Spring 2012 Shamatha Retreat

By Thanyapura Mind Centre

Science & Medicine Education Social Sciences Religion & Spirituality Training Other

What's Spring 2012 Shamatha Retreat about?

Spring 2012 shamatha retreat audio teachings with Alan Wallace. Live from the Thanyapura Mind Centre in Phuket, Thailand.

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Spring 2012 Shamatha Retreat episodes:

05.30.2012
92 Morning Q&A
We are encouraged to practice the four immeasurables in a spirit of looking back on our retreat and broader past. Then we receive advice around the question, "How do we prepare for death when we have months, days, hours, seconds?"...
05.29.2012
91 Practice in the Spirit of Loving-Kindness. Q&A
Enter your practice in the spirit of loving-kindness, particularly when the mind is prone to rumination. Consider the analogy of the horse saved from a burning barn, scared and frantic—never would you be hard on such a horse, it needs...
05.29.2012
90 Morning Q&A
How to help people ? What aspects of dharma speak of developing these abilities and is there a first aid guide for specific ailments ?
05.29.2012
89 A wellspring of good advice
Our shamatha practice can help keep us cognitively tuned while back in the big world, even if we can only practice briefly during the day. In times when we are fatigued from stress, full-body awareness in the shavasana pose is...
05.28.2012
88 The Four Immeasurables
Alan explains why the four immeasurables build a perfect system by each backing up one of the others. Silent meditation
05.26.2012
87 Awareness of Awareness (4)
We expand upon the two methods given by Panchen Lama Rinpoche of managing incoming thoughts: in the first, after flicking an arrow of thought, what remains in its place is awareness—a knowing devoid of thought. It's as if you get...
05.26.2012
86 Equanimity
Alan gives the remaining two of Buddhaghosa's fourfold analyses of the four immeasurables, those of empathetic joy and of equanimity. The analyses consist of the false facsimile, the diametric opposite, the immediate catalyst, and the sign of success of each...
05.26.2012
85 Awareness of Awareness (3)
When performed in the method described by Panchen Lama Rinpoche of letting thoughts emerge and dissolve on their own like a raven on a ship, awareness of awareness qualifies as a practice of shamatha, vipassana, and dzogchen. The latter two...
05.25.2012
84 Great Equanimity (1)
Alan elaborates the four modes of enlightened activities: 1. Pacifying color white 2. Enriching color gold 3. Power color red 4. Ferocity color blue Silent Meditation
05.24.2012
83 Awareness of Awareness
The stillness experienced in awareness of awareness is due to the absence of grasping. In sustaining this awareness we are observing nothing other than the substrate consciousness itself, though veiled by the course mind. Compare this to the possibility of...
05.24.2012
82 Great Empathetic Joy
While attending to sentient beings always think... It's because of you're kindness that i have the opportunity to achieve enlightenment.
05.23.2012
81 Awareness of Awareness
As if we've become disciples in the 17th century, this evening we listen to the 4th Panchen Lama Rinpoche's teachings on awareness of awareness. Alan reads this translation to exemplify the uniformity through the ages of these acultural teachings. Silent Meditation...
05.23.2012
80 Empathetic Joy
May we be a light that inspires others to draw on their own inner resources! Silent meditation not included.
05.23.2012
79 Settling the Mind in its Natural State (3)
In settling the mind in its natural state we seek to emulate viewing the substrate from the perspective of the substrate consciousness as a cognizant, luminous and unmediated experience of mental phenomenon. On this path we'll notice thoughts and images...
05.23.2012
78 Compassion (3)
Silent meditation
05.21.2012
77 Settling The MInd in it's Natural State
In settling the mind in its natural state, by observing mental events without taking interest in their contents we develop a familiarity with their essential nature. By this we receive the benefit of gaining a nonconceptual certainty that nothing in...
05.21.2012
76 Compassion Reflecting on Our Self-Centeredness
Silent Meditation Not Included
05.19.2012
75 Settling the Mind in its Natural State
We begin tonight by reading an excerpt by Düdjom Lingpa describing the dzogchen practice of open presence and discussing its similitude to settling the mind in its natural state. The illusions of a lucid dream are analogous to the empty...
05.19.2012
74 Compassion - Focused on Our Blatant Suffering
Alan reviews the nature of mental suffering and the strategies for dealing with it in each of the three methods of Shamatha. Silent meditation 23:17 — 48:30. Also, a talk about the ease of retrieving Shamatha-related skills, though they may seem to...
05.18.2012
73 Mindfulness of Breathing (3)
Like an old friend, mindfulness of the sensations of the breath at the apertures of the nostrils, with its gentle undulations, makes us feel at home and flush with well-being. It is a marvelous compliment to the more stirring effects...
05.18.2012
72 Loving-Kindness (3)
Metta bhavana as taught by the Buddha. Silent meditation not included
05.17.2012
71 Mindfulness of Breathing (2)
Being mindful of the sensations of the breath at the abdomen can result in a eudaemonic contentment if we release craving for more stimulating pleasures, and simply enjoy watching our body unravel energetically. In this flow, we can progress to...
05.17.2012
70 Loving-Kindness (2)
The meditative cultivation of loving kindness as taught in the Visuddhimagga by Bhadantacariya Buddhaghosa. Silent meditation not included
05.16.2012
69 Settling Body, Speech, and Mind in Their Natural State
With a new cycle we return to settling the body, speech, and mind in their natural states. In the Vajra Essence, Düdjom Lingpa intimates shamatha can be achieved simply by fully releasing the body, speech, and mind. When we remove...
05.16.2012
68 Loving-Kindness
We review loving-kindness' distant enemy, false facsimile, proximate cause, and sign of success. What is your vision of your own flourishing? Silent meditation begins at 8:55
05.15.2012
67 Awareness of Awareness
Tonight we plunge right into the practice of awareness of awareness, with the variant of stretching in four directions. Then we discuss the value of familiarizing oneself with awareness, as a portal to the greater depths of wisdom and virtue. Q&A; ...
05.15.2012
66 Great Equanimity (2)
Might it be that when our resolve is to realize genuine happiness for the sake of all beings we may have confidence and trust that reality rises up to meet us day by day moment by moment? Meditation starts at...
05.15.2012
65 Mindfulness of Breathing
Mindfulness of breathing, a active developmental practice, produces skills such as attentional stability which can be said to have a high market value. Likewise, settling the mind in its natural state helps develop such evolutionarily advantageous qualities as the skill...
05.14.2012
64 Great Equanimity (1)
Alan elaborates on the leading question: "Why couldn't we all be free of attachment and aversion for those who are near or far?" Because we are not free of the underlying delusion, that gives rise to craving and hostility. Meditation starts...
05.12.2012
63 Awareness of Awareness (2)
Three methods of escape when the mind is agitated: send your awareness out into the somatic field, out further into the world of exterior senses, or penetrate inward, deep into our sense of awareness. This evening we practice awareness of...
05.12.2012
62 Great Empathetic Joy (2)
We are invited to ask ourselves a question... How does one integrate vastly deepening bliss, on one hand, with increasingly boundless awareness of all beings' suffering on the other hand...? Meditation starts at 5:22
05.11.2012
61 Awareness of Awareness
With awareness of awareness, the body and speech are settled normally while the mind is given a complete reboot: all concerns are released, attention from all phenomenon is revoked, then that which remains will dawn. We're given the metaphors of...
05.11.2012
60 Great Empathetic Joy
Maha-Mudita liturgy. Why couldn't all sentient beings never be separated from happiness and its cause's ? May we never be separated from genuine happiness and its causes. I make this resolve that we shall never be separated from happiness and its...
05.11.2012
59 Mindfulness of Breathing
In mindfulness of breathing, the technique of arousing interest during inhalation and relaxing during exhalation is incredibly effective. We apply this technique tonight as we focus on the sensations at the apertures of the nostrils. Q&A; * Thomas Merton, Chamtrul Rinpoche, and...
05.10.2012
58 Great Loving Kindness
For the cultivation of genuine happiness there are certain aspects of reality, the knowing of which does really liberate. Alan mentions the following 'game-changers': To gain insight into impermanence, to gain experiential insight into what are the true causes of...
05.09.2012
57 Mindfulness of Breathing at the Abdomen
Relax! You've heard it, you'll hear it again. We revisit the crucial technique of letting go—of tension in the body, controlling the breath, and attachment to rumination—as we sink deeply in today's meditation to know the whole body of the...
05.09.2012
56 Great Loving-Kindness
Over time, why couldn't all sentient beings find the genuine happiness that stems from the cultivation of the heart and mind? May it be so. We practice arousing this aspiration of loving-kindness, "may we all experience such wellbeing". Meditation starts at...
05.08.2012
55 Settling the Body, Speech and Mind
Settling the body, speech, and mind in their natural state is fundamental to shamatha practice and though it so familiarly begins each session we mustn't relax our regard for it. So this evening we refine our skill for the technique,...
05.08.2012
54 Great Compassion - Great Loving Kindness
The 'Greats' begin with compassion - the 'Great Compassion' - aspiring to get everybody's head above water, so they survive. It is followed by the 'Great Loving Kindness' - the very meaning of existence. Meditation starts at 12:57
05.08.2012
53 Settling the mind in its Natural State (3)
Our lives are saturated with desire for attainments of both a mundane and spiritual nature. While giving priority to a spiritual desire will aid our enthusiasm to practice, it may ultimately be fruitless in the context of multiple rebirths if...
05.07.2012
52 Compassion focussed on existential suffering
We should ask the simple question: "Why are we suffering at all?" The answer is twofold: 1. We are grasping onto which is not I as being I and that which is not truly mine as being really mine. 2. We fail...
05.05.2012
51 Settling the Mind in its Natural State (2)
Tonight we add depth to the practice of settling the mind in its natural state with two further modes of mindfulness: #3 absence of mindfulness, and #4 naturally luminous mindfulness. Alan speaks at length about the experience of mental events...
05.05.2012
50 Compassion Focused on the Suffering of Change
We cultivate the aspiration and intention to help all beings become free from grasping even in the midst of inevitable aging, sickness, natural calamity, and death. Meditation begins at 14:52
05.04.2012
49 Settling the Mind in its Natural State
We're at cruising attitude with settling the mind in its natural state. Tonight not many words about the practice. We're reminded of the metaphors of floating on an air mattress in Tahiti and a falcon kiting into the wind. It...
05.04.2012
48 Great Compassion
Alan shares his definitions of 'spiritual' and 'religious', and discusses 'Mahakaruna' or 'Great Compassion'. Then, we practice developing this aspiration and intention to help all sentient beings become free. Meditation begins at 14:42
05.03.2012
47 Mindfulness of Breathing (3)
Tonight we finish a set of mindfulness of breathing as we move our attention to focus on the sensations at the apertures of the nostrils. The practice has been explained fully in previous teachings so we proceed directly into meditation. Q&A; ...
05.03.2012
46 Loving Kindness (3)
While maybe a specifically monastic theme, its implications are for everyone following this path: "Be satisfied with that what is merely adequate". Mediation starts at 10:38
05.02.2012
45 Mindfulness of Breathing (2)
Meditation begins at 15:45 Q&A; begins at 53:19
05.02.2012
44 Loving Kindness
When developing loving kindness for the person, we must distinguish between the person and the mental afflictions that give rise to unwholesome behavior. It may even be appropriate to passionately condemn harmful behavior, but bearing in mind this wish for...
05.01.2012
43 Mindfulness of Breathing (1)
We restart the cycle in our teachings with a return to mindfulness of breathing. This practice has a strong analog with the meditation on loving kindness for oneself from this morning: both help establish a strong, reality-based foundation that is...

What's Spring 2012 Shamatha Retreat about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Spring 2012 Shamatha Retreat episodes:

92 Morning Q&A

91 Practice in the Spirit of Loving-Kindness. Q&A

90 Morning Q&A

89 A wellspring of good advice

88 The Four Immeasurables

87 Awareness of Awareness (4)

86 Equanimity

85 Awareness of Awareness (3)

84 Great Equanimity (1)

83 Awareness of Awareness

82 Great Empathetic Joy

81 Awareness of Awareness

80 Empathetic Joy

79 Settling the Mind in its Natural State (3)

78 Compassion (3)

77 Settling The MInd in it's Natural State

76 Compassion Reflecting on Our Self-Centeredness

75 Settling the Mind in its Natural State

74 Compassion - Focused on Our Blatant Suffering

73 Mindfulness of Breathing (3)

72 Loving-Kindness (3)

71 Mindfulness of Breathing (2)

70 Loving-Kindness (2)

69 Settling Body, Speech, and Mind in Their Natural State

68 Loving-Kindness

67 Awareness of Awareness

66 Great Equanimity (2)

65 Mindfulness of Breathing

64 Great Equanimity (1)

63 Awareness of Awareness (2)

62 Great Empathetic Joy (2)

61 Awareness of Awareness

60 Great Empathetic Joy

59 Mindfulness of Breathing

58 Great Loving Kindness

57 Mindfulness of Breathing at the Abdomen

56 Great Loving-Kindness

55 Settling the Body, Speech and Mind

54 Great Compassion - Great Loving Kindness

53 Settling the mind in its Natural State (3)

52 Compassion focussed on existential suffering

51 Settling the Mind in its Natural State (2)

50 Compassion Focused on the Suffering of Change

49 Settling the Mind in its Natural State

48 Great Compassion

47 Mindfulness of Breathing (3)

46 Loving Kindness (3)

45 Mindfulness of Breathing (2)

44 Loving Kindness

43 Mindfulness of Breathing (1)