This talk is the first in a series looking at the question, ‘How do the teachings of the Buddha help us to live in a time such as this?’

The Five Precepts are five trainings in ethical speech and conduct given by the Buddha. Frequently thinking and reflecting on them is a core practice for developing the Buddha’s Path.

In ‘The Discourse on the Elements,’ the Buddha teaches a practice for contemplating the body in the light of its composition. We are guided to reflect on the body as composed of earth, water, fire, wind and space.

In Buddhist circles the word ‘practice’ is often used referring solely to meditation practice. In a broader sense, however, practice is whatever we do to develop our minds and hearts so that they become less a source of suffering for ourselves and for others.

What does it mean to ‘practice’ in a time when (in the absence of efforts to the contrary) the tendency of human minds to act out of greed and delusion is rapidly dragging the planet towards catastrophic environmental destruction?

At the end of this month the Dharma Friends Community retreat, Developing Breath Meditation, will be held at Durham’s Avila Retreat Center. This post was initially written to assist the people who are coming to this retreat. It is offered here as a support for participation in retreats in general.

What makes a retreat? Well, there is a place designated for the purpose of holding the retreat. There are retreat teachers and retreat managers creating and supporting the structures that contain the retreat (e.g. a schedule, bells). There are retreat activities: meditation, dharma talks, meals…

It can be interesting to investigate the kinds of thoughts that usually occupy our minds when we first wake up in the mornings. Do we tend to jump out of bed as soon as our eyes open already running the day’s to-do list before our feet hit the ground? Do we linger on the edge of sleep reaching back to coax one more snooze from the night’s rest. What kinds of thoughts jump to center stage as waking consciousness emerges from sleep?

The term ‘mindfulness’ has become widely used in recent years. Generally, in current popular-culture, the word mindfulness is employed to mean ‘bringing full non-judgmental attention to an aspect of present-moment experience.’ This approach to the practice of mindfulness has been used to beneficial effects in many different areas of contemporary society.

In a talk given during a recent workshop at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, Chip Hartranft observed that many contemporary dharma teachers present a flattened version of what mindfulness is about. The right mindfulness of the Noble Eightfold Path as we find it in the early Buddhist texts has dimension, texture, complexity.

The practice of breath meditation is one of the core practices taught by the Buddha. It is a practice that develops in layers over time. This guided meditation introduces the first steps of the practice.

A headline in yesterday morning’s Sunday NY Times read, ‘A Nation in Turmoil Prepares to Deliver a Verdict on Trump.’ Tomorrow across the US, people will be voting, and as the headline indicates, many of us believe that a lot rides on this election.