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

Some brief thoughts on this huge topic

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.

Sometimes we want to make a behavior change but we need to start by looking at our intention. In this episode I explore how to use aspects of the Wise Intention path factor to set intentions. Here is a blog post about this topic.

These teachings and this path point to freedom from craving, to liberation. How do we get in touch with that feeling? How can we live and feel the Dharma? This episode includes a jataka tale, many quotes, and two poems from The First Free Women: Poems of The Early Buddhist Nuns

Concluding the series on the Satipatthana Sutta, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, I explore the "refrain" a verse that occurs in the sutta over 20 times. I look at how the aspects of the refrain support us in developing the four foundations, as well as support us in dismantling white supremacy and cultivating antiracism. Here is a blog post about some antiracist books I recommend.

Continuing the series on the satipatthana sutta, I give an overview of the fourth foundation of mindfulness which includes several of the Buddha's core teachings. The categories of phenomena are: The Five Hindrances, The Five Aggregates, The Six Sense-Spheres, The Seven Factors of Awakening, and The Four Noble Truths. I refer to Bhikkhu Analayo's book Satipatthana: The Direct Path to Realization and Joseph Goldstein's book Mindfulness 

Continuing the series on the satipatthana sutta I unpack the third foundation of mindfulness, mindfulness of mind. I explore how understanding our thinking mind can help us to change our behaviors and make a more harmonious world. I reference a book on practicing the four foundations of mindfulness by Bhikkhu Analayo.

Continuing the series on the four foundations of mindfulness I look at the second foundation: mindfulness of feeling tone (vedana). I share quotes from Mindfulness by Joseph Goldstein, Perspectives on the Satipatthana by Analayo, and Let Go by Martine Batchelor. I also recommend reading this blog post on investigation to enhance understanding of this important topic.

This episode begins a series on the four foundations of mindfulness. I explore the word mindfulness and then talk about the first foundation - mindfulness of the body. I discuss how embodied awareness can help us become antiracist. The link for the sutta is here. I read quotes from: My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem and Mindful of Race: Transforming Racism from the Inside Out by Ruth King.

The second noble truth is the truth that craving (tanha) creates and compounds our suffering. How do we understand the difference between unwholesome craving and wholesome desire? How can our experiences with the pandemic and white supremacy help us to understand these energies? I explore these questions and more and also read a poem from Matty Weingast's adaptation of the Therigatha: The First Free Women: Poems of the Early Buddhist Nuns

This week I introduce the four brahmaviharas, the four heart qualities we can cultivate to create more harmony in our lives and the world. I share ways we can connect with the feeling of these qualities and actions we can take to cultivate these qualities.

Here is the link to the Metta Sutta in English and here is a book I recommend on the brahmaviharas: Lovingkindness by Sharon Salzberg

In this episode I share the path factor of Wise Speech and explore types of speech we are asked to refrain from and types of speech we are asked to cultivate. I then use examples from daily life to try on this teaching. Here is a written rundown of the principles of wise speech.

In this episode I explore what it means to be human, and how fighting with reality can create more suffering for us.

This episode I explore the 5 spiritual faculties and look at how they can be applied to cultivating anti-racism. A link to the text of the teaching is here and and here is an article by Bhikkhu Bodhi going into more detail about the spiritual faculties.

During this pandemic we may find ourselves caught in certain patterns of behavior. When we learn our Buddhist personality type we can learn why we me have certain tendencies and ways to work with them. As with any Buddhist teaching, the hope is, with wisdom we can move our heart and minds toward peace. For more on these personality types, including how to find your type, here is an article from Tricycle Magazine

This episode I explore ways to bring mindfulness into our daily life. My working definition of mindfulness is: embodied, non-judgemental  awareness of the present moment experience. How can we bring this quality into different activities? Using the satipatthana sutta I share ways I practice mindfulness throughout the day. Included in the episode is a piece by Dave Eggers.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, so many of us are experiencing worry, fear and grief. How can we manage these mind states? How can we stop them from taking over? The Vitakkasanthana Sutta (MN 20) has 5 steps to help remove distracting thoughts, and Kate uses practical examples to describe how these tools can be used. 

Sangha, community, is a place of refuge that can help us cultivate the Buddhist path. How do we do that when we can no longer meet in person? And how do we benefit from wise community and good friendship? I share part of the Upaddha Sutta and a quote from Bhikkhu Bodhi as I explore these questions and more. I also offer some suggestions of online sanghas. Here is a broad list from Tricycle Magazine and online meditation offerings from Spirit Rock, The Insight Meditation Society, and the Insight Meditation Center

This week I explore the importance of letting go. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are dealing with changes in multiple aspects of our lives which can lead to grasping and resistance. How can we let go and accept our reality? I offer some of my experiences and share some teachings  from Martine Batchelor’s book Let Go and Rick Hanson’s book Just One Thing

Impermanence, anicca, is one of the three characteristics of existence. While it can be easy to ignore in our daily lives, in the midst of this COVID-19 pandemic, the truth of impermanence  cannot be avoided. Using teachings from Joseph Goldstein, Stephen Batchelor, and a poem by Em Claire, Kate explores ways to live with this truth.

3 practices to help with managing stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic or any crisis. A meditation on the Four Elements with reference to a book by  Bhikkhu Analayo A meditation on Equanimity with a quote from this talk by Jesse Maceo Vega-Frey And a reflection practice to cultivate the awakening factor of joy (piti). There is a blog post on these practices here 

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.

The first episode of the Toward Light podcast! An introduction of me, Kate Spina. Some exploration of the Buddhist teaching that led to the name Toward Light. And my reasoning for starting this podcast and the importance of making Early Buddhist (Theravada) teachings accessible to all. The episode ends with a brief grounding practice, meant as a supportive coping tool during the COVID-19 pandemic.

IG: @towardlight108
www.towardlight.net
info@towardlight.net

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 this episode I explore all the factors that can get in the way of us seeing the truths of anicca, dukkha, and anatta.

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.

How can we reduce harm in how we make and spend money?

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.

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.

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.