Kamalashila has spent a lot of his adult life exploring meditation – and this talk is a lovely little foray into the whole subject as a crucial aspect in life and practice, with special consideration given to reflection on the six elements. Oh, and look out for Brian the meditating dog…

Table of contents:

01 Brian, the meditating dog, and the natural life; experience of the elements versus artificial living

02 Meditation exposing artificiality through awareness of experience; meditation as a kind of prayer for authenticity and truth; the buddhist path as a way of beccoming more natural

03 The six element practice as a focus on nature; historical suppression of pagan naturalness; naturalness as an issue of practice, not theory

04 The earth element; the easiest element to experience directly; hard, firm and durable

05 The water element; the shape depends on the container; the taboo of bodily fluids; accepting the elements as they are; the elements as co-existing qualities, not things

06 The fire element; relating to and learning from fire

07 The element of wind (air) as 'motion' – vayo dhatu; movement of emotional energy in the body and its oppression; element practice as recollection of spaciousness; the movement of the mind, thoughts and perceptions

08 The element 'space'; the great container of all things

09 The element 'consciousness'; all other elements embraced in consciousness; the element of experiences; seeing into what experience is

10 Questioning in practice – deepening; the reason for practice as the development of liberating awareness; the consequences of unawareness and awareness; letting the dharma in; the importance of study and discussion in deepening practice

11 The essence of meditation as realising the natural state of things and being changed by that realisation; having confidence in one's realisations; learning what to look for; the spaciousness of things

12 Two ways into spaciousness; noting inconsistencies as opportunities for realisation; the incongruity and illusory nature of 'me' and 'mine'; relaxing the tendency to arousal opens up simplicity and naturalness

13 A second approach to emptiness; seeing directly the free and spacious nature of things; motion in the mind; the elusive nature of thoughts; words and thoughts; the emptiness of thoughts; emptiness as the natural element; nirvana as naturalness

14 Returning to earth and befriending the elements; the extremity of artificiality in present culture; Buddhafield as an attempt to find simplicity; true simplicity as whatever allows more room for comparison and wisdom

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