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Retreat Dharma Talks

Finding the heart of freedom

This nine-day online retreat provides an opportunity to explore the Four Noble Truths that form the heart of the Buddha’s teaching. These teachings invite us to examine our relationship to dukkha: stress, distress, unsatisfactoriness, suffering, on deeper and deeper levels.
Most of us though, have an instinctive resistance to suffering, so we need to practice working skilfully with the different obstacles that often show up along the path to freedom. As we learn how to release these obstacles, we’re able to live with greater ease, happiness, and peace, and to connect with the wisdom and compassion that are our true nature.

2020-08-21 (9 days) Auckland Insight Meditation

  
2020-08-22 10 talk: clinging and release 18:47
Jill Shepherd
An introduction to the Four Noble Truths, framed in terms of clinging and release
2020-08-23 17 talk: mindfulness of the body and impermanence 28:24
Jill Shepherd
Returning to the First Noble Truth and the five clinging-aggregates, exploring clinging to the body as a source of dukkha and opening to impermanence as an antidote
2020-08-24 25 talk: the two wings of Wisdom and Compassion 40:00
Jill Shepherd
How insight and the brahmavihara practices of kindness, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity mutually support and reinforce each other; includes an exploration of metta as an inquiry practice
2020-08-24 26 meditation: metta as an inquiry practice 13:47
Jill Shepherd
Exploring metta as an inquiry practice, noticing the effects on the body, the heart and the mind as kindness is fully received
2020-08-25 30 instructions: the four brahmavihara and compassion practice 26:44
Jill Shepherd
An overview of the four brahmavihara, and an introduction to compassion practice
2020-08-25 31 meditation: compassion practice 17:52
Jill Shepherd
Beginning with compassion for a friend who's suffering, then oneself
2020-08-26 36 instructions: the clinging aggregates of perception and mental formations 13:16
Jill Shepherd
Exploring the role that perception and volitional mental formations play in constructing identity, and can easily lead to proliferation when there's no mindfulness
2020-08-26 37 talk: common afflictive thought-patterns and some ways to help them release 44:33
Jill Shepherd
Learning how to recognise common afflictive thought patterns such as "lack" mind and comparing mind, and using wisdom and compassion to help them release
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