6 Lecture: Understanding Mindfulness and Shamatha

Please consider supporting with a donation here: https://contemplarte.org/en/donate/. Your contribution makes it possible for me to keep sharing these teachings. To access the remaining lectures, please consider joining my Patreon community:: https://www.patreon.com/cw/almaayon/membership

This course has teachings and guided meditations from the two-month retreat led by Alma Yaeli Ayon at Thosamling Institute in 2020.

Effortless stability and vividness of mind achieved through shamatha practice is essential for developing wisdom, compassion and genuine happiness. The course is designed to develop a strong understanding and practice of shamatha meditation, deeply grounded in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition.

The course explores: •Developing a clear, concentrated mind through a gradual study and practice of shamatha meditation, while situating this practice within the broader Buddhist context: beginning with an overview of the Buddha’s life and teachings. •How shamatha and vipashyana practice fit within the framework of the three vehicles, the four noble truths, the three higher trainings, and the six perfections. •A brief introduction to Dream Yoga and Dzogchen practice, along with an overview of the path, in the final part of the retreat.