On the Uposatha, Tahn Pamutto gives a reflection on the brahma-vihara of Mudita. This mind state translates as ‘Gladness’ or ‘Sympathetic Joy’, and is based on a deep joy and appreciation in good fortune, wholesomeness, and success. Often overlooked because it seems too simplistic or doesn’t directly combat ill-will like the other brahma-vihara’s, it is […]
On the Uposatha night, a sick Tahn Pamutto gives a reflection on how we can come to understand the ups and downs of life in a buddhist context. We do this by considering the four noble truths, and specifically cultivating the ‘duty’ to each of these truths. Suffering is to be understood, Craving is to
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In this Uposatha talk, Tahn Pamutto provides encouragement in developing mindfulness, an essential component of the eightfold path, and describes the Buddha’s framework of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness which helps guide that effort and make it fruitful.
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On the Uposatha, Tahn Pamutto offers a reflection on four streams of Puñña, or Merit: Dānā, Service, Instruction, and Bhāvana. Elaborating on each one, he describes how they get progressively more powerful and sublime until the final stream of merit, which culminates in nibbāna itself.
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Our latest weeklong retreat has concluded in Shelburne, MA. The retreat and visit of NYC resident Tahn Santi brought quite a surge of interest in the small gathering space, with 16 different friends visiting over the course of a few days. But for the most part it was a quiet, in-house venture. The evening sit
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In this Uposatha reflection, Tahn Pamutto discusses the vital quality of Equanimity or Upekkha. This quality shows up in a number of lists of wholesome qualities to be cultivated, notably always at the end or as the culmination. By explaining the various ways the term is used, it’s possible to move towards a definition of
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Next week, from Sat, Feb 19 until Sat, Feb 26th, we’ll be having a full retreat schedule here at the Shelburne, MA apartment. It will begin at 6am with morning puja and conclude with an evening sit. During the day there will be regular times for group meditation as well as scheduled breaks. There may
In this Uposatha reflection Tahn Pamutto goes up against the notion that you have to believe in Karma and Rebirth to be a Buddhist – where the idea comes from and what exactly the Buddha talks about as essential in the understanding of karma.
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Happy New Year! Today is both the Uposatha and the beginning of the Chinese Year of the Tiger. As we usually do on the New and Full Moons, we’ll be having our Uposatha program in a few hours, at 8pm EST, in the Upavana Zoom Meeting. See you there!
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It’s the Full Moon, and tonight we’ll be having our regular biweekly Uposatha program starting at 8pm EST. Tahn Pamutto will be giving a reflection tonight entitled, “The Mind’s Ideal”. Conversation both in the weekly teatime session and the family group this week has centered around what we really want to get from spiritual practice
