As part of our week-long Home Retreat on 'Sailing the Worldly Winds - A Buddhist Way Through the Ups and Downs of Life', we are delighted to host here for a live online Q & A, Vajragupta the author and Dharma teacher behind the retreat itself.

A great, wide-ranging and practical discussion about what this classic Buddhist teaching has to say to us about caring for ourselves and each other during the current coronavirus / Covid-19 pandemic. And what communities can do to try and make sure the world does not simply forget all that's being learned when the crisis is finally over.

Topics discussed are:

Naming the worldly winds in your own way
Gain and loss at the heart of change
Where does fear come in?
What can you do when the winds are blowing strongly? Spaciousness and reflection
Considering pleasure and pain as the basis of all the winds; each of the pairs as possible root factors; fame and celebrity
Poem - 'This is the time to be slow' by John O'Donohue
The place of beauty in our response
The intimacy of care for others - engaging as fully as we can
Working with hyperactive thought processes (papanca) in meditation
No expectations, only possibilities - control and influence in relation to the worldly winds
Connections between the five hindrances in meditation and the worldly winds
Joy and pain are woven fine - potentially hopeful aspects around the consequences of the pandemic
Human beings forget very easily - the urgent value of commuinity and conditions as a context for remembering what matters
Final thoughts on keeping your practice going



Listen to our podcast special with Vajragupta from last week

Read John O'Donohue's poem, "This is the time to be slow"

Check out our Dharma Toolkit space for details of all we have on offer to help you make it through the weirdness and stay inspired.

Come meditate with us any week day!

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Theme music by Ackport! Used with kind permission.

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