Introduction, Breathing Meditation and Setting Up a Daily Practice

Introduction to Meditation (realplayer audio)

What it is, what it isn't, 2 main types of meditation
[6 min] : Download | Listen

Meditation Posture [2 min] : Download | Listen
Importance of keeping the back straight [1 min] : Download | Listen

Preparing the body and mind [3 min] : Download | Listen
Importance of setting a proper motivation [14 min] : Download | Listen
The Three Levels of Motivation:
- Part I [19 min] : Download | Listen
- Part II [22 min] : Download | Listen

Enthusiastic Effort [5 min] : Download | Listen

Setting Your Motivation before Meditation

During the Vajrasattva retreat in 2005, each morning the participants took turns leading their fellow retreatants in cultivating a good motivation for their meditation that day. You may want to read one of these motivations each morning to inspire your practice..”

Motivations by Aida Jimenez

- Feb 13, 2005
- Feb 27, 2005
- Mar 6, 2005
- Mar 13, 2005
- Mar 20, 2005
- Mar 27, 2005

Motivations by Kathleen

- Feb 27, 2005
- Mar 14, 2005
- Mar 21, 2005
- Mar 28, 2005

Motivations by Kelvin

- Mar 23, 2005
- Mar 30, 2005

Motivations by Lupita

- Mar 25, 2005

Motivations by Miles

- Jan 3, 2005
- Jan 14, 2005
- Feb 5, 2005
- Feb 12, 2005
- Feb 19, 2005
- Feb 26, 2005
- Mar 5, 2005
- Mar 12, 2005
- Mar 26, 2005

Motivations by Nanc

- Mar 10, 2005
- Mar 17, 2005
- Mar 31, 2005

Motivations by Susan

- Mar 31, 2005

Motivations by Anonymous

- A Dream During Vajrasattva Retreat

Motivations by Rocio Arreola Enriquez

- A Three Day Vajrasattva Retreat

Breathing Meditation (realplayer audio):

- Explanation [6 min] : Download | Listen
- 2 important mental factors [5 min] : Download | Listen
- Guided meditation session [7 min] : Download | Listen

Breathing Meditation
A short guided meditation focusing on how to still the critical mind (recorded at Emaho Center, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, 14 Sept 2005)
[5 minutes] : Download mp3 file

Dealing with (realplayer audio):

- Discontentment I [5 min] : Download | Listen

- Pain in the body I [19 min] : Download | Listen
- Pain in the body II [1 min] : Download | Listen

- Restless Energy in the Body [7 min] : Download | Listen

- Distractions I [2 min] : Download | Listen
- Distractions II [11 min] : Download | Listen

- Drowsiness [5 min] : Download | Listen

- Tickling sensations [1 min] : Download | Listen

Discussion: Squirming in a meditation session (realplayer audio)
Venerable suggests we look at how it manifests and that we look into its causes. How can we work with that knowledge? (recorded at Cloud Mountain, Washington, USA, 9 Sept 2004)
[16 minutes] : Download | Listen

Question & Answer I (realplayer audio): [20 min] : Download | Listen

Things discussed (Start-time for each question is indicated at the end) :
- relieving stress: meditation or watching a movie? 0:00
- teaching meditation/Dharma to children. 2:49
- meditating with music in the background. 5:58
- can listening to music help one to calm down? Isn't chanting a form of music? 10:41
- finding it hard to keep the eyes open during meditation. 12:59
- what to do if the sitting posture is not suitable for one. 13:40
- feeling that one's energy is blocked after meditation. 15:20
- unusual sensations or experiences during meditation. 16:13
- feeling pressure in the head during meditation. 16:47
- swaying sensation during meditation. 17:25
- what to do if one has sinus or breathing problems. 17:48
- how long should one's meditation session be? 19:18

Q&A II (realplayer audio): [13 min] : Download | Listen

- difference between analytic meditation and stabilizing meditation
- if a person has attention deficit disorder due to a chemical imbalance, what effect will meditation have on this condition?
- can we meditate lying down?
- in a group meditation where there're different sounds, eg people coughing, is it all right to use ear plugs?
- what are the causes of forgetfulness?
- learning to feel comfortable with silence
- is taking tea as damaging as coffee to one's meditation practice?
- is there a form of Buddhist meditation where one just sits and watches the thoughts that come in one's mind?

Setting Up a Daily Practice (realplayer audio)

- Part I [11 min] : Download | Listen
- Part II [13 min] : Download | Listen

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Deity Meditation Practices

See Retreat section.

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Other Meditation Practices

Meditation on the Buddha:
- Guided Meditation: Download mp3 file [25 min]
- Text in html format (different from audio above)

Lamrim (Gradual Path to Enlightenment) Meditation Outline
[Click here for the outline in PDF format]
taken from "Guided Meditations on the Lamrim"

Meditation on Enlightening the Path in Our Hearts. Click here.

Love, Compassion & Altruism: Meditations on Kindness, Gratitude & Love (realplayer audio) [Click here for the transcript]

- Explanation I [19 min] : Download | Listen
- Explanation II [23 min] : Download | Listen
- Guided meditation on Kindness & Gratitude
[19 min] : Download | Listen
- Guided meditation on Love [9 min] : Download | Listen
- A word of advice [1 min] : Download | Listen

Metta (Loving Kindness) Meditation (realplayer audio)

- Explanation I [12 min] : Download | Listen
- Explanation II [12 min] : Download | Listen
- Guided meditation session [6 min] : Download | Listen

Purification [mp3 files]
(recorded at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA, April 2005)

• Purification Meditation: Venerable Chodron gave this teaching to those who work with inmates. She leads a visualization meditation for purification of past negative activity of body, speech, and mind
  [20 minutes] : Download
• Discussion on purification meditation: Venerable Chodron leads a group discussion on the purification meditation. She explains purification and talks about feelings of resistance to purification.
  [30 minutes] : Download

Purification Meditation through Om, Ah, Hum (realplayer audio)
[44 min] : Download | Listen (recorded in Boise, Idaho, USA, 7 Oct 2004)

Taking & Giving Meditation (Tong-len) (realplayer audio)

- The Basis for this Meditation [15 min] : Download | Listen
- Explanation of this Meditation [26 min] : Download | Listen
- Question-and-Answer [4 min] : Download | Listen
- Guided meditation on Taking & Giving
[32 min] : Download | Listen

Preparing the Mind for Tonglen Practice. Click here.

Walking Meditation (realplayer audio) [12 min] : Download | Listen

Walking Meditation [18 min] : Download mp3 file
May 2007, Sravasti Abbey, Washington
Venerable Chodron explains several ways to do walking meditation and the benefits.

Walking Meditation [12 min] : Download mp3 file
21 March 2009, Cloud Mountain Retreat Center, Washington
Venerable Chodron explains how to do walking meditation. In this talk she describes several walking meditation techniques.

A Meditation for Survivors of Suicide. Click here.

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Mindfulness

Mindfulness and Compassion [33:05 min] : Download mp3 file
Venerable Chodron explains what mindfulness is and the relationship of mindfulness and compassion. She explains how mindfulness is imbued with care for the environment and other sentient beings living in it. (Recorded at Cloud Mountain Retreat Center, Washington State, USA, 11 July 2006).

The Right Kind of Mindfulness. (pdf file) Click here.
- taken from Sept 2006 issue of Shambhala Sun magazine 

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More instructions on meditation from the teachings on the Perfection of Meditative Stabilization. Click here.

Retreat Teachings. Click here.

Help with Listening to Audio Recordings. Click here.