Episode Archive - Page 187 of 191 - Seattle Insight Meditation Society

Effort

Teacher: Rodney Smith

Date: 2003-06-02

Venue: Seattle Insight Meditation Center

Series
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Homework How does effort support the first spiritual faculty of faith and how does faith in turn support effort? What is necessary for you to exert effort? What is necessary for you to sustain effort? What is the goal of your spiritual practice and how does that play a role in your effort? What progress have you seen? What are the values and limitations in viewing spiritual growth as progression on a path?
Is your effort based on empowering your mind or feeding your heart? Is it focused toward discipline or interconnection? Examine your spiritual effort this week and see if it is in service of the heart. Is it effort towards kindness, acceptance, allowance, and letting be, or is it a cold, self-demanding effort? Do you hold yourself in your heart as you exert effort or in contempt? Say to yourself, â€œLet there be heart in this,â€ to soften into the effort of the moment.

TalkID=719 SeriesID=17,32

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Faith to Doubt, Faith to Trust

podcasts

Teacher: Rodney Smith

Date: 2003-05-19

Venue: Seattle Insight Meditation Center

Series
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Homework Fear confines and contains your faith. Where is your trust limited and irresolute, your confidence strained and your devotion obstructed? Faith grows as your understanding deepens. What areas of practice need further discernment? Where are you relying on outside authority to boost your confidence and tell you what is true?
Surrender is the surest act of faith. Worry, doubt, control, and fear are what you do to make surrender safe. But true faith is surrendering into life just as it is without deliberation or forethought. This week work with the question â€œIs there love for this, too?â€ whenever there is resistance. Remain steadfast through the barrage of fear that inhibits true faith. Begin to realize fear is a temporary illusion of the mindâ€™s truth and faith is founded in the reality of the truth.

TalkID=718 SeriesID=17,32

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Faith: Introduction

podcasts

Teacher: Rodney Smith

Date: 2003-05-05

Venue: Seattle Insight Meditation Center

Series
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Homework Does your faith extend beyond your own empowerment? Is your life about you and your accomplishments? What holds reverence beyond the sense of you? What uplifts your spirit? How do you know it is true?
What keeps you coming back to meditation after a particularly difficult sitting? See if you can get a sense of what keeps you on your spiritual path. Is it belief or a confidence beyond knowing? Practice the phrase â€œJust surrender to the dharmaâ€ when a difficulty arises in your life or practice. Your job is to be mindful and know what is happening; let the dharma take care of the rest. See if inspiration and confidence come from repeating this phrase.

TalkID=717 SeriesID=17,32

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