Laura Bridgman began her Dhamma practice in her early teens, and eventually ordained as a nun with Ajahn Sumedho in 1995. She was resident at Amaravati and Chithurst monasteries for eighteen years until moving out to live as a solitary nun in 2010. She has spent extended periods of time with the Burmese teacher Sayadaw U Tejaniya. In 2015 Laura left the monastic tradition to pursue the Diamond Heart (Ridhwan) spiritual path alongside her Vipassana practice. There is much over-lap as it incorporates Buddhist principles and practices.
Questions are précised and some are read later into the file to protect participants’ anonymity. 00:00 Q1 How wide can the space of embracing you spoke of be for people (like prisoners for example) who may not have the present capacity for insight and who seem not ready to face trauma. Perhaps they will never be ready. O1:44 Q2 When and how in meditation and life, should we put boundaries around unhelpful things without a pushing away quality? 06:10 Q3 Could you say more about the relationship between the composed part and the part that’s in disaray as more important than either of the two. 8:52 Q4 Could we hear more about jealousy please and the associated difficult shame reactions. 16:09 Q5 Does any kind of volition disrupt bodily alignment or subtle bodily energies, or can the well instructed person conceive or even act without resultant misalignment?
We deepen our relationship with the Indriya’s qualities in our body, revealing our normal worldly patterns and finding our center. An experience of jealousy is described as an example.
Questions are précised and some are read later into the file to protect participants’ anonymity. 00:00 Q1 Please say more about sankara and their physiological / psychosomatic body links; 18:06 Q2 I have a question about tears borne from love and grieving. How does this fit with equanimity?
The mind is a delicate and responsive instrument. Balancing faith and effort, sati uses gentleness and patience and we learn what is peaceful and natural.
Questions are précised and some are read later into the file to protect participants’ anonymity. 00:00 Your explanation of sati as putting a ring around proliferation makes sense to me. How best to do the ring-fencing? 12:46 Q2 Does the Buddha say what the purpose of human life is? 17:39 Q3 What happens when you die? 22:37 Q4 Could you speak more about citta resting in itself. 27:24 Q5 Am I trying to do too much when holding a sense of ground and releasing boundaries for myself? 30:20 Q6 Boundaries in relationships when caring for elderly parents.
Composure is an inner experience of what's arising, not dependent on our normal preferences and reactions. Sometimes called vipassana we’re aware subtle or strong currents, noticing and not reacting.
Understanding and engaging with energies we bring into a retreat can help us to be aware of and shed reactions to them. This transition is an important learning opportunity.
