In case you missed the talk and discussion with us, you can find Jack’s talk here :

He also referred to the work of Stephen Pinker -Harvard anthropologist and philosopher. He wrote the book, The Better Angels of Our Nature: Students were interested in his work so I am posting it here.

In it he shows Why Violence Has Declined, 

-Fern

The post Peace is Possible – in an increasingly enlightened world first appeared on Whole Hearted Way.

― Thomas Moore, Christian Mystic, Care of the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life

What we are practicing together is also the laws of nature, that if we plant seeds of greed, and hatred, and ignorance, then what grows is a society that suffers. If we plant and nourish seeds of wisdom and clarity or truth-telling, of compassion and love instead of hatred- then we have a whole different society based on our interconnection and our care for one another.

READY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE? – Join me at Red Berry Cafe 145 Main St Los Altos, CA 94022

Sunday June 5th at 12:30pm for an in person meeting.

DharmaVote is a community of mindfulness practitioners dedicated to social political engagement. This is NOT about taking sides but getting all of our voices heard.

As individuals brought together through meditation and the 2020 election cycle, we are dedicated to integrating our personal spiritual paths with a larger awareness of greater collective equity and social change.

We strive to maintain a space that supports a diverse community, honors all voices, and embeds civic engagement and liberation into shared meditation practice that ultimately guides us toward skillful collective action.

The post Dharma Vote Gathering first appeared on Whole Hearted Way.

A translator will be available host this discussion and a guided meditation will follow.

Every morning at 8am Pacific time. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83817903514

The post Discussion & Meditation with the People of Ukraine first appeared on Whole Hearted Way.

Currently there are group online tonglen sessions every day for people who are suffering from the war.

I am providing an audio of a guided compassionate breathing meditation here for you to practice with on your own or with your group of friends or family.

May all beings be free from suffering,

Fern

The post Tonglen- (compassionate sending and taking) for the people of Ukraine & Russia first appeared on Whole Hearted Way.

It was so wonderful for all of us to join the Upaya Sangha to hear Sharon Salzberg give a talk and lead us into a meditation practice of loving kindness. We have studied her book and now to see her in person online was very special. I have been guiding students in this wonderful practice since it is needed in the world today. We need kindness to ourselves and to ours in order for all of us to survive this pandemic, and extend lovingkindness to the people suffering from war.

The simple phrases

May I be safe

May I be happy

May I be healthy

May I live with ease

are easy to remember and soothing to our souls when we are filled with doubt, sadness, and anxiety.

It is also an on the spot practice to do for others when we bear witness to the suffering of the world -the grief, the illnesses, the violence, the divisiveness, etc.

May you be safe

May you be happy

May you be healthy

May you live with ease.

It is such a simple way to wish someone well.

It may sound corny but we have the neuroscience to back up the effectiveness of Lovingkindness:

A scientifically controlled study conducted by German researchers at the University of Kassel has shown that while the chest area of an average person emits only 20 photons of light per second, someone who meditates on their heart center and sends love and light to others emits an amazing 100,000 photons per second. That is 5000 times more than the average human being. Numerous studies have also shown that when these photons are infused with a loving and healing intent, their frequency and vibration increases to the point where they can literally change matter, heal disease, and transform negative events.
Ten minutes of meditation on compassion, on kindness for others, and you will see its effects all day. That’s the way to maintain a calm and joyous mind.”
From The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World” by Dalai Lama

As quanta of light, photons are the smallest possible packets of electromagnetic energy. … “Photons are everywhere in particle physics, so you almost forget about them.” The photon has fueled centuries of discovery, and it remains an important tool today.

The post Lovingkindness (Metta, Maitri) phrases can heal us first appeared on Whole Hearted Way.

In his book, At Home in the World, published in 2016, Nhat Hanh addressed the idea of his death, writing:

“Even when the cloud is not there, it continues as snow or rain. It is impossible for the cloud to die. It can become rain or ice, but it cannot become nothing. The cloud does not need to have a soul in order to continue. There’s no beginning and no end. I will never die. There will be a dissolution of this body, but that does not mean my death.”“I will continue, always.”

Sitting/Resting and Not Worrying

One of my favorite quotes by him:

“When the crowded Vietnamese refugee boats met with storms or pirates, if everyone panicked all would be lost. But if even one person on the boat stayed calm and centered it was enough. It shows a way for everyone to survive. “
In a magnificent way, Thich Nhat Hanh became that steady and wise one, showing the way for us all, crossing the seas of this world.

This also is a beautiful essay on the loss of his Mother and the realization that his mother is always with him:

“The day my mother died I wrote in my journal, ‘A serious misfortune of my life has arrived.’ I suffered for more than one year after the passing away of my mother. But one night, in the highlands of Vietnam, I was sleeping in the hut in my hermitage. I dreamed of my mother. I saw myself sitting with her, and we were having a wonderful talk. She looked young and beautiful, her hair flowing down. It was so pleasant to sit there and talk to her as if she had never died. When I woke up it was about two in the morning, and I felt very strongly that I had never lost my mother. The impression that my mother was still with me was very clear. I understood then that the idea of having lost my mother was just an idea. It was obvious in that moment that my mother is always alive in me.
I opened the door and went outside. The entire hillside was bathed in moonlight. It was a hill covered with tea plants, and my hut was set behind the temple halfway up. Walking slowly in the moonlight through the rows of tea plants, I noticed my mother was still with me. She was the moonlight caressing me as she had done so often, very tender, very sweet… wonderful! Each time my feet touched the earth I knew my mother was there with me. I knew this body was not mine but a living continuation of my mother and my father and my grandparents and great-grandparents. Of all my ancestors. Those feet that I saw as “my” feet were actually “our” feet. Together my mother and I were leaving footprints in the damp soil.
From that moment on, the idea that I had lost my mother no longer existed. All I had to do was look at the palm of my hand, feel the breeze on my face or the earth under my feet to remember that my mother is always with me, available at any time.”
Thich Nhat Hanh

The post Meet Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh who left his body January 22nd 2022 first appeared on Whole Hearted Way.

Adapted from Visions Inc., “Guidelines for Productive Work Sessions”

TRY IT ON: Be willing to “try on” new ideas, or ways of doing things 
 that might not be what you prefer or are familiar with.

PRACTICE SELF FOCUS: Attend to and speak about your own experiences 
 and responses. Do not speak for a whole group or express assumptions 
 about the experience of others.

UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INTENT AND IMPACT: 


Try to understand and acknowledge impact. Denying the impact of something said 
 by focusing on intent is often more destructive than the initial interaction.

PRACTICE “BOTH / AND”: When speaking, substitute “and” for “but.” 
 This practice acknowledges and honors multiple realities.

REFRAIN FROM BLAMING OR SHAMING SELF & OTHERS: 
 Practice giving skillful feedback.

MOVE UP / MOVE BACK: Encourage full participation by all present. 
 Take note of who is speaking and who is not. If you tend to speak often, 
 consider “moving back” and vice versa.

PRACTICE MINDFUL LISTENING: Try to avoid planning what you’ll say 
 as you listen to others. Be willing to be surprised, to learn something new. 
 Listen with your whole self.

CONFIDENTIALITY: Take home learnings but don’t identify anyone 
 other than yourself, now or later. If you want to follow up with anyone regarding something they said in this session, ask first and respect their wishes.

RIGHT TO PASS: You can say “I pass” if you don’t wish to speak.

www.eastbaymeditation.org

www.visions-inc.org

The post Agreements for Multicultural Interactions first appeared on Whole Hearted Way.

Please join with this link:DharmaVote honors Dr. MLK, Jr. | 4:30-5pm ET Meditation | 1/16/22
For other events and resources for the upcoming weekend from our community membership please check in our Slack space on the #general channel or follow these links:

• DharmaVoteSlack
• https://mlkholidaydc.org/
• https://www.mlksaratoga.org/

Looking forward to celebrating community this Sunday.
The Dharma Vote Leadership Team

‘Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive.’                                                                      

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The post Dharma Vote -please join us for a moment of collective practice to affirm peace and good will first appeared on Whole Hearted Way.

Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche writes that the particular suffering of humans is characterized as “busyness.” We humans are adept at enveloping ourselves in a web of distraction, going out of our way to fill our free time with more to-dos. We are fighting to fill space.

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche described one of the primary human anxieties as a “fear of space.” Activity gives us a point of reference – something to do, somewhere to be. We get uncomfortable in the empty slots in our schedules. Alone at a restaurant table, we check Facebook, write a text, or read an article. The line between activity and distraction becomes blurred. When I read the news, am I educating myself about the world, or distracting myself from the looming question, “What am I doing with my life?” When I do the dishes, am I cleaning up, or avoiding a tough conversation with my husband?

Our busyness keeps us from facing impermanence and uncertainty — the basic truths of our existence. I do; therefore, I am. I’m busy; therefore, I exist.All things are passing. When we rest in the present moment, we’re faced with this directly. This realization doesn’t have to be cause for depression. It can be a reminder of the preciousness of our life. Relaxing into the vulnerability of unknowing and facing our direct experience can be courageous. It’s an opportunity to taste vast, interconnected spaciousness — the groundless ground that has no reference points or handles. -Lopön Charlotte Rotterdam

Many of my beginner students talk about not having “time” to meditate.

When we make time to look at our minds and our lives, we may realize that time is passing by quickly and to really be with each moment, we can develop the ability to be present with whatever arises -before we wish for another now. We want to be there when we are kissed, when our child cries, when our friend is diagnosed, when a parent dies. We can develop the capacity to stay with those precious moments— before we move to the next. – Fern

The post Busyness first appeared on Whole Hearted Way.

Mindfulness Meditation for Stress Reduction

Through Mindfulness Meditation you will find joy in everyday life. You will also discover how to work with your thoughts and emotions and sense perceptions. After these 4 gentle sessions, you will know how to honestly meet and openly relate to your mind, embrace the fullness of experience and live in a wholehearted way.

4 Tuesday sessions 90 minutes each of gentle guided meditation, talk and discussion. There is no charge. Donations are accepted.

How to Prepare document will be sent to registrants.
Everyone is welcome! No experience necessary.

January 25th, February 1st, February 8th, and February 5th

For safety I have moved this to an online format. Please register at the Los Altos Recreation center for more info –REGISTER
Host organizer is Los Altos Community Center.

Instructor is Fern LaRocca -over 30 years experience practicing and teaching.

The post Join Me in this 4 session Mindfulness Meditation program for the New Year! first appeared on Whole Hearted Way.