forms of Buddhist meditation, insight (vipassana) and loving-kindness (metta). Together, these two practices help us to cultivate more awareness of ourselves …
Continue reading Non-residential weekend retreat, Auckland, New Zealand
Gratitude to all the participants in the recent Metta weekend retreat held at Bella Rakha in Auckland, New Zealand. The dedicated team! Shrine prepared by Sue, with everyone's aspirations in the bowl below
Jill Shepherd: insight meditation 