(Seattle Insight Meditation Society) A spiritual journey ultimately takes us beyond a self-focused life where “I” predominate, into a life of inclusion where we are not the center of our world. Moving beyond what is best for “me” seems so implausible as to be impossible, but it only seems that way because we do not know what we are or how we are formed.

Rodney Smith: Continua of Practice: From Self-Centeredness to All Beings

More and more, the teaching practice takes me into the community where I engage directly with students.  My focus right now is on bringing the continuity of the Dharma into the market place.  Although retreating is an important form for self-knowledge, I find myself less interested in the immediate results of a retreat and more interested in helping students investigate their relationship to the ups and downs of their everyday life.

Nature, death and spontaneous freedom continually interweave  themselves into my  teaching.  From the forest of Thailand, where I spent several years, I bring a deep awareness of the healing quality of nature into my teachings.  Relaxing into our true nature allows us to realize what it means to be a human being.  It is here we find a resting point, a counterbalance to the speed and turbulence of our culture.

My work in hospice brings a sense of urgency into my teaching.  Working with the theme of death and dying reveals the here and now of life to us, how important it is to open to each loss, change and transition that marks our path.  Life is precious.  We need to awaken without hesitation. 

Many of us crave to be more calm and centered.  We know that life has more to offer than this fleeting material world.  For each of us, the Dharma offers an immediacy of freedom for which we do not have to strive or wait.  In practice, we can learn to relax deeply into the moment and rediscover spontaneous freedom.

Religion & Spirituality

Buddhism

More and more, the teaching practice takes me into the community where I engage directly with students. My focus right now is on bringing the continuity of the Dharma into the market place. Although retreating is an important form for self-knowledge, I find myself less interested in the immediate results of a retreat and more interested in helping students investigate their relationship to the ups and downs of their everyday life. Nature, death and spontaneous freedom continually interweave themselves into my teaching. From the forest of Thailand, where I spent several years, I bring a deep awareness of the healing quality of nature into my teachings. Relaxing into our true nature allows us to realize what it means to be a human being. It is here we find a resting point, a counterbalance to the speed and turbulence of our culture. My work in hospice brings a sense of urgency into my teaching. Working with the theme of death and dying reveals the here and now of life to us, how important it is to open to each loss, change and transition that marks our path. Life is precious. We need to awaken without hesitation. Many of us crave to be more calm and centered. We know that life has more to offer than this fleeting material world. For each of us, the Dharma offers an immediacy of freedom for which we do not have to strive or wait. In practice, we can learn to relax deeply into the moment and rediscover spontaneous freedom.

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Rodney Smith: Continua of Practice: From Self-Centeredness to All Beings

Rodney Smith: Continua of Practice: From Self-Centeredness to All Beings