In Buddhism for Beginners, celebrated teacher and author Jack Kornfield teaches you how to experience these gifts and share in this vast spiritual tradition. His album, a full-length audio retreat, which was created specifically for first-time students, offers an ideal way to learn Buddhism’s essential principles and insights.

If you have questions about Buddhism and its meditation practices, you will learn from this gifted teacher many things, including Buddhism’s cornerstone teachings on

• the Four Noble Truths
• the Eightfold Path to inner freedom
• the meaning and varieties of karma
• the Ten Perfections for opening the heart
• the inner tools of samadhi and prajna (concentration and insight)
• the Four Great Immeasurables
• the Buddha’s last great teaching
• and many other topics

You’ll also learn principles of meditation practice, covering such fundamentals as

• clarifying awareness and focusing your mind
• overcoming distractions and other inner obstacles
• using heart-centered practices to sprout the seeds of compassion and lovingkindness,
• and more

And Kornfield tells many inspiring and enlightening wisdom stories in the form of

• poetry
• teaching parables
• inspiring true accounts distilled from Buddhism’s many historical branches
• invaluable advice gleaned from Kornfield’s own years of experience as a student and a teacher

The ancient Buddhist scripture The Path to Purification poses this riddle:

The world is entangled in a knot. Who can untangle the tangle?

According th Jack Kornfield, the answer to the riddle is, “You can,” as you learn from principles taught by the Buddha, and by learning to see things clearly and simply, as they actually are. Buddhism for Beginners provides the basic tools and fundamental teachings for beginning a great inner adventure.

Kornfield’s full length audio meditation retreat is highly recommended by Meditation Montage for anyone, beginner or not, who is dedicated to their the path of self-discovery and freedom and would like to deepen their experience of meditation with one of the great meditation teachers of our time.

The following audio clip, courtesy of YouTube, is Part 1 of an audio preview series presenting some of Kornfields’ teachings on “The Roots of Buddhist Psychology“. For the remaining 5 sections previewing Part One of this audio album, look under my “Pages” category, over on the right panel of this site, where the audio series is posted as Buddhism: the roots of its psychology explained. Also see the article on this subject, based on an interview of Jack Kornfield.

Swami Sundarand took the brahmacharia sadhu vow over 59 years ago and has devoted his life to a rigorous daily practice of meditation and spiritual practices. From 1946 until 1957, Swami-ji lived with Swami Tapovan in his master’s hut, or Kuti, in the then remote area of Gangotri, at an altitude of 10,400 feet. His master bequeathed the hut to Swami Sundarand who, now past eighty years of age, still resides there. Gangotri, the source of the Ganges river, is considered one of India’s most sacred areas.

Swami Sundarand is not only a sage and yogi, but also a naturalist and photographer. For over 50 years he has taken more than 100,000 photos of the shrinking Gangotri glacier in the Indian Himalayas. His book, Himalaya, through the lens of a Sadhu, is out of print and considered a collector’s item. It was endorsed by the former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and has over 425 photographs spanning 60 years of his work. The intention of his book was also to document the region as it once was, and to plant seeds of hope and inspiration for resolving the area’s environmental concerns. In his photographic work, Swami-ji sought to capture the Eternal in Nature. He now travels India raising awareness of the Gangotri’s rapid demise as a principle advocate for the ecological preservation of the Himalayas, the Ganges and its source at Gangotri.

A lookout point and plaque has been built down river from Gangotri, dedicated to the Swami’s work and cause. A museum is planned at the location of his property at Gangotri and will be devoted to environmental protection and spiritual guidance. It will feature Swami Sundaranand’s Himalayan photography.

In this short video clip from the documentary film, “Personal Time with Swami-ji”, which was shot in Himalayas at the source of the Sacred river Ganges, Swami Sundaranand teaches about how the inner music and sound of the OM is found within, and talks about the subtle worlds your meditation takes you to and the healing you receive from the practice of pranayama and meditation.

Yoga, your inner song of the OM for realization:

“There is no use trying,” said Alice; “one can’t believe impossible things.” “I dare say you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” Lewis Carroll.

I don’t have the answer, especially in light of how fast deforestation is destroying our global hope for survival.

Meanwhile I’ve found a book that addresses global and subnational issues of the world’s forests, societies and environment, taking an independent, non-governmental point of view. The authors make recommendations for modern science and modern society regarding the successful transition from deforestation to a more sustainable and equitable future for the world’s forests. These are based on transitions that are already taking place.

And here’s a video from National Geographic that touches also on this issue. In it we meet a shaman who searches the rain forest of Paraguay for medicinal cures.

“May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness; may all be free from sorrow and the causes of sorrow; may all never be separated from the sacred happiness which is sorrowless; and may all live in equanimity, without too much attachment and too much aversion, and live believing in the equality of all that lives.”

To fully experience the positive results of Zen meditation, there are three general methods to consider:

• Concentration
• Koan Introspection
• Shikantaza

Concentration is the main emphasis in beginning your Zen meditation practice, and you can start by focusing on your breathing. Do this simply by counting the number of complete rounds of breath, an inhalation and exhalation being one round of breath. Allow your breathing be the shield to any distraction.

Another way to concentrate uses Koan Introspection. A Koan is a story, dialogue, question or statement containing aspects or qualities of enlightenment that the outer mind may not understand as easily as the intuition does.

Shikantaza or just “sitting” is a form of single-minded sitting meditation whereby you let go all thoughts of mind and body; Objects have no place.

Once you’ve chosen a method that you feel will work for you in your meditation practice, you’ll need to consider some of the common positions for Zen meditation. Do not force yourself into any position. You may wish to consult your physician before undergoing any physical poses to ensure your health and safety. Then just do the best you can or adopt a comfortable position close to any of these positions until your muscles relax and over time this becomes easier for you.

Burmese Position

At first glance the Burmese position looks like a simple cross-legged position. To refine this from the simple cross-legged pose, you need to place your feet so one is in front of the another and let them both relax on the floor. Gently direct your heels toward your pelvis, allowing your knees to rest on the floor.

Seiza Position

Seiza is the Japanese term for correct sitting. It can be achieved by kneeling on your lower legs, with your feet tucked underneath your buttocks with the toes pointed behind you.

Half-Lotus Position

The half-lotus position is the Indian-style cross-legged position, with one leg on the top of the other. To achieve this position, sit with your legs folded beneath you on the floor, lifting one leg to rest over the other, so that both legs form a triangle.

Full-Lotus Position

Seated Indian style, lift one foot and to the crook of your knee. Allow it to rest there, ensuring that the base of your knee is in an upward position. The final step you need to undertake is to bring the other foot to the other knee just like what you did on the first.

After you have chosen a comfortable Zen position for you, there are other important considerations you need to carry out:

• Keep your mouth closed, gently placing your tongue against the upper palate to lesson salivation and swallowing.
• Keep your eyes lowered by fixing them on the ground.
• Keep your chin tucked-in but always at a comfortable level for your neck.
• Keep the alignment of your body in a straight line that you imagine extending from your nose to your navel.
• Keep your torso also centrally balanced between how far it leans both forward or backward.
• Keep your hands place in a “cosmic mudra,” with the palm of your dominant hand held upward to hold the other hand, also palm upward.

Zen meditation focuses on breathing. In Zen meditation the breath is thought to be the fundamental force in one’s body. The breath and mind thus working together are considered the reality of life.

Zen meditation can be a helpful practice in relieving you from the stress and tension of your every day life, as well as a means to opening you gently and gradually to receiving more of the spiritual enlightenment you may be seeking.

Here is a video to help you adjust from any activity to a space more conducive to Zen practice.

I presented for a half-hour on some of the latest science on DNA and on the quantum principles in our own bodies that activate the enlightenment or awakening process. I also gave my views on how we can use this information to refine our capacity to receive enlightenment as imagery or other sensory input to awaken our innate spiritual memories. Then I lead participants in a guided meditation, in which they received keys to enhance the process for experiencing direct enlightenment from the Inner Teacher.

The class was enthusiastically received by participants who asked thought-provoking questions during the Question & Answer session, and commented on how powerful this information is. Many who attended called me later to tell me how this class helped them to bring to balance the intellectual and emotional aspects of spiritual healing and enlightenment. You’ll hear more on the audios, including one participant’s testimonial on how, during the meditation in this retreat, he created a powerful visualization that you can use too.

I am providing audio replays in the next day or so to those who enrolled as part of their tuition for this event, and anyone else who would like to hear replays of this event will be able to purchase the MP3s online.

I will also offer the lecture at some point as an e-Report. You’ll see announcements about these here on the blog and on my website in the next day or so as each are available. I’ll also send this information and invitations to future events to anyone who subscribes to my blog updates (see form on upper right corner) or my Happiness Newsletter.

The next class is going to be on Clearing the Etheric or Spiritual Pain Body. This is for meditators, healers and anyone who desires to be of healing service in clearing this pain body from their etheric sheaths or aura: first for themselves, then others and even the earth.

I’m also starting the short mini-retreats, the one-half hour TeleMeditations, again! I’ll announce them soon.

Tomorrow look here for an audio excerpt from the Quantum Enlightenment lecture, and the next day one from the Q&A. Meanwhile, click the link below to hear an MP3 excerpt of the guided meditation.

Quantum Enlightenment Meditation Excerpt 2008Jun01

Of course, meditation is a good way to develop resilience to stress. During meditation, you create more than just a mental space to achieve a certain degree of enlightenment. You involve the whole being, including the marvelous attributes of your heart to bring you a sense of what HeartMath calls ‘coherence’, which included the heart, mind, body, emotions and spirit.

The effects of meditation vary from person to person, and even on the conditions you may be facing. Factors such as mood, your unique character and individuality all come into play. Meditation is a way to better understand and appreciate the uniqueness your life and who you are. Contemplation of even the simple things help in achieving a more enlightened consciousness.

A quiet space conducive for reflection, attention to breathing, and perhaps a mantra for concentration are some ingredients of meditation. While sitting in meditation is considered the basic and most efficient form of meditation, there are other ways. You can create other forms of meditation once you establish a regular practice.

When you set your mind for meditation, you are creating a space in which your focus can stay more attuned. You begin to integrate your spiritual essence and mental awareness more with your physical and mental rhythms. Simple breathing and focusing on breath is a powerful meditation. Try it for 5 minutes, and see over a few days what this brings.

As meditation becomes part of your routine, you’ll find that the time you take to stop and make a connection with your process of meditation becomes familiar and comforting.

So what should you do when the place you are into is not conducive for meditation? Here are suggestions for helping to establish more focus and concentration:

1. Direct your attention to a spot in the room
2. Listen attentively to your breathing
3. Focus on a small object
4. Listen to relaxing, healing music or look at soothing colors

Later you can use any of these to momentarily reactivate the feelings you experience during meditation to extend them beyond the practice period. You can be creative in modifying your own methods of meditation, when you break your patterns and make your imagination work.

HeartMath has some excellent tools for finding your focus and bringing the effects of your meditation into the normal routine of your life to help you avoid or mitigate stress. For more information about all of HeartMath’s products
Click here.

Norman Shealy also makes a product that can help calm down and relieve stress. This can be useful to get yourself set for meditation, or any time you need assistance with shifting your mental and emotional state.

If you wish to receive the numbers to dial in to the replay or receive a CD you can request them here on this blog. The same is true if you would like to inquire about the individual and small group healing sessions with darshan: write me here at the blog comments and ask me to put you on my mailing list. Your email will not be displayed but I can use it to get you the information you need and send you announcements about upcoming events.

The replay will be available to those who have come to the live call and others who have also kindly contributed, but are unable to be here today. And I have made provision for others to access it with a small donation as well.

To leave me any thoughts, feedback, questions or other comments or requests here at my blog, you just enter it on the form that’s provided underneath each blog entry. It’s a block that’s labeled Comments. It will ask you for your email but that won’t get published. Some of you have already made comments on my blog, and I thank you. I really enjoy it when anyone, whether we have met or not, takes the time to do this. I moderate these comments before they go on the web, so you can just indicate whether you do or do not wish to have me to post your comment or question.

I am accepting new clients and referrals for my private telephone healing sessions, and they are still my primary focus. For those who haven’t had one or heard about the healings, these are remarkable spiritual readings and unique clearance sessions created just for your soul. So if you have yet to experience one, I recommend you ask me, here at the blog, to contact you by email and then we can arrange to speak by phone.

I welcome everyone who calls for an appointment, and there is no spiritual or other requirement to receive a treatment from me. If you have already experienced this and it’s been awhile, I would love to hear from you, and if you know of someone who would benefit from a treatment, please tell them about me. I am grateful to all of you who do this; it’s so beautiful for me to meet precious souls this way and to be an instrument of their own or their family’s healing.

Some of the most amazing teachings have been coming through the personal one-on-one treatments sessions. So I am now opening this up to small groups. Again, use the blog to ask me, or if you have my phone number, call me directly to arrange this. There is no limitation on the range of topics or themes for each group, and it can be for one session or a series that we’ll mutually determine.

If you have scheduling considerations that have made it difficult to attend my events, yet would like to participate in them, live, feel free to leave your suggestions here at the blog for best days of weeks and times. I have a bunch of events lined up that are yet to be dated and scheduled.

So I welcome your comments here, and thank everyone who participated and contributed toward this event! I also wish to thank those who helped with today’s production: A special thanks to Prashant who not only opened his home but made the small group event technically doable between all our locations. And thanks to Donald with the last minute invitations, and Raphael and Wallace for your kind support, encouragement and enthusiasm for what I am offering. If I left anyone out, be assured that I am grateful to all of you! It’s and honor and privilege to know you.