The Deer Park Dharmacast (class, meditation)

Dear Classmates on the Path

Tonight's transmission is on the 4th Verse.  We begin the podcast after those present in the class all shared how our practice was progressing with each other.  Maybe you, too, would like to reflect how your practice has been going for you.

4th Verse:

My breathing and my steps

Enable me to generate the energy of mindfulness,

So that I can recognize and touch

the wonders of life within and around me.

Our teacher, Thay Phap Hai, reminds us that stopping and calm abiding allow us to uncover what is already there. We also will benefit if we can ask, 'We're stopping what?'

Another wonderful practice that our teacher urges us to try this week is 'Lazy Hour'.

Enjoy your breath this week--and your laziness.

Dear Friends

Here is Sister Su Co Bich Nghiem's beautiful transmission on Verse 3.

Third Verse:

The practice of Vipashyana is to Look Deeply

into the nature of the five skandas

so that I may develop understanding

and transform suffering.

In this sharing, our sister encourages us to "Give yourself time to be with yourself more so that you can know yourself more.  So that we can better know ways to care for ourselves."

Enjoy your week of beautiful breathing.

Dear Friends

What a great fortune to have been born a human, to be in harmony with others, and to have a chance to take this wonderful course!  The second session is offered to us by Thay Phap Hai and is rich with insights into our beautiful practice.

The Second Verse:

Stopping (Shamatha) means to be still

In order to recognize, to be in contact,

To nourish, to heal,

To calm, to soothe, and to refocus the mind.

Thay offers us a guided meditation, an introduction to the five hindrances, and three means to plunge ourselves into the cool water of the present moment.

The reading materials for this class are available on the Deer Park Monastery website at www.deerparkmonastery.org

May all enjoy calm abiding in the present moment during the week ahead. 

Dear Friends

The 3-month Winter Rains Retreat began today at Deer Park.  Also, today this course on the Fourteen Verses on Meditation course held its first class.  A group of around 30 people have joined together to be taught by Thay Phap Hai, Thay Phap Ho, and Su Co Bich Nghiem and we have all committed to following the course during the coming 14 weeks. We hope that you will join us online.  In this way you can join us in our study, reflection and practice when and where it is suitable for you.  The text material for the respective classes and the outline of the course can be found on this website under Teachings, Fourteen Verses on Meditation here: http://www.deerparkmonastery.org/teachings/fourteen-verses-on-meditation-course-nov-21-2010-feb-20-2011 or go to http://www.deerparkmonastery.org

First Verse on Meditation: Just as a bird has two wings, the practice of meditation has "stopping" and "deep looking." The two wings depend on each other.  Stopping and deep looking go in tandem.

The Podcast team will do our best to put the recording online as soon as we can after the class.  Because we want to keep up with the class, these podcasts will not have the usual introductions so we hope that is acceptable.   

May we all enjoy our stopping and looking together during this winter reflection time.