Podcast appearances and mentions of forest refuge

(Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge) This talk was offered during a month-long teaching period at the Forest Refuge. Its themes are the role, wise intention, and wise attention play in doing meditation practice and purifying the heart/mind

(Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge) This talk was offered during a month-long teaching period at the Forest Refuge. The theme is how training mindfulness and concentration fit into the teachings of the 4 Noble truths and the eightfold path.

(Common Ground Meditation Center) Mindfulness meditation leads to insight into the nature of our hearts and minds, revealing an inherent clarity, openness, and ease. This course includes exploration of the intention behind practice, an introduction to insight (vipassana) meditation techniques, instructions for working with common obstacles, an overview of the practice of lovingkindness, and a discussion on how mindfulness can be part of one's daily life. Led by Mark Nunberg. Mark Nunberg began his practice in 1982 and has been teaching meditation since 1990. He co-founded Common Ground Meditation Center in Minneapolis in 1993 with Wynn Fricke and continues to serve as the center's Guiding Teacher. Mark has studied with both Asian and Western teachers and finds deep inspiration in the teachings of the Buddha. Mark practiced as a monk for five months in Burma and completed four three-month retreats at Insight Meditation Society Retreat Center, as well as many months of intensive retreat practice at The Forest Refuge. Mark continues to be a grateful student of Buddhist practice. Common Ground offers all programs freely in the spirit of generosity. If you'd like to volunteer or donate to support the teacher(s) and the center, visit https://commongroundmeditation.org/about/supporting-the-center/.

(Common Ground Meditation Center) Mindfulness meditation leads to insight into the nature of our hearts and minds, revealing an inherent clarity, openness, and ease. This course includes exploration of the intention behind practice, an introduction to insight (vipassana) meditation techniques, instructions for working with common obstacles, an overview of the practice of lovingkindness, and a discussion on how mindfulness can be part of one's daily life. Led by Mark Nunberg. Mark Nunberg began his practice in 1982 and has been teaching meditation since 1990. He co-founded Common Ground Meditation Center in Minneapolis in 1993 with Wynn Fricke and continues to serve as the center's Guiding Teacher. Mark has studied with both Asian and Western teachers and finds deep inspiration in the teachings of the Buddha. Mark practiced as a monk for five months in Burma and completed four three-month retreats at Insight Meditation Society Retreat Center, as well as many months of intensive retreat practice at The Forest Refuge. Mark continues to be a grateful student of Buddhist practice. Common Ground offers all programs freely in the spirit of generosity. If you'd like to volunteer or donate to support the teacher(s) and the center, visit https://commongroundmeditation.org/about/supporting-the-center/.

This talk is fresh from my return from a ten-day silent unstructured retreat at the Forest Refuge in central Massachussets in 2014. We'll explore some specific practices I found helpful for developing concentration as well as how to look deeply into the the Three Characteristics of Reality. Along with techniques for arriving, we'll talk about strategies for riding the ever-changing waves and fluctuations of sensations, feelings, moods and mind states.

(Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge) Closing session for the month of April online teachings at the Forest Refuge, with Caroline Jones.

(Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge) Closing session for the month of April online teachings at the Forest Refuge, with Caroline Jones.

On today’s episode of the Healthy Wealthy and Smart Podcast, Sharon Salzberg joins me to discuss her new book Real Love which will be released on June 6th, 2017! In her tenth book, Sharon Salzberg provides a pathway towards more sustainable and authentic connection by offering a creative toolkit of mindfulness exercises and meditation techniques that guide us to strip away our layers of habit to access a truer understanding of love, “real love.” This journey enables us to become more present and to begin to experience real love—love based on direct interactions, rather than preconceptions. When we are truly engaged in these present experiences we are not only able to feel more connected to our own core selves, but also to those around us, and ultimately to life itself. Divided into three sections, Real Love explores love in three arenas of life: for oneself, love for an other, and love for all of life. In this episode, we discuss: -An introduction to Loving Kindness Meditation -Practical strategies to incorporate meditation into a busy schedule -Is self compassion through meditation considered laziness? -What Sharon hopes readers will learn from Real Love and viewing love as an ability not a feeling -And so much more!   Sharon believes that our human brain, “can tend to fixate on what’s wrong and not appreciate what’s right and what’s good.” Loving Kindness Meditation understands our bias to focus on the negative and balances it with positive reflection for a holistic view of ourselves.   Incorporating meditation into a busy schedule can be as simple as being more present in everyday activities. Sharon stresses that, “Just short moments that break the crazy momentum that we get lost in, they make a difference too.”   According to Sharon, meditation is not a process of resetting our inner thoughts but rather enhancing them. “Our goal is not to wipe out thoughts, our goal is to develop a different relationship to our thoughts… The kind of awareness we are cultivating is balanced, it’s clear, it’s present, it’s loving.”   Sharon shares that the ultimate effect of meditation is revealed through a constant practice. By mastering the skill, “We learn to let go and begin again. When we do that over and over and over again, what happens is that our attention starts to get stabilized.”   For more information on Sharon: Born in New York City in 1952, Sharon Salzberg experienced a childhood involving considerable loss and turmoil. An early realization of the power of meditation to overcome personal suffering determined her life direction. Her teaching and writing now communicates that power to a worldwide audience of practitioners. She offers non-sectarian retreat and study opportunities for participants from widely diverse backgrounds. Sharon first encountered Buddhism in 1969, in an Asian philosophy course at the State University of New York, Buffalo. The course sparked an interest that, in 1970, took her to India, for an independent study program. Sharon traveled motivated by “an intuition that the methods of meditation would bring me some clarity and peace.” In 1971, in Bodh Gaya, India, Sharon attended her first intensive meditation course. She spent the next years engaged in intensive study with highly respected meditation teachers. She returned to America in 1974 and began teaching vipassana (insight) meditation. In 1976, she established, together with Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield, the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, Massachusetts, which now ranks as one of the most prominent and active meditation centers in the Western world. Sharon and Joseph Goldstein expanded their vision in 1989 by co-founding the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies (BCBS). In 1998, they initiated the Forest Refuge, a long-term retreat center secluded in a wooded area on IMS property. Today she teaches a variety of offerings around the globe. Sharon resides in Barre, Massachusetts, and New York City. She served as a panelist with the Dalai Lama and leading scientists at the 2005 Mind and Life Investigating the Mind Conference in Washington, DC. She also coordinated the meditation faculty for the 2005 Mind and Life Summer Institute, an intensive five-day meeting to advance research on the intersection of meditation and the cognitive and behavioral sciences.  At the 2005 Sacred Circles Conference at the Washington National Cathedral, Sharon served as a keynote speaker. She has addressed audiences at the State of the World Forum, the Peacemakers Conference (sharing a plenary panel with Nobel Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Jose Ramos Horta) and has delivered keynotes at Tricycle’s Buddhism in America Conference, as well as Yoga Journal, Kripalu and Omega conferences. She was selected to attend the Gethsemani encounter, a dialogue on spiritual life between Buddhist and Christian leaders that included His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The written word is central to Sharon Salzberg’s teaching and studies. She is the author of nine books including Lovingkindness, the NY Times best seller Real Happiness, and Real Happiness at Work. In her early Buddhist studies at the University of Buffalo, she discovered Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s book, Meditation in Action. She later heard him speak at a nearby school:  he was the first practicing Buddhist she encountered. While studying in India, Shunryu Suzuki’s book Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind profoundly influenced the direction of her meditation practice. She is a weekly columnist for On Being, a regular contributor the the Huffington Post, and was a contributing editor of Oprah’s O Magazine for several years. She has appeared in Time Magazine, Yoga Journal, msnbc.com, Tricycle, Real Simple, Body & Soul, Mirabella, Good Housekeeping, Self, Buddhadharma, More and Shambhala Sun, as well as on a variety of radio programs. Various anthologies on spirituality have featured Sharon Salzberg and her work, including Meetings with Remarkable Women, Gifts of the Spirit, A Complete Guide to Buddhist America, Handbook of the Heart, The Best Guide to Meditation, From the Ashes—A Spiritual Response to the Attack on America, and How to Stop the Next War Now: Effective Responses to Violence and Terrorism.   Resources discussed on this show: Sharon Salzberg Website Real Love Book Sharon Salzberg Twitter   Thanks for listening and subscribing to the podcast! Make sure to connect with me on twitter, instagram and facebook to stay updated on all of the latest! Show your support for the show by leaving a rating and review on iTunes!   Have a great week and stay Healthy Wealthy and Smart!   Xo Karen   P.S. Do you want to be a stand out podcast guest? Make sure to grab the tools from the FREE eBook on the home page! Check out my blog post on the Top 10 Podcast Episodes of 2016!  

Big Question: How can I nurture my creative gifts?   Sharon Salzberg has taught meditation for more than 30 years. She's the cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society, the Forest Refuge, and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. Her work is based on the practices of mindfulness and Metta—lovingkindness—to cultivate love and compassion for ourselves and others. It all sounds wonderful, right? There's this small problem: enemies. Jesus said, “Love your enemies.” But how? How do we break through our anger, hatred, and fear and touch that true Metta place? And if we did, if we actually loved our enemies … what would happen?  

Sam and Joseph discuss the practice of meditation and answer questions that came from listeners in response to their first conversation, The Path and the Goal. Joseph Goldstein has been leading meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. He is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society, the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, and the Forest Refuge. Since 1967, he has practiced different forms of Buddhist meditation under eminent teachers from India, Burma, and Tibet. His books include The Experience of Insight, A Heart Full of Peace, One Dharma, and Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening. For those interested in practicing mindfulness, Joseph and Dan Harris have developed a short meditation course as an app, 10% Happier: Meditation for Skeptics. You can begin the course for free, and if you choose to purchase the full course, you will receive a 20 percent discount by using the code: WAKINGUP (all caps required).

Joseph Goldstein–one of the primary figures in the development of the Insight Meditation movement–joins us today to discuss the unique benefits of long-term practice. He touches in on the need the train the mind, and hence the need for long periods of dedicated training. He also shares some of the background and vision behind the long-term retreat facility that he helped start called the Forest Refuge–a place where people can come and do long, self-guided retreat practice. Finally, we touch in on the future of the insight meditation tradition, and really the development of Western Buddhism in general. This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, Joseph Goldstein on the Science of Insight. Episode Links: The Forest Refuge ( http://www.dharma.org/meditation-retreats/forest-refuge ) One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism ( http://bit.ly/kELk5 ) Insight Meditation Society ( http://www.dharma.og )

In the 2nd part of our conversation with Sharon Salzberg, Gwen Bell speaks to her about a number of fascinating subjects. They begin with Sharon’s experience writing for secular publications, such as Oprah’s O Magazine and her experience writing her most recent book, Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience. They also discuss some periods of Sharon’s practice where she was confronting the “banality of her own mind” and a large amount of suffering and despair. The conversation ends with Sharon’s account of the early days of the Insight Meditation Society. She also touches on how the organization has evolved over time, from it’s early disorganized beginning to it’s current condition as a well established center. She also discusses in detail what it’s like to do a retreat at the Retreat Center and at the newer long-term retreat facility, the Forest Refuge. This is part 2 of a three-part series. Listen to Part 1: Sharon Salzberg on Now and Then & Part 3: Bodh Gaya is “The City." Episode Links: Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience ( http://bit.ly/a9qSHL ) Insight Meditation Society ( www.dharma.org )

Joseph Goldstein has been leading meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. He is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society, the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, and the Forest Refuge. Since 1967, he has practiced different forms of Buddhist meditation under eminent teachers from India, Burma, and Tibet. His books include The Experience of Insight, A Heart Full of Peace, One Dharma, and Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening. For more information about Joseph, please visit www.dharma.org. Joseph has been a close friend for more than 20 years. He was one of my first meditation teachers and remains one of the wisest people I have ever met. In this two-hour conversation, we discuss how he came to devote his life to the study of meditation. We also debate some of the finer points of the practice. Although parts of this discussion are accessible, much of it is quite esoteric. I suspect that only experienced meditators will find the second half interesting, or even intelligible. My latest book, Waking Up, provides some necessary context, but there is no substitute for time spent engaging these practices on retreat.—SH

Tami Simon speaks with Joseph Goldstein, the cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society, the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, and the Forest Refuge. Joseph has been teaching insight and lovingkindness meditation since 1974, and with Sounds True he has published many programs, including the new book Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening. In part two of a two-part interview, Tami speaks with Joseph about the Satipatthana Sutta's wisdom on mindfulness beyond the body—mindfulness of feeling, of mind, and of dharma. Joseph also investigated what it means to be mindful of the Buddha's Four Noble Truths, and how we can bring an engaged heart to our practice. (53 minutes)

Tami Simon speaks with Joseph Goldstein, the cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society, the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, and the Forest Refuge. Joseph has been teaching insight and lovingkindness meditation since 1974, and with Sounds True he has published many programs, including the landmark audio series Abiding in Mindfulness and the new book Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening. In part one of a two-part inerview, Tami speaks with Joseph about his understanding of mindfulness that goes beyond our experience in the present moment, how the embodied realization of impermanence relates to mindfulness, and the Satipatthana Sutta—the central Buddhist teaching on mindfulness. (68 minutes)

Ven. Anuradha learns that if you can't even locate the Tathagata in space when he's sitting right in front of you, how can you ever hope to answer questions about his fate after death?Listen to this sutta read by Joseph Goldstein (4'54" 1.7 MB)Recorded by jtb on 18 Feb 2006 at the Forest Refuge, Barre, Massachusetts, USA. Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. From »The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya, Bhikkhu Bodhi, trans. (Somerville: »Wisdom Publications, 2000). Text is copyright © 2000 Wisdom Publications. Courtesy of, and with permission from, Wisdom Publications, 199 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144 USA, »www.wisdompubs.org.

Taken together, this series of parallel suttas offers one of the most evocative descriptions of Nibbana to be found in the entire Canon.Listen to this sutta read by Joseph Goldstein (03'05" 1.1 MB)Recorded by jtb on 18 Feb 2006 at the Forest Refuge, Barre, Massachusetts, USA. Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. From »In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon, Bhikkhu Bodhi, trans. and ed. (Somerville: »Wisdom Publications, 2005). Text is copyright © 2000 Bhikkhu Bodhi. Courtesy of, and with permission from, Wisdom Publications, 199 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144 USA, »www.wisdompubs.org.

You can wish for Awakening all you want; but the only way to bring it about is by making the necessary effort.Listen to this sutta read by Joseph Goldstein (5'24" 1.8 MB)Recorded by jtb on 18 Feb 2006 at the Forest Refuge, Barre, Massachusetts, USA. Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. From »The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya, Bhikkhu Bodhi, trans. (Somerville: »Wisdom Publications, 2000). Text is copyright © 2000 Wisdom Publications. Courtesy of, and with permission from, Wisdom Publications, 199 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144 USA, »www.wisdompubs.org.

In this famous sutta the Buddha corrects Ven. Ananda, pointing out that having "admirable" friends, companions, and comrades is not half but the whole of the spiritual life. (For more about this special kind of friendship, see »Kalyanamittata.)Listen to this sutta read by Joseph Goldstein (02'25" 0.8 MB)Recorded by jtb on 18 Feb 2006 at the Forest Refuge, Barre, Massachusetts, USA. Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. From »In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon, Bhikkhu Bodhi, trans. and ed. (Somerville: »Wisdom Publications, 2005). Text is copyright © 2000 Bhikkhu Bodhi. Courtesy of, and with permission from, Wisdom Publications, 199 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144 USA, »www.wisdompubs.org.

The Buddha compares the knowledge he gained in his Awakening to all the leaves in the forest, and his teachings to a mere handful of leaves. He then explains why he didn't reveal the remainder.Listen to this sutta read by Sarah Doering (02'36" 0.9 MB)Recorded by jtb on 21 Oct 2005 The Forest Refuge, Barre, Massachusetts, USA. Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. From »The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya, Bhikkhu Bodhi, trans. (Somerville: »Wisdom Publications, 2000). Text is copyright © 2000 Bhikkhu Bodhi. Courtesy of, and with permission from, Wisdom Publications, 199 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144 USA, »www.wisdompubs.org.

The ascetic Bahiya receives a brief teaching from the Buddha about dispassion towards the senses ("In the seen will be merely what is seen...") and immediately becomes an arahant.Listen to this sutta read by Sarah Doering (08'39" 2.9 MB)Recorded by jtb on 21 Oct 2005 at the Forest Refuge, Barre, Massachusetts, USA. Translated from the Pali by John D. Ireland. From The Udana and the Itivuttaka: Two Classics from the Pali Canon (Kandy: »Buddhist Publication Society, 1997). Text is copyright © 2005 »Buddhist Publication Society. Courtesy of, and with permission from, Buddhist Publication Society, P.O. Box 61, No. 54 Sangharaja Mawatha, Kandy, Sri Lanka, »www.bps.lk.