After my car, and then my partner's car, got stuck in the snow I had little choice but to walk home from my neighborhood yoga studio. Not a big deal for most people. But I'm from eastern North Carolina, have a high center of gravity, and tend towards grandmotherly caution... walking on the icy slush, …
The Art of Dying
The first book I read this year was The Art of Dying and it changed my life. The thing that changed my life before this was sitting my first 10-day Vipassana meditation course four years ago. Art of Dying is a collection of relevant quotes from Buddhist scriptures and Vipassana teachers; some discourses from the …
Complete Surrender
I don't understand what it means to completely surrender to Dhamma and the technique of Vipassana. The first step to surrendering is to let go of control and have faith in the practice to guide me, but am I also relinquishing responsibility and ownership of my life and actions? Once I accept that someone else …
Interested in Writing?
If you are an old student of SN Goenka and would like to write for this blog send me an email at ryanshelton7@yahoo.com.
We All Have Flaws
On a train ride down the East Coast I noticed the individuals stepping outside for smoke breaks and read an article judging obesity. It remember judging people and thinking, "You should really change your life habits." I had this idea that it was a simple choice like turning a light switch on or off. I …
Dogs and Doubt
A family gathers around after their dog passes away. They begin to discuss life and death and why animals have shorter lifespans than humans. The little boy, who loved his dog, speaks up to the others' surprise. He says, "I know why." They wait. "People have to learn to be kind and good people right? …
The Riches of Service
Giving service has always felt like a luxury only the rich and healthy can afford. While most people are grinding away at their jobs to provide the needs of life, a select population can volunteer time and resources to aid one cause or another. Kind people use this surplus of resources to serve while others use …
A Candle Sits
It is so nice to sit here writing by the fire on a little candle stick lighting up the room. The only light except my clock and the computer screens and the desktop, or whatever you call it. The core of the root of the computer, that makes all this happen, that makes my creativity …
S. N. Goenka: Notes – Day 3 Discourse
So much attachment towards this I. What is this I? At the apparent level, yes, there is this solid body, but at the actual level, just subatomic particles, constantly changing. Arising and passing at such rapidity, like a light bulb. You take a dip in the river. Is it the same river? What same river? …
In communication. In understanding. In balance.
I am writing after a long hiatus. Travel is just one excuse. So is the excuse of hectic work schedule with back to back teaching in classrooms and workshops. But truth be told, I was not ready to share and write my stories. Growing up hearing stories from my dad and grandmother, I remember one such …
Continue reading In communication. In understanding. In balance.
Living Vipassana 