Dharma
Wisdom
Dharma
Wisdom
Integrating the Buddha’s teachings in daily life with Phillip Moffitt
“To meet hatred & loss with love is the most difficult practice imaginable. Yet what is the purpose of a practice if you are not going to use it in life’s difficult moments?”
– Phillip Moffitt
Ten Values Associated With Well-Being
The values that we live by can be considered our inner priorities and they guide us in how we implement our outer priorities, the areas of our lives to which we choose to devote time.
NEW Teaching
Ten Values Associated With Well-Being
The values that we live by can be considered our inner priorities and they guide us in how we implement our outer priorities, the areas of our lives to which we choose to devote time.
About
In Buddhism, the word Dharma, or Dhamma, means ‘truth.’ It also refers to the teachings of the Buddha and the spiritual insights attained by practicing meditation. I teach a form of meditation called ‘mindfulness,’ which comes from the Theravada Buddhist tradition of Vipassana, or ‘insight,’ meditation. Over the past 20 years, I have taught meditation classes and retreats at Buddhist centers around the country and at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, where I am a member of the Teacher Council. In all my teachings, I offer guidance for living the Dharma in daily life.
Teachings
Meditations
Dharma Talks
Videos
Articles
Study Guides
Teachings by Topic
Buddhadharma & Insight Meditation Practices
Buddhist Psychological Insights for Daily Living
Buddhist Psychological Insights for Daily Living
“The great benefit of practicing mindfulness is presence of mind within a storm of emotions.”
– Phillip Moffitt
Featured Teachings
Healing Your Mother (or Father) Wound
If you have unresolved feelings about your mother (or father), making them part of your mindfulness practice can transform what has been a hindrance in your life into a teacher.
When You are at the Threshold of the New
When we are on the threshold of something new–whether it’s a new year, a new job, a new relationship, or any other new endeavor–there are three questions …
Skillful Change
Awakening through the Nine Bodies
Upcoming Events
Trainings | Classes | retreats
For over 35 years now, the Monday Night sitting group at Spirit Rock has been a welcoming refuge to gather, hear the teachings of the Buddha, and practice insight meditation together as a community. The program includes a 30-40 min guided meditation, a short break, and a dharma talk. Teachers: Phillip Moffitt, Dana DePalma, and Tuere Sala Prerequisites: Description: As a support for Satipatthana meditation, the Nine Bodies teachings and meditations presented during this retreat offer new, detailed means for tracking and classifying meditative experiences which can help you stay present with whatever arises. These explorations may also increase the clarity and specificity of your mindfulness and enable the arising of insight. This retreat will focus on cultivating integrated, embodied presence and intuitional knowing. The retreat starts by focusing on the consciousness that arises in the physical body and then presents a series of meditations for exploring ever more subtle levels of consciousness. By building your awareness utilizing the Four Foundations and Nine Bodies practices, you gradually develop clear seeing (sampajanna), the ability to see life from a dharma point of view. From this perspective, it’s possible to access well-being that can include non-well-being. This retreat is specifically designed as an online offering for experienced practitioners. It combines the dedicated practice time of a residential retreat while supporting yogis with family members and/or other responsibilities. The format provides each of us the opportunity to integrate formal meditation and daily life practice. Each day there will be three guided meditations, time for independent sitting in the communal virtual hall, and a dharma talk. Please note that each teaching session and guided meditation of the retreat is a building block for the next teaching session and guided meditation. Due to this progressive building process, please plan on attending all teaching sessions. We understand that due to the home retreat aspect of this offering, you may need to skip a walking meditation or other non-essential part of the retreat. In reviewing the retreat schedule below, we ask that you consider carefully whether you can commit to attending all of the active teaching sessions and two or three small group practice meetings. This retreat is for yogis that have a committed practice and the ability to sit multiple times a day throughout the retreat. This retreat is not recommended for students who are experiencing acute depression or grief or other strong mental challenges. Daily Schedule: Please note: The schedule is in Pacific Standard Time Bold sessions mean all are encouraged to attend Opening Day Schedule, Tuesday, March 16 Daily Schedule; Wednesday, March 16 – Monday, March 22 Closing Day Schedule, Tuesday, March 23 Teachers: Phillip Moffitt and Alison Teal This is a tumultuous time full of change as we navigate the pandemic, the need for social justice, along with political, environmental, and economic challenges. As a result of these challenges, you may have experienced a change that’s beyond your control or perhaps you’re recognizing the need for personal change. Change brings up anxiety and uncertainty and it can also be exciting to connect with bigger visions for ourselves and our world. Research shows that meeting change with mindfulness and being empowered to navigate uncertainty allows us to experience a deep sense of well-being even when life is difficult. Some of the tools we offer in this workshop are: Expect a weekend of dynamic inquiry and learn to meet change with confidence and clarity.
A minimum of three silent meditation retreats of 4 days or more including at least one Nine Bodies multi-day retreat and at least one Vipassana retreat of 6 days or longer.
The teaching of the Nine Bodies of Consciousness offers fresh perspectives for practicing Satipatthana meditations, the four foundations of mindfulness. In the Satipatthana Sutta, the Buddha laid out how to be present for all aspects of our experience, even the most subtle parts. (For more info on the Nine Bodies of Consciousness, visit ninebodies.com.)
3:00 p.m. Technology Check for participants unfamiliar with Zoom
4:00 p.m. Break – Main Hall Closed
4:15 p.m. Meditation Hall Opens – Arrive and Settle
4:30 p.m. Formal Opening/Welcoming Talk
6:30 p.m. Close for Night
7:00 a.m. Optional Personal Early Practice / Sitting, Walking
8:00 a.m. First Guided Meditation Period
9:00 – 9:45 Walk
9:45 – 10:30 Second Guided Meditation Period
10:30 – 11:30 walk
11:30 – 12:15 Self-Guided Silent Sit
12:15 p.m. Lunch
1:30 -2:30 p.m. Practice Meetings for some groups
2:30 -3:15 Third Guided Meditation Period
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Practice Meetings for some groups
2:00 – 5:00 p.m. Individual Sitting/Walking Practice – when not in Practice Meeting
5:15 p.m. Teaching Session
6:30 p.m. Close for Night
8:00 a.m. Closing Session
11:30 a.m. Close of Retreat
• Reflecting on your life and assessing what’s out of balance.
• Using our “Journey through Change Map” to orient yourself in your change.
• Recognizing habits of mind that undermine you and learning to disengage from them.
• Creating a plan for skillfully navigating your change.