To get the best out of this website, please read on...
We have set your language based on your browser language settings or location. To change language use the flag above.
We'd like you to have the best possible experience of our new site, and we noticed you're using a browser that has a feature called Javascript turned off.
We've designed things so Free Buddhist Audio will continue to work for you anyway, but the site will look and work much better if you turn Javascript on. It's very easy! See how to enable JavaScript in your browser for more information.
We'd like you to have the best possible experience of our new site, and we notice you're using an older browser that isn't compatible with some of the latest developments on the internet.
We've designed things so Free Buddhist Audio will continue to work for you, but we invite you to a better experience of the web now and in future if you have a few minutes to upgrade...
Install (or update from an older version) a future-friendly browser:
Tell a friend about this talk!
Audio | view transcript
Kamalashila has spent a lot of his adult life exploring meditation - and this talk is a lovely little foray into the whole subject as a crucial aspect in life and practice, with special consideration given to reflection on the six elements. Oh, and look out for Brian the meditating dog...
Talk given at FWBO Day, 2004
| 1. | Brian, the meditating dog, and the natural life; experience of the elements versus artificial living (5:44) | |
| 2. | Meditation exposing artificiality through awareness of experience; meditation as a kind of prayer for authenticity and truth; the buddhist path as a way of beccoming more natural (2:42) | |
| 3. | The six element practice as a focus on nature; historical suppression of pagan naturalness; naturalness as an issue of practice, not theory (2:03) | |
| 4. | The earth element; the easiest element to experience directly; hard, firm and durable (1:03) | |
| 5. | The water element; the shape depends on the container; the taboo of bodily fluids; accepting the elements as they are; the elements as co-existing qualities, not things (4:37) | |
| 6. | The fire element; relating to and learning from fire (2:53) | |
| 7. | The element of wind (air) as 'motion' - vayo dhatu; movement of emotional energy in the body and its oppression; element practice as recollection of spaciousness; the movement of the mind, thoughts and perceptions (5:40) | |
| 8. | The element 'space'; the great container of all things (2:12) | |
| 9. | The element 'consciousness'; all other elements embraced in consciousness; the element of experiences; seeing into what experience is (2:58) | |
| 10. | Questioning in practice - deepening; the reason for practice as the development of liberating awareness; the consequences of unawareness and awareness; letting the dharma in; the importance of study and discussion in deepening practice (4:05) | |
| 11. | The essence of meditation as realising the natural state of things and being changed by that realisation; having confidence in one's realisations; learning what to look for; the spaciousness of things (2:27) | |
| 12. | Two ways into spaciousness; noting inconsistencies as opportunities for realisation; the incongruity and illusory nature of 'me' and 'mine'; relaxing the tendency to arousal opens up simplicity and naturalness (7:24) | |
| 13. | A second approach to emptiness; seeing directly the free and spacious nature of things; motion in the mind; the elusive nature of thoughts; words and thoughts; the emptiness of thoughts; emptiness as the natural element; nirvana as naturalness (5:58) | |
| 14. | Returning to earth and befriending the elements; the extremity of artificiality in present culture; Buddhafield as an attempt to find simplicity; true simplicity as whatever allows more room for compassion and wisdom (3:38) |
Total running time: 53:24
