Unfettered Mind

Comments on the Buddhist concept of ‘no self’. Yidams or deities as expressions of awakened mind, deity meditation instruction, questions about this how to do this practice

Practice questions regarding pride and compassion, the three classes of deities: peaceful, semi-wrathful, wrathful, review of Tsulak Trengwa’s poem How I Live The Practice (text available on website) which describes the flavor of deity practice, questions regarding deity practice

Practice questions regarding pride and compassion, the three classes of deities: peaceful, semi-wrathful, wrathful, review of Tsulak Trengwa’s poem How I Live The Practice (text available on website) which describes the flavor of deity practice, questions regarding deity practice

Discussion on enchantment with dakini and protector practices and how that connects with the origin of these practices, protector meditation instruction and questions

Description of protectors and commentary on related text, importance of moderation in protector practices, connection between the three roots (guru, deity, and protector) and the three marks of existence (suffering, non-self, impermanence), questions on above

Questions and comments on prayer text, magnetization, taking refuge in mind itself, the continual process of meeting what arises in experience, reactive emotions like desire, the eight concerns, working with the type of practice that best engages your internal material

Questions regarding sky gazing and protectors, a story about yidams, a story about protectors, review of various lines of transmissions and lineage

Understanding the three jewels on a personal level. What am I suppose to get from meditation? Evolution or revolution? Do you advocate a certain technique over another? How do I deal with physical sensations and movements during meditation?

The results of meditating on death & impermanence; dilemma of uncertainty of death; 2 aspects of death: death is inevitable, could die at any moment; other forms of dying besides physical: dying to the idea of getting our emotional needs met, dying to the idea of being somebody; life is ordered and chaotic.

How do I deal with anxiety when meditating? Impermanence and the four ends. Guilt and morality. Shame and joy. What is the future of Buddhism? Messing with your practice.

False and true dualities; all experience as an expression of knowing & not-knowing; experiencing change in the inner, outer and hidden worlds; experience of non-duality; participant’s questions; meditation instruction on change.

Frame work to aid in making the right effort; how we experience; subject/object frame work as an abstraction; dropping sense of I/other; undoing misperceptions of our experience; contemplating change: outer changes defined as objects of our senses, inner changes defined as bodily changes, hidden changes defined as emotions & thoughts; participant's questions.

What is karma? Do I need to believe in reincarnation? What is the role of celibacy in Buddhism? What should I do when distractions arise while meditating? Resting in the experience of breathing instead of placing attention on your breath. The four states of conflict. What is the practical or real-world benefit of meditation?

How do you balance not craving with the need for money? What causes a lack of self-worth? How do you face disappointment gracefully? Serving what is true. The four steps of standing up. Goals, intentions, and being content. How does one keep going?

Major traditional metaphors in Buddhism include war and farming; sometimes more useful metaphors are space, weather and evolution; courage and faith needed to engage reactive emotions with loving-kindness; combining tenderness and effort.