Opening talk for a retreat that looks at how we may create artificial divisions between what seems 'sacred' and what seems 'worldly'; between 'retreat life' and 'everyday life', 'meditation' and work' and so seek transformation through only a small part of our lives. In opening to a profound wisdom that sees beyond such dualities, we can come to know an authentic freedom that is truly boundless.

A free and honest life includes the very real awareness of death. If we can find the courage to deliberately contemplate death, to keep it in mind, this can open our life in a profound way to a nobility, urgency, purposefulness and beauty. The heart grows in compassion and moves toward the Deathless.

This talk begins to explore some of the challenges and difficulties we can sometimes encounter with regard to love. It also examines some possible beliefs and attitudes we may hold around love and particularly romantic love in our lives.

The Realization of Awakening is absolutely central to the Buddha's Teaching, and yet it has come to have so many different meanings, or none at all. What is our relationship to the idea of Enlightenment or Awakening? How does that affect our life and practice? Can we explore the views, assumptions and emotions surrounding it? And is a radical Awakening possible for us?