thought – Integrating Presence

Practical Purity

[December 4, 2022 Update: Originally published November 11th, 2022 it’s being republished with a new date due to recent podcast publishing challenges and requirements] I pitched the October 30th, 2022 Insight Timer live event Practical Purity thus: What’s the importance of true purity? How can we view purity and what can we realistically think, sayContinue reading “Practical Purity”

Studying And Practicing With “The Iddhipāda-Vibhaṅga Sutta — An Analysis Of The Bases Of Power”: Summary, Findings, Observations And Comparisons (7 of 7)

This fifth in a seven part series on Studying And Practicing With “The Iddhipāda-Vibhaṅga Sutta — An Analysis Of The Bases Of Power” addresses perceptions of night, daytime and light. (In the first two portions of the podcast I speak without notes and then I reference notes included in the blog post in the other portion.)

Studying And Practicing With “The Iddhipāda-Vibhaṅga Sutta — An Analysis Of The Bases Of Power”: Perceptions Of Night, Daytime And Light (5 of 7)

Ghosted, Ignored, Canceled? More Grist To Nourish All

I described this (now edited) April 29th Insight Timer live event as follows: Let’s explore what can be done to transform, transmute and turn ghosting and being canceled into nourishment to support the well-being and awakening of all Cancel Culture definitions: a social environment in which publicly boycotting or withdrawing support for people, organizations, etc.Continue reading “Ghosted, Ignored, Canceled? More Grist To Nourish All”

Dharma Questions: Miscellany — Part 6

For the (early) non-personal Buddhist symbol of a lotus, why is it said a blue one can’t be used? Are there any trickster(s) (archetypes) in Buddhism? Perhaps Mara or Devadatta? Why or why not? Can techniques leading to a non-dual state also provide a condition for susceptibility to unwholesome mind control especially if and whenContinue reading “Dharma Questions: Miscellany — Part 6”

Illustrated: The Buddha’s Five Themes For Addressing Unskillful Thoughts

In the Vitakkasaṇṭhāna Sutta — The Relaxation of Thoughts (MN 20) the Buddha provides five themes to attend to at the appropriate times for those intent on heightening the mind. (The full post includes images and passages with explanations)

1) Small Peg Knocking Out Larger One (to attend to another theme)

2) Disgusted By Wearing Carcass (to know certain thoughts are unskillful, blameworthy, and resulting in stress)

3) Looking Away (to pay no mind to unskillful thoughts)

4) From Running To Walking To Standing To Sitting To Lying Down (to relax thought fabrications)

5) Clenching Teeth (to crush unskillful/evil mind with awareness)

Resources for Abhidhamma — Advanced Buddhist Thought, Inquiry, Analysis and Psychology

Recently finished auditing the now public Abdhidhamma and Development of Buddhist Thought, part of Mid-America Buddhist Association’s Diploma in Pali and Buddhist Studies (DPBS). If interested in checking out ongoing classes at MABA, please email to request free auditing. Here’s some Abhidhamma resources, some of which were mentioned in class: I feel what’s below bothContinue reading “Resources for Abhidhamma — Advanced Buddhist Thought, Inquiry, Analysis and Psychology”