The House of Inner Tranquillity Podcast

"It's not that I'm afraid to die," said Woody Allen, "I just don't want to be there when it happens." This talk looks at how training in the Buddha's way helps us prepare for the inevitable transition from this life to another. Reflecting on the finite nature of this earthly existence and taking up the view of rebirth encourages us to perform good actions. Seeing the arising and passing away of things at the most fundamental level frees us from emotional attachments to the world and paves the way for the realisation of nibbana.

Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.                 

This talk was given in June 2010 

We are making the audio files from the House of Inner Tranquillity YouTube channel available. This is a series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). This episode explores more deeply the universal characteristic of impermanence.
   
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.

Link to original YouTube video: https://youtu.be/OckihTJMuqU

In nature we can find self organising systems and highly complex processes that appear to happen by themselves. Paul describes a radio documentary about a marine animal that is able to reassemble its parts after they have been separated. Despite the automatic nature of our bodies, (as well as their unstable and unsatisfactory nature), we identify with them as self. Paul goes on to explain the meditation on the 32 parts of the body, in which we can truly observe non-self. Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.                 

This talk was given in November 2019

We are making the audio files from the House of Inner Tranquillity YouTube channel available. This is a series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). This episode explores what is meant when we say that all ultimate phenomena are transient, suffering and non-self.
   
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.

Link to original YouTube video: https://youtu.be/Mn2NSTJKiDc

Wanting is the cause of suffering - wanting things to be different. Most people ignore this fact, and they are also unaware of ethical action, kamma, and its inevitable results. For happiness in the world we need to live restraining harmful action. Attachment to things of the world is the problem, and leads to continued rebirth in Samsara. To transcend unhappiness altogether we have to gain direct knowledge of the three marks, particularly transience, for once we see that nothing lasts, craving and attachment 

Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.  

This talk was originally given in December 2002.

Upheavals in the geopolitical landscape have left many feeling vulnerable and anxious. Can we trust what politicians and the media tell us and what does the future hold? Disillusioned and seeking peace, freedom and truth, we cast about looking for an alternative meaning to life. Those that turn towards Buddhism discover a completely different way of looking at the world. This talk looks at what taking refuge in the Buddha, his teaching and the Sangha really means and how we can come to see for ourselves that, "Reality is empty of politics." 

Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.                 

This talk was given in August 2016

We are making the audio files from the House of Inner Tranquillity YouTube channel available. This is a series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). In this episode we try to clarify what was said in the last one concerning the nature of ultimate reality.
 
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.

There are differences of opinion in society, with people wanting others to conform to their own views. We believe that if they agree with us, we can improve the world and reduce suffering. This goes against the grain of the Buddha’s teaching, which encourages us to align with life’s flow. By  following the precepts and developing gratitude and appreciation, we can generate happiness and equanimity. This will serve a  strong basis for observing reality as it is.

Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.                 

This talk was given in December 2019

We are making the audio files from the House of Inner Tranquillity YouTube channel available. This is a series concerning the practical application of the Buddha's teaching through the development of vipassana (Insight meditation). In this episode we consider the nature of ultimate reality, how it differs from the more conventional way of describing the world and why we need to learn to clearly define that difference.
 
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Director and principal teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity Buddhist Insight Meditation Centre, based in the south-west of England.

What do we mean by an emotion? That is really the first question to ask. Buddhism is quite precise on this, although it does not actually speak of emotion directly. An emotion is in fact a volitional activity accompanied by a feeling.

Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.  

This talk was originally given in April 1982.