Letting Go The type of practice in which I am engaged is letting go by giving everything (bestowing in imagination) to the sources of wisdom, which I call “the Buddhas”. It involves imagining giving everything away as an offering. A…
SnowFlower Sun February 2020
Embracing the Sacred and the Mundane As many of us recognize, at least intellectually, the sacred and the mundane are one and the same. The sacred is this material world, freed from the prison of conceptual mind. What makes this…
SnowFlower Sun January 2020
Mindfulness of What? Mindfulness is always mindfulness of something. This very explicit instruction of Thay’s will be explored in this talk. Mindfulness is always mindfulness of something, and true mindfulness is awareness of the impermanent, non-self reality of the object…
SnowFlower Sun December 2019
The First Practice and the First Perfection from a talk by a SnowFlower Dana is the term used in Buddhism to refer to the practice of giving. Recognized in all wisdom traditions as one of the most basic virtues, the…
SnowFlower Sun November 2019
Excerpts from Bonnie Trudell’s talk on the Four Immeasurable Minds The Four Immeasurable Minds is one of the clearest and most beautiful teachings of the Buddha. The four elements of true love — love, compassion, joy, and equanimity – are…
SnowFlower Sun October 2019
Excerpts from Cheri’s Lamp Transmission Dharma Talk by Cheri Maples January 9, 2008. Dear Thay, Dear Venerables, Dear Sangha: Finding Thay’s teachings and being instructed and supported in developing a mindfulness practice have been the greatest gifts in my life.…
SnowFlower Sun September 2019
Vedana: Mindfulness of Feeling From a talk by Lisa Glueck As you know, the Four Foundations are deeply interconnected and flow inseparably into one another. When we feel an unpleasant feeling, our body tightens in response, while our mind…
SnowFlower Sun August 2019
Gratitude and Equanimity From a talk by Cheri Maples You can’t find gratitude in your mind. You can only find it by leading with your heart and living it. When we are grateful, we are able to delight in what…
Ordained Dharma Teacher Coming to SnowFlower
On July 5, we will have a special speaker at Friday Night Sangha. Richard Brady, MS, is a practicing meditator and certified Mindfulness teacher. In 2001 he was recognized by Thich Nhat Hanh as a teacher in his tradition with a special focus on cultivating mindfulness in…
Meet MOSES (Madison Organizing in Strength, Equality and Solidarity)
It’s been wonderful to have so many new SnowFlower participants in the last two years! This article is to update everyone about MOSES because SnowFlower was one of its founding members and has been a financial supporter for 6 years.…