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We were exploring the importance of 'emotional concepts' this morning. Emotions depend on a conceptual framework in the brain to have meaning. This is why it's so useful to have a richer vocabulary regarding our feelings. For example, the widespread experience of waking up in an inexplicably bad mood. It would be easy to pathologise this and see it as a personal failing or a terrible injustice. But when we know there is a word for it, then our emotional experience is validated and given meaning: MATUTOLYPEA (pronounced: mah-tu-toh-leh-PEE-a) “Dejection of the Dawn” Waking up in misery or a bad temper. From the Roman goddess of the dawn, Mater Matuta, and the Greek word for dejection, lype,

Johanna asked me to publish some of the talk we had yesterday - on Bonfire Night in the UK and Election Night in the US - about how we navigate these big global events with an open heart. So here it is: https://share.descript.com/view/tQugrMCxcro

Is it selfish to wish yourself free from pain? https://share.descript.com/view/QbHp2rz6xuV

Hi, I've just watched the video of last Thursday's session on the Four Immeasurables. And as I'm taking in a lot more than when I was actually there, it's given me time to ponder: If loving kindness or wishing well arises from an unconditional, egoless place of emptiness, does this mean that the act of forgiveness is essentially ego-driven? Because do we not grace people our forgiveness? Can anyone expound on this for me? I'm twisting my brain-knickers into trying to understand. Hopeful thanks! T x

translated from the Pali by The Amaravati Sangha This is what should be done By one who is skilled in goodness, And who knows the path of peace: Let them be able and upright, Straightforward and gentle in speech, Humble and not conceited, Contented and easily satisfied, Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways. Peaceful and calm and wise and skillful, Not proud or demanding in nature. Let them not do the slightest thing That the wise would later reprove. Wishing: In gladness and in safety, May all beings be at ease. Whatever living beings there may be; Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none, The great or the mighty, medium, short or small, The seen and the unseen, Those living near and far away, Those born and to-be-born — May all beings be at ease! Let none deceive another, Or despise any being in any state. Let none through anger or ill-will Wish harm upon another. Even as a mother protects with her life Her child, her only child, So with a boundless heart Should one cherish all living beings; Radiating kindness over the entire world: Spreading upwards to the skies, And downwards to the depths; Outwards and unbounded, Freed from hatred and ill-will. Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down Free from drowsiness, One should sustain this recollection. This is said to be the sublime abiding. By not holding to fixed views, The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision, Being freed from all sense desires, Is not born again into this world.

I just wanted to let you know that our annual Book Club starts next week. We're looking at Mingyur Rinpoche's amazing book In Love With The World, which, far from being a dry Buddhist text, is a bit of a page-turner. It starts with a midnight escape from a monastery and runs through a life-and-death experience in a park in Lumbini. In between, Rinpoche imparts beautiful truths about the experience of life. I'm so thrilled to be reading it with you guys. It's a free winter offering for all of the folks that support Mindsprings with their Oak or Baobab subscriptions and you can find out more about the reading schedule below: https://www.mind-springs.org/simple-info-pages/in-love-with-the-world

We started a new 8-week cycle of Buddhist exploration at 8 am this morning - looking at the "four immeasurables" of loving kindness (metta), compassion (karuna), sympathetic joy (mudita) and equanimity (uppekha). We began with a meditation, exploring the atmosphere of our own minds. Are we irritated, grumpy or unkind about the phenomena of our mind? In the discussion, we looked at the aversion many of us in the West have about wishing ourselves well... Here's a snippet from that discussion: https://share.descript.com/view/Orbwpz0ql1z

Click the image below to see the video message: https://share.descript.com/view/YQUpfRabq7B Hello. Just a quick note to you lovely members of the Mindsprings community. I am going away next week to Barcelona with Daniel for his 40th birthday. And I will be back the following week. So that is the 28th so we'll start, live sessions again on this Monday, the 28th. And on the 31st, we're going to start a new cycle of Buddhist teaching: We're looking at the four immeasurables, which will be at the later time of 8:00 AM UK time. So we're doing this seasonal switch. So slightly later on a Thursday morning. So the Monday session and that Thursday session, the morning sessions are both at 8:00 AM UK time. Slightly complicated, I think because the clocks go back. So if you're in a different time zone, you need to just be mindful of that. And also to let you know that, Let's just check the date. we're starting our book club. Looking at Mingyur Rinpoche's wonderful "In Love With the World" on the 6th of November. So this is in just in a few weeks time, and that's free, if you're a Baobab member, so many of you have that. Do come along. It's I think it's seven o'clock on Wednesday evenings for, I think we're taking six weeks up until Christmas. So I will send out an email and that'd be a page with some reading instructions for that. coming in the next few days. Anyway, just thought, I'd say hello. And, let you know, what's coming up in the next few weeks. And I hope you're very well. I've got a little bit of a cold, I think I might have had COVID actually, cause I can't smell anything. . Curious. Never had that before. But I hope you're well and healthy. And, enjoying the fall slash spring. If you're in Australia.

Begin by cultivating a sense of delight in the qualities of the freedoms and riches: Seeing its many wonderful qualities, I rejoice and delight in this human life. Next contemplate the impermanence nature of phenomena: Like waves in the ocean, all things are impermanent. I will accept whatever happens and make it my friend. Contemplate the interdependence of causes and conditions: When causes and conditions come together, the result is sure to follow, so I will do my best to help others and engage in positive deeds. Contemplate the dreamlike quality of the suffering of Samsara: The suffering of beings is mainly produced by the mind. I must free myself from my self-created bonds.