Category Archives: Uncategorized

“The mind itself is a set of events, and you participate in those events every time you look inward. Meditation is participatory observation: what you are looking at responds to the process of looking. In this case, what you are … Continue reading →

Bhante Gunaratana’s Definition of Mindfulness: Mindfulness (Sati) Mindfulness is the English translation of the Pali word  sati .  Sati  is an activity. What exactly is that? There can be no precise answer, at least not in words. Words are devised … Continue reading →

  Here’s  the Dhamma talk by Thanissaro Bhikkhu that was played at the Kalyana Mitta group meeting on Tuesday, July 10th.   https://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/basics_collection/04%20Breath%20by%20Breath.mp3

  Due to the 4th of July holiday, this month’s Kalyana Mitta meeting at the UUC has been moved to next week, Tuesday, July 10th. Tea, cookies, and companionship. All are welcome. We hope to see you there.  

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was living among the Sakyans. Now there is a Sakyan town named Sakkara. There Ven. Ananda went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to the Blessed … Continue reading →

With mindfulness, we can be independent of the positions other people are taking. We can stand on our own two feet and take responsibility for acting in a virtuous way, regardless of what the rest of society is doing. I can … Continue reading →

If you are on Twitter, consider following the Forest Sangha twitter feed, focused on quotes from the monks and nuns of the Thai Forest tradition.

The Meditation Circle of Charleston will be canceled on those Tuesdays when Kanawha County schools are closed or let out early, as today. We hope to see you in the circle soon! ~Thad and Doug

“Self-compassion, grounded in wholesome self-love, motivates to reach out sincerely to help.” ~ Bhante Gunaratana  

”Let go or be dragged.” ~Zen proverb

METTA MEDITATION The practice of Metta meditation is a beautiful support to other awareness practices. One recites specific words and phrases evoking a “boundless warm-hearted feeling.” The strength of this feeling is not limited to or by family, religion, or … Continue reading →

Following the Buddha’s instructions, you can work with the body and body awareness as part of your own spiritual path, most fundamentally as a means for learning to stay present. This is called mindfulness of the body, which the Buddha … Continue reading →

In vipassana meditation we cultivate this special way of seeing life. We train ourselves to see reality exactly as it is, and we call this special mode of perception mindfulness. This process of mindful- ness is really quite different from … Continue reading →

Ancient Pali texts liken meditation to the process of taming a wild elephant. The procedure in those days was to tie a newly captured animal to a post with a good strong rope. When you do this the elephant is … Continue reading →