What comes to mind when reading or hearing the word renunciation? What emotions or feelings arise? Is there an association with happiness? In this week's talk, MOI teacher Anne Savery shares the formula for happiness, mainly through the lens of renunciation. Anne explains that renunciation is often associated with letting go, but the original intention of the Buddhist Pali word means to go forth, pointing to what is gained rather than what one gives up. Anne encourages us to reflect on what we are attached to, what we are willing to renounce, what actually serves us, and what is enough. She then asks us to consider how we could personally benefit from the practice of renunciation. How could renunciation lead to more happiness in life?

If you feel inspired by these teachings, and wish to practice generosity, please consider supporting MOI and its teachers by visiting, https://mindfulnessoutreachinitiative.org/generosity/

In this week’s talk, MOI teacher Johnathan Woodside discusses the Four Great Efforts, stating that they are the formula for transformation. This formula is simple: (1) diminish unwholesome states that already have arisen, (2) prevent unwholesome states that haven’t arisen from arising, (3) strengthen the wholesome states that are already developed, and (4) develop and cultivate the wholesome states that have not yet arisen. Johnathan likens it to being a curator of the mind. Just as one hires a curator to develop a collection of art, we can be the curator of our own minds, developing a collection of wholesome qualities for display. Johnathan then encourages us to use the ten perfections of generosity, virtue, renunciation, wisdom, energy, patience, truthfulness, determination, loving-kindness, and equanimity as templates for our own exhibit. Ultimately the Four Great Efforts come down to cultivating supportive conditions for happiness. When such conditions are in place, happiness comes to be.

If you feel inspired by these teachings, and wish to practice generosity, please consider supporting MOI and its teachers by visiting, https://mindfulnessoutreachinitiative.org/generosity/

This week’s talk is all about the first step of the Path — Right View. Traditionally Right View is understanding the Four Noble Truths and the relationship between craving and suffering. But, as MOI teacher Rev. Kyle Sorys explains, it entails much more. “Whatever teachings lead to peace, stillness, harmony, which lead to the disappearing of the problems of life, which lead to clear seeing,” Rev. Kyle says, “is Right View.” It is seeing as the Buddha himself saw, which means seeing the Dharma and the true nature of reality. Rev. Kyle also explains that since our views are intimately connected with our intentions, Right View includes that which creates the intensions of kindness, compassion, and letting go. At its core, Right View is all about cultivating peace, contentment, and clear seeing.   

If you feel inspired by these teachings, and wish to practice generosity, please consider supporting MOI and its teachers by visiting, https://mindfulnessoutreachinitiative.org/generosity/ 

Like gardening and growing crops, spiritual practice involves cultivating the mind and body.  In this week's talk, MOI teacher Mark Wiesman explains how we can develop a mind inclined towards wholesome qualities of peace, contentment, compassion, and understanding.  He states that it's about creating the conditions for skillful thoughts and habits while uprooting the unwholesome weeds of greed and anger.   Mark repeatedly emphasizes that cultivating the garden of mind is not about forcing things or being attached to an outcome.  Instead, he encourages us to let go of struggling and allow things to unfold naturally.  Like growing any crop, cultivating the soil of the mind requires lots of work and dedication.  There will be unexpected challenges that arise.  But eventually, the crops ripen and the fruits of practice do come.   

What does your spiritual practice look like?  What type of rituals and routines are part of your practice?  In this episode, MOI teacher Anne Savery shares a bit about her practice, specifically through exploring rites and rituals.  She calls it her daily sadhana, which she defines as "a spiritual practice that goes straight to the goal with conviction."  Anne states that her intention is for us to reflect on our practice and explore rituals for ourselves.  Then we can discern which ones are beneficial and which ones are not.  In this exploration, Anne hopes we too can see that practice is much more about skillful actions than completing regular rituals. 

If you feel inspired by these teachings, and wish to practice generosity, please consider supporting MOI and its teachers by visiting, https://mindfulnessoutreachinitiative.org/generosity/

It is the fifth Tuesday of May, which means something a little different than usual.  In this week's episode, the MOI teachers come together as a panel to answer some community questions.  The topics that arise include: (1) How to deal with diminishing returns in meditation, (2) Advice regarding meditating with the eyes open, and (3) Working with our relationship to pleasant and unpleasant feeling tones.     

If you feel inspired by these teachings, and wish to practice generosity, please consider supporting MOI and its teachers by visiting, https://mindfulnessoutreachinitiative.org/generosity/

When venturing out on a difficult journey, it is helpful to have a map that lays out the terrain. According to MOI teacher Rev. Kyle Sorys, this is exactly what the Buddha intended when teaching the Noble Eightfold Path. In this week's talk, Rev. Kyle briefly touches on each aspect of the Eightfold Path in addition to explaining the Path in terms of the Three Trainings -- virtue, meditation, and wisdom. The point of practicing the Path is to cultivate insight and understanding. It's about seeing clearly. "Is the way we live aligned with reality?" Rev. Kyle asks. In cultivating the Path and living our lives in harmony with reality, we not only experience more peace and happiness, but we learn to let go and accept the messiness of ourselves and others in a deeply profound way. 

If you feel inspired by these teachings, and wish to practice generosity, please consider supporting MOI and its teachers by visiting, https://mindfulnessoutreachinitiative.org/generosity/

After sitting a seven-day retreat, MOI teacher Anne Savery shares some of the insights she has gained in this week's talk.  She touches on a range of topics, such as giving ourselves permission to rest, stability,  our habitual conditioning for striving, energy, expectations, and increasing our capacity for spaciousness.   Most importantly, Anne emphasizes the significance of gratitude and compassion -- whether we are on retreat or going about our day-to-day activities.   

If you feel inspired by these teachings, and wish to practice generosity, please consider supporting MOI and its teachers by visiting, https://mindfulnessoutreachinitiative.org/generosity/

Are you any good at concentrating your attention?  Is your mind able to sustain a connection, or is it often fragmented?  In this week's talk, MOI teacher Johnathan Woodside explains the practice of concentration, stating that it's not as difficult to achieve as you may think.  When watching a movie or television show we often experience a concentrated mind.  But when it comes to sustaining a connection with the breath during meditation, many people struggle to stay present.  Johnathan states that this is often due to our conditioning and the mind's habitual tendency to complicate things.  "Are you forcing yourself into some idea of what you think meditation should look like?" he asks.  "That sounds like a lot of suffering!"  Concentration practice is not about the mind going out and setting itself to an object.  It's not about hammering the mind to something.  Concentration practice is all about allowing the mind to gently receive an object, and then sustain a connection to it.  Just remember to keep beginning again.  Have some self-compassion.  Don't give yourself a hard time.  Being distracted is all part of the practice.  

If you feel inspired by these teachings, and wish to practice generosity, please consider supporting MOI and its teachers by visiting, https://mindfulnessoutreachinitiative.org/generosity/

This week's talk is all about the conditionality of things.  In Buddhism, this is known as Dependent Arising or Dependent Origination.  As MOI teacher Mark Wiesman states, this teaching is "profound, hard to see and understand, unattainable by pure reasoning."  As such, Mark spends the hour unpacking this challenging topic.  Except for Nibbāna (the unconditioned), everything relies on causes and conditions for its arising.  "When this arises, that arises.  When this ceases, that ceases," Mark explains.  "Everything is a condition for something else.  Every condition is a condition for another condition."  Even though Dependent Arising can be hard to grasp conceptually, Mark encourages us to just gently see things as they are: impermanent and constantly changing.  Simply see that all experience is a flow of arising and ceasing conditions.  

If you feel inspired by these teachings, and wish to practice generosity, please consider supporting MOI and its teachers by visiting, https://mindfulnessoutreachinitiative.org/generosity/