meditation, mindfulness & insight1 introduction meditation meditation mindfulness & insight...

Meditation, Mindfulness & Insight

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Introduction

MeditationMeditation Mindfulness & Insight

Session 6

Inspiration What Next


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Zengetsu

To a sincere student every day is a fortunate day. Time passes, but he never lags behind. Neither Glory nor shame can move him.

Live with cause and leave results to the great law of the universe. Pass each day in peaceful contemplation.


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The Suffering Process

NegativeCircumstances

FilterPersonalHistory

ComplexesExpectations

EmotionsAnxiety

Fear

ThoughtsDramatization

Woe is Me!Blame!Anger!

NegativeActions

PhysiologicalHeart Rate

Blood Pressure

Neurotic Suffering

Rumination – SegalMindfulness BasedCognitive Therapy


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How Meditation Helps Meditation is time consuming and doesn’t make sense

People need to understand why they should spend time. Zen Practice - Mental discipline

Avoids rumination Mindfulness - Concentration – present moment experience

Tantric Practices Stops Rumination after it has started – Mantras – shift focus

Dog whisperer – substitute behaviors Modify our complexes through repetition / Compassion / Mantras

We live in a Buddha Field Meditation Effect

Like Xanax – Shifts attitude – Actual induces equanimity w/o we are trying to logically talk

ourselves into equanimity. Spontaneous Reverence / Humility and compassion


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Awareness

NegativeCircumstance

NonJudgmental

Skip theDrama

Forgiveness

InsightClarity

Psychology

CompassionAwareness/Mindfulness

Equanimity

AcceptanceOf things we

can not change

InspirationSacred

StrategicActions

Stop Be Mindful Be ConsciousDetach Disidentify Observe Think

Gratitude

PositiveCircumstance

Inflation


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Faith / Spirituality What is the opposite of Fear? Gives us the strength to face life’s greatest

challenges. Faith / Spirituality

Being Inspirited Feeling full of life (respiration)

Deeply personal choice Specific Religion Something more important than our own self interest Cosmic Consciousness

Daily meditation practice is a chance for cultivating spirituality.


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Christianity Mennonite family

Had a dinner with a Mennonite family Pile of dishes to be washed. “This is the work that the lord has made for me.” Not only was she in the moment, but each

moment was special and treated with reverence. Something beyond logic and reason can be

awesome. Faith can be a deep wisdom in our hearts that can

not be found with our thinking mind. There was a deep internal sense of “letting go” and

“letting be” Spirituality can bring meaning to each and

every moment of our lives.


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Judaism Bal Shem Tov – Humility

Finding a successor. Find someone with no conceit. How can you tell who has no

conceit? Anyone who thinks that they have

no conceit, has the most conceit of all.

Notice what he wasn’t looking for: Piety Knowledge

Reverence for the divine can manifest as humility


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Enlightenment - Tibetan A monk hears about Patrul Rinpoche who has

the most profound teaching and travels to see him.

When the monk finds Patrul Rinpoche he tells the monk to just travel with him for a while.

After 10 years of traveling with Patrul Rinpoche the monk asks for the profound teaching.

The Patrul Rinpoche teacher says, lay on the ground and tell me what you experience.

The monk says I see the stars in the sky. I feel the wind on my face. I hear the birds in the trees. I notice the gap between my thoughts.

The Patrul Rinpoche tells the monk– Now you understand the most profound teaching.

Moment to moment awareness with an open nonjudgmental sense of awe


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Transformation

Hatred

Arrogance

FearDespair

Unconsciousness

Compassion

Humility

ConfidenceFearlessness

Hope

AwarenessInsight


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The Process

Monkey Mind – Constant thoughts of fear and anxiety

Recover from big things more quickly

See a broader perspective when big things hit

Change your reactions to small things

Awareness of the monkey mind and habitual reactivity

Life is more calm and serene

Others treat you better

Become a calming influence to others


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What NextDevelop a Daily Practice. A daily practice / Make it a daily ritual

Create a special place to do it. / Make it a daily ritual Guided meditation / Jon Kabat-Zinn – From this class

OR Develop your own set of prayers, quotes and meditation

using what you have learned in this course. OR Read – Cheri Huber, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Pema

Chodron, Thich Nat Hahn – (see reading list.) At some point meditation alters your attitude

You just feel better in spite of circumstances. The meditation experience comes when it comes…

Find a group practice


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Groups Cheri Huber

http://www.livingcompassion.org/ Retreats are accessible to Westerners / Email Classes Great series of books

Tibetan – Anam Thubten Rinpoche http://www.dharmatafoundation.com/ [email protected] Second and Fourth Wednesdays Tibetan tradition modified for American Culture

MBSR – Meditation / Group Discussions Micki Fine – Psychologist - Certified MBSR Teacher http://www.livingmindfully.org/


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Groups continued

Vipassana Great 10 day retreats Houston Meditation Group – Beltway 8 and http://www.dhamma.org/en/schedules/

schsiri.shtml#course Zen – Houston Zen Center

http://www.houstonzen.org Local Teacher – Gaelyn Godwin

Insight Meditation - Houston http://www.insighthouston.org/index.html Mary Rees - http://www.citta101.org/


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Cheri Huber’s The process

Awareness CENTER - Focus on present moment

experience Rest in Equanimity

The Philosophy – 3 keys Pay Attention Don’t Take it personally

Complexes are likely dominating We are not the center of the universe

Believe nothing Question the beliefs that cause negative reactions.


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Self ObservationFind Your own truth (Individuation)

You can observe a lot by just watching - Yogi Bera

Question your own thoughts and beliefs and habitual patterns

Become your personal authority Are your Expectations / Aspirations supportive? Are you dramatizing Difference between worrying and planning See if you can “Let go” of some disturbances Observe carefully your physical state Are you breathing slowly What are the thoughts that you are thinking?


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Mindfulness: As much as you are able

Whatever you are doing, put your full attention on it.

See every experience and every event as something special.

Show gratitude for all of the things in life that we take for granted:

This precious moment is your life!


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Guided Meditation CD Jon Kaba-Zinn

Guided Meditations

Sitting Meditation


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Guided Meditation


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Can we look at life from a universal perspective?

Pelican Fishing


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Universal perspective From the pelican’s perspective it is the

happiness of a meal. From the fishes perspective it is a

catastrophe. From a universal perspective it is the

cycle of life. What would happen if we looked at our

lives from this universal perspective? When someone cuts us off in traffic, we get

a red light, when the market goes down and the market goes up.


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We see ourselves as the center of the universe

The world isn’t really the way that we see it! Our perception of reality is changed by our own self interest.

Good or bad are always evaluated based on how people and situations impact us.

If it is good for us it is good. If it is bad for us it is bad. My values, religion and politics are the best!

Examples People who praise us vs people who correct us.

The ones who correct us might help us grow. Our desire to be heard and praised is much stronger

than our desire to listen and to give praise.


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Thanks / Good Luck!

Thanks For your openness Insights Wisdom

Good luck Making the most out of every moment

that we have

meditation, mindfulness & insight1 introduction meditation meditation mindfulness & insight...

Documents

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mindfulness insight4

compassion slide

humility slide

mindfulness insight2

buddha field meditation

cultivating spirituality

spontaneous reverence