I asked you to walk me home one night, so many nights ago, down a dirt path without lamps. We took baby steps to slow down the time and you gestured towards the center of the galaxy while freight trains whistled by. I got distracted by the tired memory of shooting stars, the sensation of …
ATs are People Too
One major obstacle I've heard from several meditators is their disconnect with their assistant teacher. They voice that the teacher couldn't answer their questions or seemed inadequate is some other way and this turns them off from Vipassana. I've had a wide variety of experiences with these teachers, but my take away was different. Instead of …
A Children’s House
The three Centers that I've visited have all shared the same dynamic of being a place for adults. Rules like no physical contact and gender separation make it very difficult for kids to be kids in the Center environment. There are no playgrounds or jungle gyms. The kitchens don't serve kid friendly foods. I've never seen …
Conversation 2, part 2
To assist Dhamma Projects' focus in exploring how meditators integrate their practice of Vipassana out of the centre and into the world of the householder, we would like to share a recent conversation exploring this subject in the three parts. If you missed the first part of the conversation you can find it here. Part …
I’m Engaged
If you've been reading this blog from the beginning, you may remember my mental struggles regarding returning to the dating scene after spending 7 months at Dhamma Patapa. The crux of the challenge was figuring out how to stay committed to my five precepts and 2 hour sitting practice while participating in the dating scene. …
Teamwork
Creating the space to sit 2 hours a day is a challenge. Part of this challenge arises because it's 2 hours I need to build into my schedule that few others in my life need to consider. As I've made a few friends who also meditate I've enjoyed sharing the responsibility of how to build …
Dream, Baby, Dream
So I went to a session for folks with farm dreams last weekend. It’s not that I want to be a farmer, per se, but I do want to grow beneficial, beautiful plants for the rest of my life. My path leads, unmistakably, back to the garden. The thought of a blueberry bush waiting to …
Communal Happiness
I always understood the pursuit of happiness to mean an individual freedom to pursue their individual dreams and successes. Recently I realized that our successes, as defined by society as I see it, depend on triumph over another. Our accomplishments are great because we achieved them while others could not. With the awareness provided to …
A New Adventure
I've completed my Masters in Biomechanics, so what's my next adventure? While I understand the practicality and long term benefits of developing my career, a strong voice inside needs me to continue serving and growing in Dhamma. This world has so much suffering, and Vipassana Meditation is the best way I've learned to alleviate some …
Conversation 2 , part 1
To assist Dhamma Projects' aim of discussing, celebrating and examining the integration of the practice and principles behind Vipassana out of the centre and into the world of the householder, we would like to share a recent conversation exploring this subject in the three parts: Part 1 Interviewer: How long have you been practising Vipassana? …
Living Vipassana 