Begining with the body, offering compassion to all aspects, including mind and emotions.

The movement of compassion between the personal and universal helps us when our hearts are closed and when overwhelmed.

Short Reflection & Guided Meditation including an Earth prayer by Stephanie Kaza | Earthworm Practice for the Anthropocene II | Online Wednesday-Mornings.

This talks focuses on one of the three areas of practice discussed a week before, on developing samadhi (or concentration), the theme of Donald's four weeks of practice in March. We begin by more generally discussing the nature of samadhi, including short account of the etymology in Pali, and the Tibetan sense of samadhi as "staying," as developing in the nine stages of the "Elephant Path." We look at the place and importance of developing samadhi in our practice and its relationship to insight practice; developing samadhi is one of the eight factors of the Noble Eightfold Path and appears in many of the Buddha's core teachings. We discuss some ways to practice developing samadhi, and then focus especially on several challenges of such practice and how to work with such challenges. The talk is followed by discussion, including further exploration of the relationship of cultivating samadhi and insight practice, the nature of skillful effort, and the joy that can arise in the development of samadhi.

This guided meditation gives more detail on developing samadhi than the guided meditation from a week ago. First, after a brief overview of the nature of samadhi (usually translated as "concentration"), instructions are given for a practice session developing samadhi, including on posture, gaze, possible objects of focus, and skillful effort. Midway through the session, some further guidance is given on "intensifying," which helps both to deepen samadhi and to cut through background thinking as well as foreground thinking.

The sukha of tranquility supports the mind in happiness and contentment, decreasing the mind's movement away from this moment, and thereby supporting the gathering of samadhi. The 5 jhanic factors also support the decrease in the hindrances and the deepening of samadhi. The pitfall of clinging to samadhi and also the role of samadhi in cultivating insight close the talk.

Bodhicitta—the mind of awakening—is the aspiration to attain awakening for the benefit of all. Seeing our practice in this light can be a source of inspiration and counteract the tendency to self-centeredness. The talk discusses the historical development of the concept and explains what it means.