July 10 meditation

Kevala Retreat

La Crosse area Friends:
Wednesday meditation & Dhamma inquiry 

July 10 --  Bridges UMC at King & 8th 
(see important details below)

Appreciative Joy        

(the Diversity of Meditation Styles & Approaches)

Continuing within our series exploring meditation styles, this session will explore an important 'heart practice,' mudita, the 3rd divine dwelling (brahma-vihara). We practice to recognize the good, honorable qualities in others, beginning with those that benefit us. Giving proper attention to these, appreciation arises naturally and some of our hard edges & oppositions soften. This is a more joyful state than begrudging others what they appear to have or focusing on our own lacks. We may cultivate mudita both on cushion and in pauses amid the activities of life Appreciative Joy is suggested as a remedy for envy. It enables us to give wise attention to what's wholesome & beneficial in others, the world around us, and ourselves. This is more healthy than focusing on what others have but we don't don't, which fosters bitterness & envy. Mudita brightens our practices and inspires Dhammic living. 

Please consider these thoughts & questions, and then join our sharing this Wednesday:

Ponder some of the benefits others bring to your life.

In someone you envy for whatever reason, can you find 
an honorable quality that you admire? 

What are your own most admirable qualities?  

How does appreciation change your mood & state of mind? 

You may wish to bring a cushion that can support your back well and a large towel for better bottom support. Good posture is more comfortable & enlivening, and aids letting go. 

Our once a month series explores a broad range of meditation styles and practices. This series supports an expanded repertoire of meditation skills and serves as a basis for on-going discussions concerning the nature, purpose, and potential of meditation practice. For an outline of the series, please follow this link:

http://www.liberationpark.org/study/pdf/many_kinds_meditation.pdf

For location  and related information, please go here.

Dāna (donations, gifts, free-will offerings) to sustain Liberation Park and support our work are most welcome. Santikaro and Liberation Park depend on donations as sole means of support. Liberation Park in turn makes donations to Wesley UMC for kindly hosting us. 

A sampler of Santikaro's talks from La Crosse and elsewhere are posted at http://liberationpark.org/audio/index.htm

Next sessions:  July 24th, and August 14th 2019.