This talk provided by Lezlie Laws completes a series of talks reviewing the four Divine Abidings: Lovingkindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, and Equanimity. She describes how Equanimity brings balance to the expression of the other three qualities of consciousness.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:46 — 51.1MB)
During this talk, Susan Baxter continues a review of the Four Divine Abidings, focusing on Mudita, translated as Sympathetic Joy. This quality of the mind and heart celebrates the success and happiness of others and is the antidote for jealousy and envy. Susan provides a brief contemplation to support the ability to notice jealousy and envy and transform the heart and mind in positive ways.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:06:47 — 61.1MB)
During this talk Peter describes his practice of combining mindfulness of breathing meditation with a lovingkindness mantra and then developing compassion from this process. He also suggests focusing attention on the center of the chest during the practice to enhance effective functioning of the vagus nerve, which integrates what happens in the torso with what the mind creates as a personality. This integrative process increases introspective sensitivity and supports the manifestation of compassion for oneself and others.
Prior to this talk, Peter provides a recording entitled “Contemplation Integrating Mindfulness With Compassion”, which can be accessed through the Audio page of this site.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Working With Compassion
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 58:10 — 53.2MB)
During this guided meditation, Peter provides suggestions for combining mindfulness of breathing meditation with a contemplation for cultivating an empathetic and compassionate relationship with oneself and others. This contemplation is intended to be associated with the Dharma talk of the same night entitled “Integrating Mindfulness With Compassion”, posted in the archive.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:58 — 41.2MB)
During this talk, Peter provides an overview of the four Brahma Viharas, with focus on how lovingkindness mantra repetition can be integrated with mindfulness of breathing meditation, adding additional attention to the middle of the chest as part of the practice. He describes how the vagus nerve connects the brain with various organs in the body, including the heart, linking what happens emotionally with the selfing story. He also describes how contemporary integrative research regarding the interactions between mindfulness and lovingkindness is beneficial for well-being.
Here are the notes accompanying the talk: Reviewing The Brahma Viharas
This talk can be associated with a guided meditation that preceded the presentation entitled “Guided Wisdom of Lovingkindness Meditation”, found in the audio archive.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:24 — 50.7MB)