The Second Noble Truth states that the most proximal cause of our suffering is clinging, craving or greed.  In this talk, we look at the importance of orienting ourselves with curiosity and interest in growth as opposed to self-judgment for being “greedy.”  Understanding what is underneath the reactivity of greed can allow the natural responsiveness of heart to support the need for growth and change.

In this meditation, we move through the senses and body to ground our awareness in heart and Earth.  At one point, I name what is on the exact opposite side of the Earth from where I sit in Charlotte NC, USA.  If you are somewhere else and want to know for your location, here is a place you can find out:  Antipodes Map

We continue our exploration of the 4 Noble Truths, a foundational teaching of Buddhism.  These teachings are a powerful study of the mind– what causes suffering and what relieves suffering.  An old story called the Monk and the Samurai makes a great introduction to the 2nd Noble Truth.

The 2nd Noble Truth is that the most proximal cause of suffering is clinging.  Sitting meditation is a powerful place to explore ways in which this might be true for you and how to work with the clinging mind.

This week I share a talk I gave for a program from Temple Beth El.  The invitation was to talk about healing the mind from religious, spiritual and mindfulness perspectives. 

This week we we continue our exploration of the First Noble Truth through a story from Rachel Naomi Remen’s My Grandfather’s Blessing.  In this story she draws on 3 useful questions which she suggests short daily contemplation:

What surprised me today? What moved me or touched me today? What inspired me today?

From guest leader Colleen Faltus:

In this week’s meditation we explore the wisdom of the body. As Valerie Kaur says, “One of the most vigilant spiritual practices is finding the seconds of solitude to get quiet enough to hear the wise person inside us.” Quieting our inner and outer worlds provides the much needed peace and calm to hear the wise words of our bodies. In this session, we explore how to tap into our inner wisdom and listen carefully to what our bodies are telling us.

Today we had a guest speaker, Colleen Faltus, who shared beautiful resources for using our breath, body or movement for tapping into the wisdom of the body.

Today we start our exploration of the Four Noble Truths with the first one– in life, there is suffering.  While seemingly simple and straightforward on the surface, learning to reckon with this truth has a radical potential for transforming how we meet life in all of its complexities and realities.

The teacher asked his students, does it hurt more to be shot by one arrow or two?  Of course, two.  The first is what has already arisen, what is unavoidably already here.  The second is the one we shoot into ourselves in reaction to the first.  In this meditation, we use an anchor for grounding and support for exploring opening with wisdom and kindness to the first without contracting into a suffering story of the second.