(Ai assisted:) In this conversation, Neil Gaur shares his profound journey exploring the roots of religion, spirituality, and the connections between humanity and extraterrestrial beings. He discusses his upbringing in a Hindu family, his quest for understanding the similarities between different religions, and how ancient texts like the Sumerian scriptures have influenced his worldview. Neil emphasizes the importance of genetics in spiritual evolution and the ongoing hybridization programs involving various extraterrestrial races. He also reflects on the impact of nuclear testing on extraterrestrial interest in Earth and the significance of love in spiritual awakening.
We explore the complex themes of hybridization, the ethics surrounding extraterrestrial interactions, and the implications of government secrecy regarding these phenomena. Neil mentions the urge to create inherent in sentient beings, the potential for hybridization to be both beneficial and harmful, and the challenges of discerning truth in a world filled with misinformation. The conversation also touches on the nature of consciousness, reincarnation, and the evolving understanding of UFOs and drones in relation to government operations.
Neil’s journey began with a quest for the root of all religions.
He highlights the similarities between Hinduism and Christianity.
Neil’s exploration led him to ancient texts like the Sumerian Tablets.
He believes Earth is a library of DNA from various extraterrestrial beings.
Neil discusses the impact of nuclear testing on extraterrestrial interest in Earth.
He emphasizes the importance of love in spiritual awakening.
Neil’s group, Portal to Ascension, was born from a significant realization.
He connects genetics to spiritual evolution and extraterrestrial influence.
Neil explains the shift in genetic laws post-World War II.
He discusses the ongoing hybridization programs involving various extraterrestrial races. The urge to create is a fundamental aspect of sentience.
Hybridization has been a continuous process throughout history.
Ethical considerations arise when discussing the implications of hybridization.
Many individuals are unaware of their experiences with hybridization.
Government secrecy complicates the understanding of hybridization agendas.
The complexity of alien interactions raises questions about their intentions.
Drones and UFO sightings may be linked to government operations.
The need for discernment in understanding truth is crucial.
The conversation around consciousness is evolving and expanding.
Exploring these themes is essential for personal and collective awakening.
Chapters
00:00 Neil Gaur’s Journey into Spirituality and Religion 06:56 Exploring Extraterrestrial Connections and Ancient Texts 14:12 The Role of Genetics in Spiritual Evolution 24:04 Hybridization Programs and Their Implications 27:15 The Urge to Create: Sentience and Hybridization 30:13 The Ethics of Hybridization and Reincarnation 33:27 Government Secrecy and the Hybridization Agenda 36:55 The Complexity of Alien Interactions 40:50 Drones, UFOs, and Government Operations 44:42 Conclusion: The Journey of Understanding Consciousness
Audio: Roots of Religion, Genetics, Hybridization, ETs And Drones With Neil Gaur
In this somewhat reflective episode, I share insights from living as a lay resident in a Buddhist monastery in England, focusing on the delicate balance between inward practice and selfless service.
Key topics include:
The challenge of maintaining personal spiritual practice while fulfilling communal responsibilities.
The emotional complexities around selfishness, guilt, judgment, and communication.
Cultural contrasts between England and America regarding service, structure, and flexibility.
The importance of healthy boundaries to avoid burnout and support long-term effectiveness.
Navigating shame, guilt, and intention when offering help or prioritizing personal time.
How the heart — rooted in goodwill and wisdom — can guide discernment in balancing self-care with community care.
Themes:
Mindful service vs. spiritual retreat
Emotional honesty and communication
Cultural dynamics of helpfulness
Personal well-being in community life
Audio: Balancing Inner Work And Selflessness At A Monastery (As A Lay Resident)
Hey everyone. This is a note on a subject about monastic life here in England, in the Buddhist tradition. And, of course, I can only speak as a lay resident and not much experience. And this notion of balancing going inward and doing practice, Opanayiko, leading inward, and balancing that with selflessness, let’s just say, in a positive light. I want to focus on balancing the positive and negative aspects of this too because kinda constantly balancing of this being supportive to inward practice, but also not being selfish and neglecting duties and responsibilities and opportunities to serve.
So there’s quite a bit to be said, but I’ll try to condense this into the main sticking points. I think the positive aspect needs to be balancing it as well. Because when I think selfishness, I immediately feel, oh, I’m being accused of something or I’m accusing someone else of being selfish. Where does that lead? What problems does that lead to?
And then I’m not good enough. I should be more selfless. Keeping quiet, though, when I want to accuse someone else of selfishness, but then I feel judgmental for doing so. So how do we deal with all these things? There might be everybody might be thinking the same thing, but nobody wants to say go up to someone and say, hey, you’re being selfish. Right? And so sometimes that gets bottled up inside, and it doesn’t really feel good or as helpful for people to suppress what they really feel. And and sometimes it goes talking about people behind them their back. You know?
We talk about it in generalities like this and other things, but still that’s not as direct and specific as sometimes maybe it needs to be, but sometimes it doesn’t. So it’s a very can be a complex issue. I don’t wanna overthink it. I’m just saying it’s not as simple on the surface, and there’s a lot of emotions tied up in things like this too. So what are the alternatives or and I know there’s cultural differences too.
Even just in England, in America, as similar as the cultures are, To me, maybe it’s a miss gross over generalization, but here in England, it seems like there’s a more of a servitude and a following orders and following protocol, doing things properly. And helpfulness is only there if it’s allowed and prescribed and socially kind of acceptable and approved. I do feel in America, there seems to be, at least for some, more helpfulness, a more willingness to be helpful. Now sometimes it’s a good thing, sometimes it’s bad. Just like in England, when it when it’s really good system in place, everybody follows their own things, follows protocol, routes everything the way it should be, then it’s like a well oiled machine.
Everybody knows their place and does their thing, and it works really well. And everybody’s happy, and it just hums right along, and it’s great. It’s just when these oddball things and things out of the ordinary that are bound to happen, that nobody knows what to do with, constantly referring other people to do it. It’s not their job. This is not how we do it, you know, and enforcing things that maybe don’t need to be enforced, then it it kinda falls apart.
Well, in America, that’s where the helpfulness shines, and it comes kinda from the heart and a willingness to do whatever I can to our mutual support. However, when that becomes the overriding rule, then a good system in place can then not really work because, you know, either people are trying to do themselves or some might think, oh, that’s stupid. We should do it this way instead, and there’s bickering and not a consensus. So this lack of cohesion and unity and togetherness and agreement is not there in the same degree as it is in England, I think. So it again, it’s it’s pros and cons.
At least if this holds water, there’s a significant cultural difference that will just allow both cultures to kinda know where they’re coming from and how to adjust, what to do, how to strengthen weaknesses, and and how to capitalize on the strengths. And then there’s this notion of what happens when your personal time is being neglected, people are overserving, and not taking care of their own needs? Well, of course, then they’re not as effective at serving and helping and and going inward. It can be vice versa sometimes too. So how do we balance taking care of our own needs so we can be less selfish and be able to serve more?
And how much are we giving too much emphasis to I’ve gotta have my time and me me time before anybody else, you know. So that’s the notion in guilt. What about the guilt that goes along with it? In shame too? Can it be a healthy shame and a healthy guilt?
Or is it an unhealthy, unuseful shame and guilt? And then, of course, how we’re serving and how we’re holding this balance. Are we using it to kind of control people and get what we want? Or is it for mutual welfare and happiness of all involved? So this is where I feel a lot of this is on a case by case basis.
Seems to be kind of a overarching philosophy too. So how do we balance the details and just the general sense of this? And, of course, like so much of this stuff, the heart is the guide. Right? Our heart will guide us in the discernment of knowingness and acting through a heart of goodwill, kindness, helpfulness for ourselves and others, and wisdom will help as well.
So these are just a few brief reflections on going inward, practice, inner work, Opanayiko, leading onward, progressive, not just horizontal, but vertical progression too, I would say. This act of service, helpfulness, selflessness, and balancing these.
I appreciate the Ajahn’s approach, time, and effort in scouring these three seminal texts on meditation for a topic relevant to a practice I’ve been engaging in almost exclusively for the past year or two of my two hour daily formal sitting practice since May 2012. Yet, I have not had much light nor an image-based nimitta arise and remain, which is precisely why my comments should be taken with a grain of salt. Everything ultimately needs to be verified through wise and discerning, clear, direct knowing and seeing for oneself. (I may or may not revisit and revise this post after reading the aforementioned texts and/or having more direct experience in practice.)
The sole intent here is to help clear as many distortions and blockages as possible. However, the danger in doing so is that it could create new ones. The question then arises: why is jhana and (associated) nimitta(s) not more clear and straightforward? If I had to guess, I’d say the stakes are high—and when the stakes are high, it tends to attract high-stakes players.
Like Ajahn Sona and many others, I have often wondered why much of the commentarial material is not mentioned directly in the suttas. Or, in other words, how there can be so many differing understandings and explanations of the suttas in the commentaries, and among teachers and scholars? Again, if I had to respond, I’d note that we don’t even have full English translations of all the commentaries and sub-commentaries, so the conversation is already limited. Then, how accurate are the sutta translations we do have? And how much subtext, context, and subtle nuance are we still missing—nuances that seem to continue to be uncovered by dedicated practitioners and scholars?
Moreover, since the Buddhadhamma is timeless and universally applicable, the more subtle, fragile, exacting, verbose, technical, and intricate the instructions become, the greater the chance of being impacted by the uncertain, unreliable, changeable nature of experiences so in that light, it makes sense why the Buddha expounded the suttas in such a way.
This blog post won’t make much sense without having read Ajahn Sona’s article. With that in mind—and setting aside the minor matter of breath location, which I’ve addressed previously in Initiating Mindfulness to the Fore as the Foremost Meditation Instruction, and return to later in this post—I might be so bold as to summarize Ajahn Sona’s thesis as follows: According to the Visuddhimagga, during ānāpānasati practice (mindfulness of breathing), the images that arise when the mind is sufficiently concentrated, calm, and unified are not meant to be taken literally, but are metaphorical in nature and should be discarded.
However, a key passage from the Visuddhimagga complicates this interpretation:
“The difference between the earlier learning sign and the counterpart sign is this. In the learning sign any fault in the kasina is apparent. But the counterpart sign appears as if breaking out from the learning sign, and a hundred times, a thousand times, more purified, like a looking-glass disk drawn from its case, like a mother-of-pearl dish well washed, like the moon’s disk coming out from behind a cloud, like cranes against a thunder cloud. But it has neither color nor shape; for if it had, it would be cognizable by the eye, gross, susceptible of comprehension and stamped with the three characteristics. But it is not like that. For it is born only of perception in one who has obtained concentration, being a mere mode of appearance. But as soon as it arises the hindrances are quite suppressed, the defilements subside, and the mind becomes concentrated in access concentration.” — Visuddhimagga Ch. IV, §31
It is a strong claim to assert that these images are purely metaphorical and have been misappropriated from earlier texts, misunderstood as literal objects of concentration. Has this really escaped the notice of advanced yogis, despite their attainments, proficiency, and powers of concentration, until now?
Moreover, in light of the above-quoted passage, I find it hard to understand Ajahn Sona’s interpretation of another Visuddhimagga section, namely Chapter VIII, §216, which he suggests reflects the compilers’ discomfort with “diversity of perception.” Here’s the passage:
“In fact this resembles an occasion when a number of bhikkhus are sitting together reciting a suttanta. When a bhikkhu asks, ‘What does this sutta appear like to you?’ one says, ‘It appears to me like a great mountain torrent,’ another ‘To me it is like a line of forest trees,’ another ‘To me it is like a spreading fruit tree giving cool shade.’ For the one sutta appears to them differently because of the difference in their perception. Similarly this single meditation subject appears differently because of difference in perception. It is born of perception, its source is perception, it is produced by perception. Therefore it should be understood that when it appears differently it is because of difference in perception.” — Visuddhimagga Ch. VIII, §216
Ajahn Sona also claims the perceptions recommended in the Vimuttimagga and Visuddhimagga for mindfulness of breathing are “diametrically opposed.” He cites the following from the Vimuttimagga:
“To the yogin who attends to the incoming breath with mind that is cleansed of the nine lesser defilements, the image arises with a pleasant feeling similar to that which is produced in the action of spinning cotton or silk cotton. Also, it is likened to the pleasant feeling produced by a breeze. Thus in breathing in and out, air touches the nose or the lip and causes the setting-up of air perception mindfulness. This does not depend on colour or form. This is called the image. If the yogin develops the image and increases it at the nose-tip, between the eyebrows, on the forehead or establishes it in several places, he feels as if his head were filled with air. Through increasing in this way his whole body is charged with bliss. This is called perfection.
And again, there is a yogin: he sees several images from the beginning. He sees various forms such as smoke, mist, dust, sand of gold, or he experiences something similar to the pricking of a needle or to an ant’s bite. If his mind does not become clear regarding these different images, he will be confused. Thus he fulfills overturning and does not gain the perception of respiration. If his mind becomes clear, the yogin does not experience confusion. He attends to respiration and he does not cause the arising of other perceptions. Meditating thus he is able to end confusion and acquire the subtle image. And he attends to respiration with mind that is free. That image is free. Because that image is free, desire arises. Desire being free, that yogin attends respiration with equipoise. Equipoise, desire and joy being free, he attends to respiration, and his mind is not disturbed. If his mind is not disturbed, he will destroy the hindrances, and arouse the meditation (jhāna) factors. Thus this yogin will reach the calm and sublime fourth meditation, jhāna. This is as was fully taught above.” — Vimuttimagga, Chapter 5: Mindfulness of Breathing, translated by N.R.M. Ehara, Soma Thera, and Kheminda Thera (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1961), pp. 145–147
To me, this doesn’t necessarily conflict with the Visuddhimagga’s progression of parikamma-nimitta (preliminary sign), uggaha-nimitta (acquired sign), and paṭibhāga-nimitta (counterpart sign). Could this simply represent an alternate approach, another angle, and/or variation in description?
When Ajahn Sona writes, “The sentence ‘this does not depend on colour or form’ makes it quite clear that the meditator should not expect the sign of respiration mindfulness as a visual image, since it is not possible to conceive of a visual perception lacking both colour and form. What may be inferred from the sentence is that the sign is a tactile percept,” I would point out that not depending on color or form doesn’t mean that there can’t be color or form.
Reading and reflecting on the essay raised several key questions:
Why do a relatively small but consistent range of nimitta images arise for many meditators once the breath is sufficiently concentrated on knowing the breath at the Ānāpāna spot?
Is it wise to write off these types of nimitta images without firsthand investigation — working with such nimitta(s) to see what they are capable of and how this compares to other approaches of meditation which cultivate (deep) samadhi?
Is a monastic allowed to declare to laypeople that they experience a nimitta (given that proclaiming attainment of jhāna is against the Vinaya)? Can nimitta be shared since it may occur in access concentration rather than absorption? What are the implications of sharing, or not sharing this?
If light or visual nimittas are required for jhāna, they can’t be dismissed. But if they’re not, then waiting for them might not be the best use of practice time. How does one discern this? Either way this is a monumental thing for concentration and Ānāpānasati practice and begs to question why there is such a lack of consensus
Regarding the question of location and breath contact, Ajahn Sona interprets this line from the Visuddhimagga: “A short-nosed man however, feels it on his upper lip,” as support for his point that “one can only feel the exhalation of warm air out the nostril onto the upper lip.” But is this necessarily so? Might a short-nosed man feel the breath on the upper lip during the in-breath? Or how about feeling sensations there when holding the breath? Must sensations on the upper lip always arise strictly from air movement? Could the Visuddhimagga simply be noting that when such a man does feel the breath, it is localized there, without specifying mechanism?
While this post touches a lot on specific points and details, in the end, this isn’t about nitpicking right vs. wrong—it’s about discovering what is truly helpful in the long run. It would be ideal if there were greater consensus and clear comprehension across the board. But at the very least, we all seem to agree on the jhānic factors and the suppression of the five hindrances.
No matter the degree of details and generalities, it appears the work now is about carefully weeding out distortions and exploring what actually works—and how clear, collected, deep, wide, profound, useful and helpful can it get
In this thirty-second installment of the ongoing live series with Wendy Nash inquiring into meditation practice on and off the cushion we plan to share our current (meditation) practices. Stuff like what they are, for how long we’ve been doing them, how they are going, why we are doing them, etc. asking each other (specific) questions about our practices.
Wendy brings up lack and worthiness and explore how types of conceit play into this. There is talk of ambiguous loss and how reflecting regularly on loss can help. I mention samatha practice and Wendy mentions Rob Burbea in light of jhana. Wendy shares that acknowledging ease from others is at the heart of her metta practice. And actually during the show it was likely a sewer pumping truck instead of a trash truck. Of course we welcome questions about meditation practice before, during and after the Q & As
*There’s naturally an ongoing open call for meditation (related) questions for the (roughly) monthly “Meditation Q & A” either by the various social media means listed; integratingpresence[at]protonmail.com or just showing to type/ask live.*
Background
Regular, current and past visitors to Integrating Presence may recall the monthly series “Ask Us Anything” I did with Denny K Miu from August 2020 until January 2022 — partially including and continuing on with Lydia Grace as co-host for awhile until March 2022.
For a fewmonthsthereafter I did various Insight Timer live events exploring potential new directions and/or a continuation of the Ask Us Anything format while weaving in other related teachings to these events.
Then, after chats with meditation coach Wendy Nash, it became clear to start a new collaboration similar to “Ask Us Anything” simply and clearly called “Meditation Q & A” especially due to the original intent of the Ask Us Anything’s being “discussions about meditation and related topics.”
Before I toss this over to AI to summarize / describe our conversation I want to take back that I said Tina “completed the grueling Samatha phase” which of course is anything but grueling. In fact, it is actually beautiful in the beginning, beautiful in the middle and beautiful in the end. I was reaching for, and came up short for something to describe the high level of innercraft often required to complete such an extensive meditative training that includes attaining the four form jhanas and four formless jhanas under strict qualifying criteria for long durations and doing so for the 40 traditional meditation objects from the Visuddhimagga (to the extent of jhana they allow for) plus jhanic mastery which involves attainment at will, prolonging the state, emerging at will, reviewing the jhāna accurately, and being able to shift between jhānas fluidly
There’s also quite a surprisingly refreshing emphasis towards the end on teacher and community scandal, solutions, ethics, prevention, safeguards, and accountability
OK, Ai now takes the reins:
Tina Rasmussen is a meditation teacher and author with deep experience in both the Theravāda and Dzogchen traditions. Ordained as a Buddhist nun by Pa Auk Sayadaw, she emphasizes practical and accessible pathways to deep states of meditative absorption (jhana) and awakening.
🧘♀️ Topics Discussed:
Background and Early Path: Tina shares her transition from spiritual seeking to formal Buddhist practice, including her early influences and ordination in Burma.
The Jhana Journey: A deep dive into Tina’s jhana training under Pa Auk Sayadaw, what distinguishes her approach, and how she supports modern practitioners engaging with these deep states.
Theravāda and Dzogchen: Exploration of integrating two seemingly distinct traditions: the focused absorptions of Theravāda and the open awareness of Dzogchen. Tina speaks on how these methods can complement rather than contradict.
Dealing with Subtle Attachments: Insight into how even refined meditative experiences can lead to subtle clinging—and how awareness practices help unwind them.
How to Choose Practices Wisely: Practical advice on selecting practices based on one’s temperament and developmental stage on the path.
Meditation and Trauma Sensitivity: Tina speaks on navigating deep meditation as a trauma survivor or working with students with trauma, and the role of embodiment.
Subtle Energies and the Body: Observations about somatic intelligence, subtle energy movements, and their role in meditative development.
Non-Linear Awakening: Tina describes the nuanced, non-hierarchical nature of awakening, and how deep states don’t necessarily equate to realization.
Common Misconceptions: Tina challenges assumptions about jhana as escapism, or Dzogchen as bypassing, and clarifies their roles in deep insight and transformation.
Mentorship and Teaching Style: How Tina works with students, what she emphasizes in transmission, and how she remains grounded and accessible.
In this thirty-first installment of the ongoing live series with Wendy Nash inquiring into meditation practice on and off the cushion we went into formal compassion practice and how it can help with demonstrating compassion in daily life
Ai basically summarizes thus:
This episode Compassion in Action explores how mindfulness fosters a deeper, more engaged form of compassion. We discuss the difference between passive empathy and taking meaningful action, sharing practical insights on integrating compassion into daily life while maintaining balance and self-care. The discussion also highlights societal barriers to compassion and strategies for overcoming them, offering listeners valuable perspectives on making kindness an intentional, sustainable practice.
Wendy also introduces “confelicity” as another translation for Muditā (Pāli and Sanskrit: मुदिता) the dharmic concept of joy, particularly an especially sympathetic or vicarious joy—the pleasure that comes from delighting in other people’s well-being
*There’s naturally an ongoing open call for meditation (related) questions for the (roughly) monthly “Meditation Q & A” either by the various social media means listed; integratingpresence[at]protonmail.com or just showing to type/ask live.*
Background
Regular, current and past visitors to Integrating Presence may recall the monthly series “Ask Us Anything” I did with Denny K Miu from August 2020 until January 2022 — partially including and continuing on with Lydia Grace as co-host for awhile until March 2022.
For a fewmonthsthereafter I did various Insight Timer live events exploring potential new directions and/or a continuation of the Ask Us Anything format while weaving in other related teachings to these events.
Then, after chats with meditation coach Wendy Nash, it became clear to start a new collaboration similar to “Ask Us Anything” simply and clearly called “Meditation Q & A” especially due to the original intent of the Ask Us Anything’s being “discussions about meditation and related topics.”
This is Josh. And today, I’m joined with Wendy Nash again for our thirty first meditation q and a called Compassion in Action. Wendy, what’s going on?
Well, I’m here on Gubbi Gubbi Country in Queensland. It’s wet and tropical. It’s the March, so it’s the end of summer for us and coming into autumn. So it’s yeah. We noticed the the rain.
We’ve had monsoons. So that’s how we are. Oh, wow. So there you go. Well, we had a cyclone between the last time I saw you and today.
So a monsoon’s nothing. Wow. That’s, it’s it’s wild here in Denmark. The weather is fairly mild and stable, you know, and we’re getting out of winter and into spring here. So, yeah, it’s, yeah, not it’s either usually overcast or sunny and temperature stable.
But alright. Today, I have in this thirty first installment of the ongoing series with Wendy Nash inquiring into meditation practice on and off the cushion, we plan to go into formal compassion practice and how it can help with demonstrating compassion in daily life. So I think, where ought we start with this? Oh, one of the things I think might be helpful is what do we mean by compassion to begin with? I know there’s some, kind of disagreement on what this even is.
I think most of us know intuitively kind of what it is, but I wonder if help giving language and and wording to it, might help, not just in our conversation here, but in in the general sense too of how this how we encountered this in our daily lives or not. Compassion. That’s a good one. So, you know, they talk about compassion. So they talk about compassion as sort of with desire, with passion kind of thing.
But, you know, that’s a Catholic, that’s a Christian in the Christian sense. Compassion in the Buddhist sense is quite different. You would know more than me, but my understanding is that compassion is that you don’t want other people to suffer, actually. And and dukkha, you know, I don’t mean by suffer as in. I mean, suffer as in to experience Samsara for longer than you need to.
You know, you you need to compassion in action is the topic today. And it is basically compassion is action in is essentially that. That’s what I’ve that’s my take on it. I don’t know. What do you reckon?
That’s a that’s a beautiful way to to put it and, kind of one of the definitions I’ve heard or ways to to perceive it is, you know, it is one of the Brahmavaharas, like what he was saying, and we’re not talking about kind of to, yeah, with passion. You know, that’s almost, kind of the opposite in in in a sense. It’s it’s I think it’s when when the heart is free from hindrances and, like, things that are blocking it, let’s just say, when the heart meets suffering such as stress. Let’s just say stress. When when the heart meets stress, its its natural response is compassion.
In this thirtieth installment of the ongoing live series with Wendy Nash inquiring into meditation practice on and off the cushion we explore the Eight Vicissitudes or Worldly Winds. I sometimes consider these as somewhat a psychology class crash course. While these don’t often seem to have a direct connection with formal meditation practices they are so interwoven into nearly every aspect of our lives in this world that their residues can easily carry over onto the cushion while the benefits from our practice naturally allow us to more skillfully navigate, meet and respond to gain and loss, pleasure and pain, praise and blame, fame and disrepute
vicissitude /vĭ-sĭs′ĭ-too͞d″, -tyoo͞d″/
noun
A change or variation.”an economy vulnerable to the vicissitudes of the oil market.”
A usually unforeseen change in circumstance or experience that affects one’s life, especially in a trying way: synonym: difficulty.”the vicissitudes of childhood.”Similar: difficulty
The quality of being changeable; mutability.”the vicissitude of fortune.”
In pairs, along with some alternate translations, the Worldly Vicissitudes:
Gain & Loss
Profit & Deficit
Acquisition & Deprivation
Wealth & Poverty
2. Pleasure & Pain
Happiness & Suffering
Joy & Misery
Delight & Discomfort
3. Praise & Blame
Approval & Disapproval
Compliments & Criticism
4. Fame & Disrepute
Honor & Dishonor
Recognition & Obscurity
Renown & Defamation
Fame & Infamy / Ill Repute
*There’s naturally an ongoing open call for meditation (related) questions for the (roughly) monthly “Meditation Q & A” either by the various social media means listed; integratingpresence[at]protonmail.com or just showing to type/ask live.*
Background
Regular, current and past visitors to Integrating Presence may recall the monthly series “Ask Us Anything” I did with Denny K Miu from August 2020 until January 2022 — partially including and continuing on with Lydia Grace as co-host for awhile until March 2022.
For a fewmonthsthereafter I did various Insight Timer live events exploring potential new directions and/or a continuation of the Ask Us Anything format while weaving in other related teachings to these events.
Then, after chats with meditation coach Wendy Nash, it became clear to start a new collaboration similar to “Ask Us Anything” simply and clearly called “Meditation Q & A” especially due to the original intent of the Ask Us Anything’s being “discussions about meditation and related topics.”
Integrating Presence 