The understanding of emptiness manifests in our experience as the intention of compassion. One way that compassion develops is through meeting our own physical and mental suffering with kind awareness.
Seclusion or viveka – of body and mind can be an important supportive condition for clear seeing. The hermit, for example, is found in many spiritual traditions.
Aversion and anger are states that need to be thoroughly understood. When applying bare awareness is impossible, we can deal with them by using some contemplations or other practical methods
We need to see and understand the true nature of craving and attachment in order to abandon them. However, besides mindful observation there are other ways to deal with craving and attachment.
Thought is often related to as a “problem” in meditation. It is much more useful to include thought as an object of awareness: once we understand the nature of thought, it loses it power over us.
Self-judgment is a common and at times almost crippling, mental state. This talk explores some of the conditions that may give rise to this habit of mind.
