In order to come to clarity and equanimity, the mind must learn to open to all states. Learning how to work with the 5 Hindrances is key to this process, and opens the door to the peace that we seek.

Drawing on references from the Satipatthana Sutta, this talk explores four qualities of mind & heart which the Buddha emphasized as being an essential part of our approach to meditation practice.

Fear drives us in unhealthy ways when it is not recognized. When we become aware of fear it becomes a support to our meditation.

Effort and energy are necessary to liberate the mind, but the effort needs to be wise and the energy calibrated to the task. Often we don't need to "try harder"- we need to learn to let go, to surrender to things as they are.

Describes craving and practical ways we can be with it to develop understanding.

Becoming familar with the movement of our hearts to be free from suffering.

Five contemplations recommended by the Buddha that can help us connect with the quality of Samvega or spiritual urgency.

Wholesome states of mind are often unnoticed, even though they are frequently present. There are reasons to turn the mind toward them, and to acknowledge the goodness they represent. How and why to orient the mind this way, and a discussion of obstacles to this turning.

Generosity is a way of working with nonclinging and brings joy to the heart and mind.

Equanimity - that quality of mind which is balanced, steady, and non-reactive - is developed by learning to open skillfully to the full range of our experience. It is equanimity which allows the heart to feel safe enough to open to our own difficult states, and the difficult states of others. Deep equanimity is " the peace that passes understanding", a wisdom and equipoise which can hold it all.

An exploration into the nature of insight and how it unfolds in practice on both personal and more universal levels.

Understanding our temperament can help to personalize habituated tendencies.

Our relationship with sense pleasure is complicated. Moving towards what is pleasant is instinctual,and we need to be able to experience what is pleasant without clinging, fear or attachment in order to be whole. Yet pleasant vedana (sensation) is not a reliable goal or guide on the spiritual path. Pleasure - like all conditioned things - has its limitations and does not work well as the orienting principle in our practice and lives. Like the Buddha, we need to be able to swim upstream, and not be limited by our conditioning towards ease.

At the end of retreat, there are often concerns about how to take "this" back home. If we define "this" too narrowly, with a dualistic mind, we will miss the chance to practice effectively when we return to the conditions of lay life.Lay life is different, and offers the opportunity for practice which is broader, more dynamic, and more relational than that done on retreat. The Buddha himself saw his teachings as useful and beneficial to lay people as well as monastics, sometimes in surprising applications. Some of his teachings for lay people are discussed, clarifying that the 8 Fold Path can be practiced outside of silent retreat, in daily life.

This talk, given at the close of the annual 3-month retreat at IMS, examines the practice of Loving-kindness as an expression of the deepest wisdom.