Sally Clough Armstrong began practicing vipassana meditation in India in 1981. She moved to the Bay Area in 1988, and worked at Spirit Rock until 1994 in a number of roles, including executive director. She began teaching in 1996, and is one of the guiding teachers of Spirit Rock's Dedicated Practitioner Program. Sally has always been inspired by the depth and the breadth of the Buddha’s teaching, as presented in the suttas of the Pali Canon, because the truth and power of the Buddha’s words still speak to us today. Her intention in teaching is to make these ancient texts and practices accessible and relevant to all levels of practitioner, from the very new to the dedicated meditator.
The voice of the inner critic is a huge source of suffering for many people. Learning to work skillfully with this voice allows us to develop an sense of respect and trust in ourselves that is essential for the deepening of our spiritual practice.
Based on the Honey Ball Sutta, this talk is an exploration of papanca,
a Pali word meaning proliferation of thought in the mind. Mental
proliferation leads into the creation of self and into craving and
comparing, as well as holding on to views and opinions.
This talk concludes a series on the Dasadharma Sutta and covers the last five reflections which includes questions like "do I delight in solutitude", and am I using my time wisely?"
This talk is a continuation of a series on the Dasadhamma Sutta, which offers 10 reflections that support practice on retreat. This talk covers the 3rd and 4th reflections: working skillfully with our habitual tendencies, and learning from, rather than feeling guilty about, past actions that may have been unskillful.
This talk is the first of a series on the Dasadhamma Sutta, which lists 10 reflections that support our practice on retreat. This talk covers the first two: I am no longer living according to worldly aims and values, and my life is supported by the gifts of others.
