In "real life" we often experience challenging circumstances which arouse hindrances. This talk explores the use of intentional reflection on specific dharma perspectives which may support grounding and wisdom.

We live in times when fear, greed and anxiety provoke our hearts & minds daily. Often, we relate to these triggers in ways that only amplify agitation and conflict in and around us. The Buddha’s teachings and practices help us uncover the stabilizing, tenderizing, and liberating force of wisdom and awareness. Wisdom and awareness is the necessary antidote for troubled hearts in troubled times.

We are living through a profound pivot point. The old myths of our civilization–endless growth, rugged individualism, and “us first” hierarchies are crumbling. In their place, fear, division, and the architecture of fascism are rapidly rising. As the Jungian analyst Edward Edinger warned, when a central myth breaks down, meaning drains away, and primitive forces rush in. The Buddha also lived in a world burning with greed, hatred, and delusion. He challenged the systems of his time, endured attempts on his life, negotiated peace between warring factions, and even stood before armies bent on destruction. In the Sakka-pañha Sutta, when asked why beings who wish for peace end up in rivalry and violence, he pointed to the root: the mind entangled in papañca, the web of proliferating stories that harden separation. How then do we understand this immense historic moment? We can take courage from the Buddha. He didn’t always succeed. Even with his wisdom and compassion, he could not prevent the destruction of his own people. Yet he still stood before armies, still spoke truth, and still acted with courage. Even when outcomes are uncertain, we too are called, at this time, to step forward with clarity, compassion, and steadfastness. Together we will explore how to bring the medicine of the Dharma into this moment of profound challenge, not as escape, but as a path of right action, refuge, and renewal.

When external conditions begin to fluctuate and spin at a fast pace, we need to know how to ground and stabilize ourselves internally. This is what the four foundations of mindfulness are pointing towards. Knowing how to establish mindfulness is an empowerment. It creates agency in oneself and allows us to move through challenging situations with strength and integrity.

In the Honeyball Sutta (MN 18), it says, "What one perceives, that one thinks about. What one thinks about, that one mentally proliferates (or complicates)." And this mental proliferation often leads to "evil unwholesome states" which can cause harm and suffering. When we bring mindfulness to the subtle realm of perception, we start to see more clearly without adding anything extra. This is where equanimity comes in, allowing us to meet life with fewer preferences and with greater mental balance.