Have you heard about the time when an Archbishop walked into a Buddhist Centre? Find out what happens. Archbishop Kay is the first female Archbishop in the world, Order of Australia recipient 2017 and a marriage celebrant.
Recorded at Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre, during the 2019 Rains Retreat.
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This is Kathryn’s third of four sessions at AMG during the 2019 Rains Retreat period. Tonight's subject is compassion, specifically in 3 forms. Kathryn describes how we may feel compassion for someone that is suffering. How we may receive compassion because we are suffering. Finally, we may feel compassion toward ourselves. Kathryn continued by giving examples of the each form of compassion. Before meditation and to conclude her talk, Kathryn asked the audience to form a circle of sorts around the room. She then asked us all a series of questions and to raise our hands if we felt the answer applied to us as an individual. It was not surprising to find that nearly all present answered in the affirmative to the questions. We all need to practice both sending compassion and receiving compassion in our lives to help us deal with the stuff of life.
Kathryn then lead the group in meditation with compassion as our focus. The meditation is perhaps best suited to intermediate and advanced meditators.
After meditation Kathryn continued her talk on compassion and opened to question. At the close Kathryn suggested the following titles for those of us interested in furthering their study of compassion.
Mindful Compassion by Paul Gilbert
Compassion: Concepts, Research and Application edited by Paul Gilbert
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To find and download more Armadale Meditation Group Teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page, choose the AMG teaching you want, then type the title into the Podcast search box.
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Well loved and respected Aboriginal Whadjuk Noongar leader, Shaun Nannup, shares with us cultural stories while talented Whadjuk artist, Julianne Wade, helps us create a community canvas. Some parts may not be audible because Shaun walks around the room at times without a microphone.
'Our Stories' is the theme for this year's series of guest talks organised by the Buddhist Society of WA. Each year, the society hosts guest speakers while their monks and nuns are away on an extended retreat to deepen their own practice. So over the course of the next three months, you will get the chance to hear from a variety of people who will share with us their journeys. From Aboriginal spirituality to the environment, from inspiring young people to leaders of various faiths, we have something for everyone.
Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.
To find and download more Dhamma Talks on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the talk you want and then type the title into the Podcast search box.
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This is Kathryn’s second of four sessions at AMG. The subject, or rather object of meditation is our habit of judging others, situations and circumstances. We often get it wrong and this moves us more toward reaction instead of a softer response. Reaction and often over reaction, releases chemicals into our systems that are not needed in most situations and not beneficial to our current situation. To avoid this we need to step back mentally and be mindful instead.
Kathryn then lead the group in meditation asking us to notice everything. The trucks on the highway and all other small sounds. Then to look at our thoughts, are they a suitable response, or an over-reaction? Gradually we learn to simply be mindful that those sounds are there and let them go along with the negative thoughts.
After meditation Kathryn continued her talk on “Working With a Judgemental Mind”. Kathryn also takes questions. In closing the night Kathryn mentions a number of books that she recommends for those who may further wish to explore the deeper functions within our minds.
The first title is - Being Wrong by Kathryn Schulz
The second title is - The Invisible Gorilla co-authored by
Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons
The third title is - Mistakes Were Made But Not by Me
co-authored by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson
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To find and download more Armadale Meditation Group Teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page, choose the AMG teaching you want, then type the title into the Podcast search box.
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Kathryn's first of four weeks at AMG. Kathryn began meditating over 25 years ago at the Armadale group (AMG). She is the founder of “Mind and Movement”, a leading provider of mindfulness programs for individuals and organisations and is a certified teacher of Jon Kabat-Zinn’s program, “Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction” (MBSR) and recognised as a Senior Teacher by the Meditation Association of Australia.
We humans have a tendency to react rather than respond to all manner of situations, both internal and external. Kathryn explains why this occurs and how best to retrain the mind to respond rather than react. When we react to stimuli, both internal and external, a chemical is generated and released within our bodies. Kathryn details ways of shortening the time it takes for us to return from those situations that cause us to remain in that stressed state of mind. Mindfully being aware that it is happening will allow us to return to normal in a shorter period of time or, at the very least, shorten the time it takes for those chemicals to dissipate.
Kathryn then guided the group in meditation asking us to observe what occurs and how we react to it. Be it to a small sound or part of our body, how we react is what matters. This meditation is a smidge over 30 minutes and suitable for beginners and experienced alike.
After meditation Kathryn continued her discussion and talk on our reactions to the sensations we felt during the meditation with a focus on what we noticed or became aware of and not over-reacting.
Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.
To find and download more Armadale Meditation Group Teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page, choose the AMG teaching you want, then type the title into the Podcast search box.
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The Armadale Meditation Group was privileged this evening to have three monks visit us for the last meditation session prior to the annual rains retreat. Ajahns Santutthi, Jhanarato and Sukhakamo from the Cambodian forest monastery, Wat Dhammayanaram in Kelmscott, joined us for what was an interesting evening. Ajahn Santutthi started the evening with an introduction of all three monks, a brief talk, then passed onto Ajahn Jhanarato to lead the meditation.
The meditation being lead by Ajahn JR was simply to relax and do nothing. Our minds have so many thoughts happening that it is like the snow globe after shaking. Ajahn asked us to simply allow our minds to settle, just as with a snow globe, so that we may see the thoughts more clearly and just let them pass.
After the meditation, all three monks were happy to answer any and all questions relating to monks, meditation and the Dharma.
Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.
To find and download more Armadale Meditation Group Teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page: , choose the AMG teaching
you want, then type the title into the Podcast search box.
Guest Speaker Venerable Hue Can from the Mahayana Tradition shares her wisdom on how to share and care selflessly without hidden agendas and the importance and benefits of sharing our merits with all beings. Venerable points out that Buddhism is to be practiced, that is we must apply what we learn. More specifically Buddhist practise is correcting and dropping our bad habits and following, keeping and practicing the good habits. Talk given during the rains retreat at Dhammaloka City Centre.
Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.
To find and download more Dhamma Talks on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the talk you want and then type the title into the Podcast search box.
Guest speaker Venerable Fa Xun describes how the Buddha has provided us with a practical way to end all suffering and to make our life more meaningful and happy. The way to end all suffering is through the Noble Eightfold Path. Talk given during the rains retreat at Dhammaloka City Centre on the 18 July 2008.
Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.
To find and download more Dhamma Talks on Podcast, visit the BSWA teachings page: https://bswa.org/teachings/, choose the talk you want and then type the title into the Podcast search box.
We are delighted to have guest speaker Kelsang Ani during the rains retreat for 2018. Kelsang Ani is the resident teacher at Dharmapala Kadampa Meditation Centre in Fremantle. She will be talking about 'How to Solve our Human Problems'- by understanding Buddha’s wisdom explanation of the real nature of our problems, we can learn to identify them correctly; and in this way gradually solve all our human problems, and find everlasting peace and happiness. She is a well loved teacher and has a way of explaining the dharma that is insightful and clear.
Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.
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Kathryn begins her third of four weeks at AMG by explaining why we need, or rather when we may need, to change our perspective. Kathryn uses examples such as the need for very focused perspective when doing surgery as compared to when we need a broad perspective on those occasions when something negative has occurred in our life. The benefits, to our health and well being, of positive emotions and the chemicals our bodies release when we have a positive experience have been the subject of many recognised research studies around the world today.
Kathryn then leads the group in three separate meditations. The first meditation is aimed at recognising when the mind tries to narrow our focus or perspective, putting us into a well known loop of negativity. By recognising when this occurs we can learn to deal with it and return to our broader perspective.
The second meditation highlights our feeling and belief of being independent when, in actuality, we are interdependent on so many people in our lives. Gratitude is used to focus our attention during this meditation. To bring this to mind Kathryn recited a poem by Jane Kenyon (1947–1995), former Poet Laureate of New Hampshire in the US, titled “Otherwise”. The object was to encourage us to realise that despite our trials and tribulations things could be worse and that perhaps our lives aren't quite as bad as we believe.
The third meditation brings to mind equanimity; the calm amidst the storm; the idea of being able to maintain balance and a sense of being grounded when the proverbial is hitting the fan. During the meditation Kathryn helps us to broaden our perspective by reading the “Serenity Prayer”;
“May I have the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
The courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.”
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Kathryn begins her second of four weeks at AMG by asking all to do a standing body shake - starting with the upper body and finishing with the lower body. This exercise is one practised by the director of Paliative care at Royal Perth Hospital to help patients dissipate the physical signs of stress that has built up in the body during day.
Kathryn then continued her talk on reactivity to external stimuli and what actually happens chemically within our bodies. She then details ways of shortening the time it takes for us to return from those situations that cause us to remain in that stressed state of mind. Mindfully being aware that it is happening will allow us to return to normal in a shorter period of time or, at the very least, shorten the time it takes for those chemicals to dissipate.
We all endure daily situations where we'd rather not be. Being able to be there without over-reacting and, to some degree, reducing the time that we are stressed, can be achieved with mindfulness.
Kathryn then guided the group through a 30 minute body scan meditation using mindfulness.
After the very relaxing body scan meditation Kathryn continued her discussion and talk on our reactions to the sensations we felt during the meditation with a focus on what we noticed or became aware of and not over-reacting.
Kathryn then talks on perception and conditioning within our lives. Kathryn openly relates from an example in her own life when she was nine and how this has changed her perceptions. Our conditioning affects our perceptions and our reactions to reality.
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We are delighted to have guest speaker
Master Behram Ghista during the rains retreat for 2018. This is an interactive talk.
Master Behram Ghista offers talks, workshops and retreats in India and Australia. Behram is fondly called "Master B" by his students because of his mastery in imparting the Buddhist teachings in a light and playful manner, through which he inspires the participants to say “Yes” to discovering what is finest in them. To find out more visit:
http://www.innermasterynow.net/
This talk is entitled 'Be Your Own Good Fortune'. It is said that "Fortune favours the prepared." How prepared are you to navigate safely through life's many illusions, especially the illusion that makes you believe that all is well in your world and you don't need to make time for personal growth and learning?
When we are in tune with the right principles and methods for achieving our aspirations, painful effects cannot possibly accrue. If we pursue sound methods, no grief can find its way into our hearts and no painful event can shake our composure. When our actions are true to right principles, only joy can manifest from them; for to say that good causes can produce bad effects is to say that nettles can be reaped from the sowing of corn.
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