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Silence. Eight kinds of silence. 12 kinds of Noble Silence

Dharma Reflections / /

There is silence and there is Noble Silence.

We pay respect to a Noble Silence, not of words, not of constructions of the mind and profoundly knowable.

We might imagine silence consists of a single element, which remains much the same. Like everything else, silence reveals itself according to the inner-circumstances. We can experience silence in a variety of ways. …

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Silence. Eight kinds of silence. 12 kinds of Noble Silence Read More »

The Buddha spoke on Emptiness. What on Earth was he talking about?

Dharma Reflections / /

The Buddha’s teachings on Emptiness challenge the best of minds.

A very committed meditator exploring the depths of calm (samatha) and insight (vipassana) finds it a challenge to understand fully the nature of Emptiness, which make everything possible including liberation. …

The Buddha spoke on Emptiness. What on Earth was he talking about?Read More »

The Buddha spoke on Emptiness. What on Earth was he talking about? Read More »

Pilgrimage and retreat in India 26 January – 13 February 2017

Dharma Reflections, Retreat Environments / /

 Pilgrimage and retreat in India  26 January – 13 February 2017

With Ellen van lersel 18-day journey in India, incl 7-day vipassana retreat guided by Christopher Titmuss and Zohar Lavie. …

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Pilgrimage and retreat in India 26 January – 13 February 2017 Read More »

Know Thyself is not enough. Know the Other as well

Dharma Reflections / /

The Inquirer

(Sutta 147 in Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha)

I gave a commentary on The Inquirer,  a talk of the Buddha last week during our Dharma Enquiry Programme at the Waldhaus Buddhist Centre, near Andernacht, Bonn, Germany.  The Buddha regularly encouraged mindfulness/inquiry to be directed towards others, as much as oneself.

The Buddhist tradition and other mind/body traditions have emphasised the inner, often at the expense of outer mindfulness/inquiry of another(s). The willingness to work to transform the outer can heal wounds, be deeply therapeutic and develop empowerment through action. …

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Know Thyself is not enough. Know the Other as well Read More »

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