A weekly podcast exploring early Buddhist teachings and how they apply to 21st century life. Kate Spina is trained to share Buddhist teachings in the Theravada lineage. IG: @towardlight108www.towardlight.netinfo@towardlight.netToward Light is committed to continuing the tradition of the Buddha by making Early Buddhist teachings accessible to all who are interested in them. We offer multiple tools to help people cultivate and maintain a meditation practice and a spiritually-oriented life. Toward Light was founded to fill a gap in Early Buddhist meditation offerings, which have often been passed down through patriarchal lineage, and do not always take feminist and 21st century perspectives into account.
This is the final episode of season 3. I explain the reasons behind that decision as well as share what I am continuing to offer. Questions? Please reach out: info@towardlight.net
In this episode I explore all the factors that can get in the way of us seeing the truths of anicca, dukkha, and anatta.
Letting go of our conditioning and getting in touch with our inner wisdom can at times be a painful process. In this episode I attempt to normalize that process so that, as it happens to you, you can continue to stay with the process.
Following up on the episode on honesty I explore how we can discover the presence and absence of clarity.
In this episode I attempt to illustrate the importance of honesty; both internally and externally.
Khanti, patience, is one of the 10 paramis, one of the qualities the Buddha is said to have perfected before his awakening.
This episode I explore the idea of energy drains, and why looking at this is so important on the Buddhist path.
The five spiritual faculties of faith, effort, mindfulness, collectedness and wisdom are the foundation of the spiritual path,. Here is an article from The Barre Center for Buddhist Studies if you want to learn more.
In this episode I look at the benefits of working with a Dharma teacher, how to find one, and when additional support is needed.
In this episode I offer a 12 minute guided mindfulness practice that I recommend you practice in a still posture, either sitting, standing, or lying down.
In this episode I explore what it means to be human, and how fighting with reality can create more suffering for us.
So many of our thoughts are automatic, habitual patterns, that often don't serve us, but we base our actions on them anyway. In this episode I look at common stories and what tools can serve us as we work with them.
In this episode I explore barriers to compassionate action and some guidelines to help us when we do take compassionate action.
Continuing the theme of compassion I share reflections on the importance of cultivating the felt sense of compassion for others.
A ten minute guided meditation, cultivating compassion for self
This episode I look at the bhramavihara of compassion, karuna, and how we can cultivate compassion toward ourselves and why that is important.
In this episode I explore how unrealistic expectations around Buddhism, both internally and externally, can create dukkha, and in some cases take us away from the path.
Finalizing the series on the Noble Eightfold Path with the eighth path factor of Wise Concentration.
Wise Mindfulness is the 7th path factor, and it's also a study to itself. Some resources if you're interested in exploring mindfulness: Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana. Satipatthana Meditation: A Practice Guide by Bhikkhu Analayo Mindfulness by Joseph Goldstein. Some talks: Perspective of Right Mindfulness by Andrea Fella What Do We Really Mean By Mindfulness by Jenny Wilks
In our meditation practice we cultivate a balanced effort, and prevent unwholseome mind states from arising, abandon them when they do arise. We cultivate wholesome mind states and sustain them.
The fourth factor on the Noble Eightfold Path is Wise Action. How does our Wise View and Wise Intention affect how we act in the world?
In the third path factor of wise speech we are asked to refrain from speech that is false, harsh, divisive, gossipy or idle and to cultivate speech that is honest, kind, timely and useful.
What underlies our thoughts words and deeds? And how can we make sure those intentions are wholesome?
The first path factor on the noble eightfold path is wise view. What understanding do we see the world through? How does understanding the truth of kamma help us on the path to freedom?
This episode includes 2 guided practices with the intention of helping to remember and retain the noble eightfold path factors.
The third noble truth is the truth of freedom. But what are we free from? And what does that open up for us?
Dependent origination is a map that helps us see the cycle of craving more clearly. You can read more about it here, and I share from Turning the Wheel of Truth by Ajahn Sucitto. The 12 links of dependent origination are: Ignorance avijjā, Mental activities sankhāras, Consciousness viññāna, Name and Form nāma-rūpa, 6 senses salāyatana, Contact phassa, Feeling Tone vedanā, Thirst tanhā, Clinging upādāna, Becoming bhava, Birth jāti, Aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair dukkha
Self-criticism, comparison, and judgement arise regularly. In this episode I look at why, and how we can work with them. I mention Internal Family Systems and this podcast with the founder of IFS.
When we don't see things as they are, when we don't recognize what's actually happening, we can cause ourselves extra dukkha (difficulty). So how does acceptance help? And how can we see this resistance in our lives?
The Buddha said spiritual friendship is the whole of the holy life. In this episode I look at what spiritual friendship is by sharing about the spiritual friendship I had with my friend Mollie. I share an excerpt from this poem by Maya Stein, and share stories from 2 suttas: SN 45.2 and MN 32.
In this episode I look at joy (pitti) and ways we can help ourselves be available to joy as it arises. I read the poem So Much Happiness by Naomi Shihab Nye (This is the last episode of season 2. Season 3 begins in May 2022)
In this episode I explore the relationships between faith, truth, and power, and some steps the Buddha suggested in MN95 to help us see if we are cultivating groundless faith or verified faith.
In this episode I continue the theme from last episode of living in an era where we have access to global information. I specifically look at how to bring mindfulness to our use of devices (screen time) and news consumption.
In this global era we are exposed to so many different spiritual traditions. How do we decide what's right for us? I quote from Bhikkhu Bodhi's book The Noble Eightfold Path
This episode I look at different ways the teachings point toward universality. While we don't ignore difference, we also don't use difference to separate or segregate ourselves and others. We see the links between all conditioned phenomenon.
I share details of a retreat I recently completed, ways to structure your own retreat, and 3 insights I received on this retreat. I reference this article by Chris McKenna to help structure an at home mini-retreat.
The five hindrances, greed, aversion, sloth/torpor, restlessness/worry, and doubt, can be understood through the use of similes that are present in the teachings of the Buddha. There are also some antidotes to the hinderances, and I discuss how to implement them.
Why are the Buddha's teachings rooted in moderation? How can we extrapolate those lessons into our lives?
We can often be harsh or critical in our minds. This episode I explore how we can use the path factor of wise Speech to address our internal talk.
In this episode I begin a series of talks on renunciation. For this episode I am specifically looking at the behavior of multi-tasking, why it is a problem and how we can address it.
In this episode I clarify what is insight, what is it's opposite, and how we can cultivate it consistently.
How do you know when you're experiencing insight? Can you hear your inner wisdom? When does conditioning get in the way? How can you tell the difference? How can you cultivate connection with your inner knowing?
Reflecting on the eight worldly winds, seeing them in our lives, can help us to deepen our understanding of dukkha, annica, and upekkha.
Dhamma vichaya, investigation, is one of the factors of awakening, and I explore how using koans can help us deepen our inquiry into our present moment experience.
In this episode I discuss the path factor of Wise Action; exploring how, when we are doing the self-work discussed in episode 29, it naturally leads to skillful action in the world.
In this episode I explore how knowing our strengths, our challenges, and our authentic interests can help move us closer to freedom.
In this episode I discuss the importance of practicing kindness and compassion for ourselves and guide a 9 minute meditation practice.
In this episode I share how we can use the refrain from the Satipatthana Sutta to help us bring mindfulness into our days. I share a translation from Bhikkhu Analayo as well as several ways to practice with this key Buddhist teaching.
I used the sense door of hearing a lot on my recent retreat so in this episode I share ways to use sound in our mindfulness practice. I also explore ways that we can use mindfulness of hearing to develop mindfulness in other areas of our lives.
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