In honor of Valentine's Day, Wes reflects on everybody's favorite 4-letter word. As usual, he provides an insightful and entertaining perspective on the topic illustrated with a wealth of poetry. A discussion with the sangha ends the evening.
A reflection on the comparing and judging mind highlighted with stories and readings. Includes a useful practice based on a quote from the 3rd Zen Patriarch: "The burdensome practice of judging brings annoyance and weariness." The evening ends with a brief discussion with the sangha. This talk was also given at the February 2011 month-long retreat at Spirit Rock:
Working with the Judging Mind
The 7 Factors of Awakening are the Buddha’s list of qualities that need to be developed in order to fully awaken. This eight-week series begins with an overview of all 7 Factors followed by a discussion of each individually in greater depth over the coming weeks. Besides exploring them theoretically, James encourages us to take them on as practices as we go through the weeks seeing how we can consciously cultivate them and bring them into our daily lives. The seven factors are:
Second talk in an 8-week series on the 7 Factors of Awakening that began with an overview March 10. James highly recommended the booklet
The Power of Mindfulness by Nyanaponika Thera as a precise and concise guide for "tidying the mental household."
The talk ends with a homework assignment for the week.
