Sameness and Difference by Jim Bedard Satipañña Insight Meditation Toronto Several months ago, at the end of our Dharma Study Group, I took questions. A middle-aged man, who has been practicing Buddhist meditation for many years, stood and asked a pointed question, “Could you please say something about the non-dual teaching that states samsara and nirvana are not different. Many teachers say that samsara is nirvana. So, if a man assaults a child, is that nirvana?” He shrugged his shoulders and turned his palms upwards. The room went silent. People sat up attentively. “No!” I replied. “The teac ..read more

Parami – ‘perfections,’ – are daily life practices that give the mind a firm ground in Dhamma. Comprising simple qualities like patience, generosity and truthfulness, they can be skillfully applied to the ‘flash-points’ in the day in order to steer the mind out of samsaric currents and towards peace, clarity and nibbana. – Ajahn Sucitto Generosity (Dana)  To undo the stress that our minds create takes a move to a more selfless mode. The Buddha’s encouragement is that we develop generosity daily to lift our minds out of their isolation and to establish goodwill and a happier sens ..read more

On Friday, Feb 8, 2020 a group of 15 dhamma friends gathered at Chapin Mill Retreat Centre in Batavia, NY for a 2 weeks retreat with our teacher Jim Bedard. Some yogis arrived earlier and helped convert a large ‘Piano Room’ at the Center into meditation space where all group activities (including group sittings and dhamma talks) would be held. The focal point in the room was the altar with the Buddha figure, set up against a background of a wall-sized evocative Japanese painting. As the group gathered together for dinner prior to the start of the retreat, there was a deep sense of joy at seein ..read more

This time of crisis may put us in touch with our physical vulnerability and the vulnerability of our social and economic life. This can frighten us into being scattered and hardened or it can invite us to be tender and open.  Complying with the precautions of self-isolation and social distancing should not prevent us from reaching out where we can. Compassion is central to our practice. It is lovely to see it springing up naturally in the world around us. There are countless heart-warming stories of people helping others. People buying groceries for the elderly; a 6- and 9-year-old brothe ..read more

Shen and his brother, lovers of nature,   took me along for a sail   but the world turned strangely dark   and the waves began to break like glass   the boat ran loose in a crystal chaos   and I, for one, suffered a hundred fears   what about whales? what about crocodiles?   what if the wind and waves engulf our boat completely?   The weather starts to clear and the boatman get to work   our hosts pitch in as well unfurl the bright sail   the oars sing their song geese and gulls rise up   let’s have a little music To welcome the blue sky b ..read more

To begin with let us acknowledge the energetic disturbance that we bring to the practice as a result of our busy lives. We tend to alternate between these two modes of being: the hyper active overdrive and fatigue—the resulting slump from having come out of the fast pace drive of our daily life.  So, our embodiment is not just physical but also somatic i.e., the way the body experiences itself. This somatic intelligence helps us know if we’re safe. It’s primary to the coarser form body and is key to helping us settle and stabilize the mind; so, we practice using the body to train the mind ..read more