What are the roles of mindfulness - sati - on our path? The talk describes five central functions of mindfulness on the basis of the similes that the Buddha used in the Pali canon. It also touches on the development of sati.

Vedana - the feeling tone of every experience - has a huge influence on our choices and behaviours and plays a crucial role in the creation and perpetuating of suffering. For this reason it needs to be recognized and understood. Based on the Salla-Sutta, the sutta about the dart, the talk explores how the mind gets caught in reactivity and thus adds further layers of suffering. It is through the understanding of the impermanent and conditioned nature of Vedana that the mind attains liberation from these reactive patterns and finds equanimity with regard to all Vedana.

Compassion is a central quality of the heartmind that enables us to meet and to respond to suffering in a skilful way . It is both the ability to deeply resonate with suffering and the motivation to alleviate it - in ourselves and in other beings. Compassion frees the mind from unwholesome mindstates, opens the heart to the interconnectedness with all beings and in this way also supports the unfolding of wisdom.