dharma punx

On the first day of the WHMC Interdependence Weekend Retreat, Andrew offers instructions on mindfulness of breathing. Enjoy!

This is a continuation of a series of talks on the topic of "The 3 Marks of Existence". These are the essence of the Buddha's teachings: impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and not-self. Andrew kicks it off by talking about how we can notice impermanence on every scale of our lives: macro (birth, aging, illness, and death), mezzo (changing events and experiences in our lives), and micro (moment to moment changes in our sensory experience and mind). In particular, Andrew highlights how the Buddha teaches that sitting with the micro level of our experience helps us to acclimate to impermanence in a more internalized way. How meditation truly teaches us peace and equanimity with change. Enjoy!

In this episode WHMC facilitator Roy Wyman takes a deep dive into Viparinama Dukkha. He discusses how practicing with the understanding that all pleasant things are subject to change, can be a powerful vehicle for insight. Can we be willing to acknowledge that clinging to pleasant experiences and things will not bring lasting happiness? 

This is the second talk in a month of practice on compassion. Andrew discusses Self-Compassion and the 4 aspects of: Understanding, Empathy, Equanimity, and Compassion. Enjoy!

This is the last talk in a month of practice focused on Metta - or lovingkindness. Andrew shares two practices: 1. Metta for a benefactor, and then 2. Viewing all experiences through lovingkindness. Enjoy!

On the second evening of the five day Wild Heart Meditation Center residential retreat, Andrew talks about how we've been set up for survival rather than happiness. He talks about the Buddha's teaching on the second noble truth, how craving and clinging cause suffering, and how we often, unknowingly, exchange short term pleasure for long term unhappiness in our lives... and how we can break that cycle through mindfulness. enjoy!

On the second morning of the Peace Within the Wild Heart Retreat, Marika Maypop offers an overview and meditation instructions on the 2nd foundation of mindfulness, "Mindfulness of Feeling Tone". By exploring our relationship with the pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral feelings of each moment, we can see how the mind's reactivity builds up, causing clinging and aversion. The link between feeling tone and reactivity is where the Buddha instructs us to practice letting go, and experiencing the liberation that comes from stepping out of reactive patterns in the mind. Enjoy!

In this episode, Marika Maypop offers further instructions on developing "Mindfulness of Breathing". This is often the most foundational practice and is essential for developing tranquility which is a support for the liberating insight that comes through meditation. Enjoy!

On the first morning of the most recent Wild Heart Retreat, Andrew offers a brief talk and meditation instructions on the first foundation of mindfulness- mindfulness of the breath and body. Enjoy!

Andrew finishes a series on the core teachings of the Buddha, "The Four Noble Truths & The Eightfold Path", with a talk on "Wise Concentration". Cultivating Samadhi, or calmness & tranquility, is an essential characteristic of developing concentration in our meditation practice. A calm mind leads to a more equanimous awareness and a more refined observations of our experience, which leads to liberating insight.

In this episode, Andrew continues his series of talks on the Buddha's Eightfold Path, discussing the topic of "Wise Mindfulness". Mindfulness is such a popular focus of the Buddha's teaching, but what did he actually say about it 2600 years ago? We hope you enjoy!

Wild Heart has an upcoming Meditation Retreat in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi September 1st - 5th. Link here

https://www.floweringlotusmeditation.org/peacewithinthewildheart

Andrew & Mikey take questions from the audience on a Wednesday night Dharma & Discussion group. The questions range from topics about developing wisdom, transmuting anger into compassion, how to work with trauma & depression, and more. Enjoy!

Andrew continues his series of talks on the eightfold path with Wise Effort. He starts off by asking the questions: "why don't we do the things that we want to do?". What makes us stop doing, or never start doing, the things in live that we truly value or find happiness in? The Buddha offers as a reflection, the teachings on wise effort. Enjoy!

In this short talk from the Memorial Day LovingKindness Retreat Andrew offers a reflection on the gentle effort that it takes to be with the present experience with an open heart. He also offers a short LovingKindness meditation at the end of the talk. Enjoy!

Andrew offers the morning instructions on the first day of the WHMC Loving Kindness Memorial Day Retreat, Metta for a Benefactor. The cultivation of Metta, or lovingkindness, is said to be a sublime state that can be cultivated to alleviate suffering and view the world through kind eyes. In this talk, Andrew offers instructions for how to begin Metta practice, by developing this quality of kindness towards someone that is easy to evoke this attitude towards--a benefactor.

Papanca is a Pali Sanskrit word that means "metal proliferation" or is literally translated as "spreading out". What does the Buddha say about what to do when the mind is tripping? And when we're caught in the grip of our thoughts, where does it usually go? Andrew and Mikey talk about the ins and outs of papanca and the ways that mindfulness helps us get out of the rabbit hole. Enjoy!

In this episode, Andrew talks about one of the Brahmaviharas, appreciative joy and gratitude. Practicing gratitude can widen our perspective when going through a hard time and help us practice non-attachment during times of pleasure and joy. Enjoy!

How do the words I speak effect the peace and happiness in my life?

Communication is so much of what we do! Whether it's with others, or even just the voice in our head, the way we talk to ourselves and others can either be a source of peacefulness or great pain in our lives. The Buddha includes Wise Speech in 3 individual factors of the eightfold path (speech, action, and mindfulness) and he offers helpful guidelines to radically transform the ways we communicate in service of living in a more peaceful way. Enjoy!

In this episode Andrew talks about the second factor of the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path: "Wise Intention". Andrew discusses the link between Wise View and Wise Intention (the first two "wisdom factors" of the eightfold path), the 3 ways that the Buddha taught about intention in the suttas, and then finally he discusses the 3 wise intentions: renunciation, goodwill, and harmlessness. Renunciation combats craving and greed, Goodwill combats aversion or illwill, and Harmlessness combats cruelty or harm. We hope you enjoy!

Andrew speaks on the topic of Wise View. He talks about mindfulness being not just for the sole purpose of being present, but as a practice that radically changes the way that we see and relate to the world. In the Buddha's teachings, wisdom is cultivated by seeing our human experience through the lens of the 3 marks of existence: the impermanent, impersonal and imperfect nature of the world.