Have you ever sat down to meditate with every intention of being calm and mindful, only to discover that your mind seems determined to do anything else? I certainly have. During the first year of Covid, I began paying much more attention to the Five Hindrances in my meditation practice. I was trying hard to Read More
Tag: Five Hindrances
Mindfulness of Dhamma: Reflections from Practice
“He dwells contemplating phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly knowing and mindful."Mahasatipatthana Sutra The Four Foundations of Mindfulness form one of the central teachings of Buddhism and are described in detail in the Satipatthana Sutta. They provide a practical framework for observing our experience as it unfolds moment by moment. The four foundations are: • Mindfulness Read More
When Anger Enters Meditation
Recently I have been struggling badly with meditation. Mindfulness feels weak.Concentration disappears almost immediately.The mind jumps constantly from thought to thought:the classic "monkey mind." I know all the usual instructions:focus on the breath,return to the body,observe thoughts arising and passing,rest attention within the present moment. None of it seemed to be working. So this morning Read More