Dalai lama meditate9/28/2023 ![]() His Holiness was basically pointing out that we need to walk the path in a way that allows us to build our training and skills on what we have already learned. right concentration (an advanced meditation practice also known as cultivating the Jhanas).right intention (aligning ourselves with our values and allowing ourselves to be motivated from this deep soul place whilst understanding that everything is impermanent, not ours to keep, and a source of suffering if we cling to it). ![]() right view (getting a clear perspective on cause and effect in our life, releasing a sense of blame or shame),.right mindfulness (being aware of what we are doing when we are doing it and also understanding the cultural, religious, gendered, etc lenses through which we see our actions and those of others), then. ![]() right effort (putting our energy into things that nourish us, including choosing the right contemplative practice),.right livelihood (making sure that our work is aligned with our values), then.right conduct (bringing mindfulness to our behavior and the way we carry ourselves through our daily life),.right speech (speaking skillfully, thoughtfully and kindly),.The Noble Eightfold Path instructs us to cultivate, sequentially, or if one has the capacity, simultaneously: ![]() I would extrapolate on his suggestion by offering a work-in-progress modern adaptation of the Noble Eightfold Path from Buddhist study and practice. Meanwhile, householders who had the tasks of tending to home, finances and family, were encouraged to cultivate ethics and generosity as their practices. In the Buddha’s time, meditation practice was exclusively the work of monks and nuns, people who had dedicated their lives to a cloistered existence that supported such deep work. He went on to outline that, initially, practice needs to have a good foundation of ethics. The idea that someone would meditate when they are not ready, or when they are having difficult experiences, seemed unusual to him. His response was to ask, “Who made these people meditate?” in his usual good-natured, humorous style. I found the results of Willoughby’s research fascinating, and I also found His Holiness’s responses really helpful. There is great power in the common humanity that helps us to feel that we are not alone and that there is, in fact, nothing wrong with us or our experiences.ĭalai Lama Presentation from Britton Lab on Vimeo. ![]() I thought my involuntary “somatic spark” movements, sense of unrealness, and loss of meaning in my everyday surroundings during and after intense meditation experiences were my experiences alone, but Willoughby talked about these as being some of the kinds of experiences other meditators, including prominent meditation teachers, had reported. It felt so enlightening and empowering to hear Willoughby talk about some of the somatic, perceptual and existential challenges some meditators experience. David’s book includes a reference to a 25-minute video of Willoughby Britton, a researcher I had the privilege of working with while I was the manager at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies a few years ago, talking with His Holiness The Dalai Lama about adverse effects of intense meditation practice. After spending several days with His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai in Atlanta, a few years ago, this way of meditating on Him and with Him simply came to me and I eventually wrote it down.I’m reading David Treleaven’s book, Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness right now – a great resource in learning about the possible adverse effects of particular kinds of contemplative practices. ![]()
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