Studying And Practicing With “The Iddhipāda-Vibhaṅga Sutta — An Analysis Of The Bases Of Power”: A (Type Of) Situational Awareness (3 of 7)

This third in a seven part series on Studying And Practicing With “The Iddhipāda-Vibhaṅga Sutta — An Analysis Of The Bases Of Power” addresses a type of situational awareness mentioned within the sutta. In the first portion of the podcast I speak without notes and reference notes included in the blog post in the other portion.

Death Contemplation And Meditation

The description for the April 14th “Death Contemplation & Meditation” Insight Timer live event: Unwise, unskillful choices can come from an unconscious fear of death. The most profound contemplations and meditations on death protect us and help us appreciate every moment Some revised notes: Benefits of Death Contemplation And Meditation: In/for (formal) meditation practice: ‘…canContinue reading “Death Contemplation And Meditation”

Feeling Feelings With Ann Hince

Professional speaker, author & spiritual teacher Ann Hince and I chat about various topics surrounding feelings, awareness, healing and the body: When I was 19, I woke one morning to find my mother dead face down in our bathroom. Twenty years later the tears from that trauma were still just under the surface. It tookContinue reading “Feeling Feelings With Ann Hince”

Studying And Practicing With “The Iddhipāda-Vibhaṅga Sutta — An Analysis Of The Bases Of Power”: Unpacking Hindrances And Another Translation Reading (2 of 7)

This second of the seven part series on “The Iddhipāda-Vibhaṅga Sutta — An Analysis Of The Bases Of Power” digs into four types of paired hindrances:
1 sluggishness/laziness
2 overly active/restlessness
3 inward constriction/sloth and torpor
4 outwardly scattered/five strands of sensuality

Multi-month Pāramitā (Perfections) Challenge For March 2022

[4/29/2022 UPDATE: Zero Pāramitā Challenge provided (to me) for Month 8 / April 2022 yet and 5/23/2022 UPDATE: same thing for the month of May and presumably ongoing unless — barring other possibilities — readers and listeners see a new Pāramitā Challenge from the source and/or a new post/podcast published on IntegratingPresence.com] Expediency, supreme enlightenment,Continue reading “Multi-month Pāramitā (Perfections) Challenge For March 2022”

Reasons For Not Disclosing Information

When we look at truth — in most any context, including those of spiritually related natures — being forthcoming with credible information takes key significance. I’ve written previously about so-called disclosure. Please also see “Why and Why Not to Question/Inquire” The following are reasons — some perhaps more valid than others — for not disclosingContinue reading “Reasons For Not Disclosing Information”

Studying And Practicing With “The Iddhipāda-Vibhaṅga Sutta — An Analysis Of The Bases Of Power” (SN 51:20): Introduction; The Sutta’s Key Encapsulation Paragraph & A Translation Reading (1 of 7)

One reason this blog post and podcast series came about could likely be due to my meditation practice becoming stale and now provides an outlet for a somewhat more advanced level where details are dived into. If and when exploring this sutta on your own, it’s recommended to drop the intricate, sometimes tedious language I go into here to the fullest extent possible. It’s important to remember my intent here of placing plenty under a spiritual microscope to merely visit modes of deconstruction and analysis for study and (formal) practice possibilities, not as a general normalized mode of living. And while I go into minute details pertaining to this sutta please keep in mind it’s likely more helpful not to keep considering this sutta in isolation but within the broader context of the Buddha’s (other) teachings.

Multi-month Pāramitā (Perfections) Challenge For February 2022

Sangha, criticism, the two truths, service to others, emptiness, generosity, conduct, non-clinging, non-harming, energy, the three unwholesome roots, and clarity round out the main topics for February 2022, month six of “The Pāramitā Challenge”. See also Months 1-3, Month 4 and 5. Instructions are to journal contemplations resulting from observed intentions, opportunities, and actions toContinue reading “Multi-month Pāramitā (Perfections) Challenge For February 2022”

What are thoughts? Are dreams like thoughts?

The January 11, 2022 Insight Timer live event description explaining the title questions: Let’s powwow for 30 minutes or so on these two questions from my “Distortions and Dreams” event to address any parallels between thoughts and dreams. We may even do some mindfulness of thinking meditation To save time, the short answer is IContinue reading “What are thoughts? Are dreams like thoughts?”

Multi-month Pāramitā (Attainments/Perfections) Challenge For December 2021

Apparently November 2021 was a break so December is month 4 of “The Pāramitā Challenge” (which I previously wrote and spoke on the first three months.)

In addition to contemplating topics about the Pāramitās or Perfections, so far, this challenge also includes precepts, the (10 Abodes from the) 52 Stages of the Bodhisattva Path and Bodhisattva vows.

Instructions are to journal contemplations resulting from observed intentions, opportunities, and actions to be generous, moral and ethical while arousing faith in the Triple Gem then seeing where/when confident and where/when in doubt.

This month includes the Pāramitā on diligence, the Right Speech precept (also doubling as a past Insight Timer live event) and the middle stages of the 10 Abodes from the 52 Stages of the Bodhisattva.