April 15, 2025 Working with Thoughts

Strategies for sustaining focus in meditation.
Right Concentration and the five factors of absorption.
Exploring the challenges of learning meditation.
Two teachings on effort: the Four Great Efforts and the simile of tuning the lute.
The moments that remind us that our memories and view of the world are a construction. At times we discover an alternative version of events.
Exploring the life and journey of the Buddha as a series of choices to let go.
In the midst of a self-retreat, I talk about my practice.
Reflecting on finding stillness in the mind without efforting.
Making the connections between the 12 Step idea of Powerlessness and Buddhist teachings on impermanence and agency.