This is a continuation of final session which concludes the four part series Four Flavors of Love. Frank Ostaseski reminds us the brahmaviharas are considered powerful and beautiful aspects of the human mind and heart that can be cultivated and shared. Frank reviews each “flavor of love,” highlighting the features of each: Metta, Karuna, Mudita, Upekkha. The session also discusses the near enemies… Source ..read more

This session concludes the four part series Four Flavors of Love. Frank Ostaseski reminds us the brahmaviharas are considered powerful and beautiful aspects of the human mind and heart that can be cultivated and shared. Frank reviews each “flavor of love,” highlighting the features of each: Metta, Karuna, Mudita, Upekkha. The session also discusses the near enemies of each of these heavenly abodes. Source ..read more

In this session of the Four Flavors of Love participants focus on Mudita, the third Brahma vihara, which translates to appreciative joy or sympathetic joy. Mudita involves finding joy in the basic goodness of all beings and recognizing the fundamental well-being of ourselves and others. Frank addresses potential concerns, such as whether focusing on joy might lead to ignoring the plight of those… Source ..read more

This is a continuation of the second session of this series where Frank Ostaseski emphasizes the interconnectedness of the four brahmaviharas and how they support each other. This talk focus on Karuna (Compassion) and includes guided practice of compassion using phrases to evoke the quality of compassion and extend it to various beings. Source ..read more

Two days after the skies darkened from the solar eclipse, Sensei Wendy Johnson reminds us that “in dark times, the eye begins to see.” With her characteristic spirit and tenderness, Wendy encourages us to let in the difficult truths of our times and practice stillness and service. We can turn towards the wisdom of nature and ecology to guide us in our practice. As she teaches middle school… Source ..read more

This session from the Four Flavors of Love is the first session in the series covering the four brahmaviharas. Frank Ostaseski emphasizes the importance of the brahmaviharas and suggests the four qualities of love go beyond emotional states and are considered powerful and beautiful features of the human mind and heart. This session focuses on Metta which is the foundational quality… Source ..read more

At the end of Upaya’s practice period studying Vasubandhu’s Yogacara teachings, Sensei Shinzan shares with us the story of Vasubandhu’s awakening. Vasubandhu, a diligent student attached to his ascetic form of practice, awoke upon hearing his teacher say “when the mind seeks nothing, this is called the Way.” Shinzan asks us “What are you chasing?” Are you practicing to be good, spiritual, free? Source ..read more

In this final session the Varela 2023 speakers share their reflections and thoughts on various topics discussed during the symposium. The conversation includes discussions about the relationship between knowledge and caring, the importance of narratives, the concept of care, and the role of narratives in shaping our understanding of the world. The speakers also touch upon the need for multiple… Source ..read more

Andreas Roepstorff gives a charming talk on world and sense making, noting that precariousness, connectedness, and cooperation, concepts which help define sense making, are not esoteric but real and worth studying/ understanding. Andreas outlines the way he thinks about navigating in these meta analytic waters with the loosely held phrases Design, run, learn. This talk tries to answer big… Source ..read more

Adam Frank describes his divergence from a quest for an ultimate reality in physics, emphasizing the need to change existing scientific narratives. He discusses the uniqueness of life in contrast to other physical systems, highlighting the role of information, especially semantic information, in life processes. The talk delves into the philosophical and scientific aspects of understanding the… Source ..read more