Monday, May 18, 2026
Sunday, May 17, 2026
From insight Timer May 16, 2026. A quote by Annie Dillard and then a reflection from the Dhamapada.
Anne Dillard -
What you attend to becomes your life.
What you attend to does not merely fill your mind; it quietly shapes your days, your character, your relationships, and eventually your destiny. Attention is the invisible architect of life. Whatever you return to, again and again, becomes the landscape of your inner world. Attend to beauty, truth, gratitude, and presence, and your life slowly begins to resemble them. 💕
Byrne - May 10, 2026 - Equanimity
Live Session Summary, Sunday, May 10, 2026: It was good to be with you for our live session today. The theme of the session was ‘Cultivating equanimity to meet these difficult times with balance and peace.’
Here are some of the main themes, poems, and quotes from the live session:
I reviewed some of the main elements of the four ‘divine abodes’ (Brahma Viharas)—the Buddha’s heart practices of loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity.
These qualities are described as unconditional since when they are present in their authentic form, all beings are included in our wishes of happiness and peace and nothing is expected in return; and immeasurable, in that there is no limit to the number or range of people who are included in our wishes for their well-being.
We all have the potential to cultivate these qualities. Buddhist meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg said, ‘Love and concern for all are not things some of us are born with and others are not. Rather, they are the results of what we do with our minds. We can choose to transform our minds so that they embody love, or we can allow them to develop habits and false concepts of separation.” (Salzberg, ’Loving-kindness’, p89)
I focused on the fourth of the heart practices, equanimity, as a powerful support in difficult times. Equanimity is a quality of steadiness, balance, and evenness of heart and mind that helps us meet the ups and downs of life—life’s ‘ten thousand joys and ten thousand sorrows’—without being swept up or overwhelmed in strong emotions and mind states.
Teaching on equanimity, the Buddha said, ‘Just as a rocky mountain is not moved by storms, so sights, sounds, tastes, smells, contacts and ideas, whether desirable or undesirable, will never stir one of steady nature, whose mind is firm and free.’
Some other descriptions of equanimity from Buddhist teachers include:
• ‘Equanimity describes a complete openness to experience, without being lost in reactions of love and hate.’ (Shaila Catherine)
• ‘A simple definition of equanimity… is the capacity to not be caught up with what happens to us.’ (Gil Fronsdal, Tricycle, Winter 2005)
• ‘Equanimity is a spacious stillness of the mind, a radiant calm that allows us to be present fully with all the different changing experiences that constitute our world and our lives.’ (Salzberg, ‘Loving-kindness’, p139)
Equanimity helps balance the other three heart qualities, preventing loving-kindness from becoming attachment, compassion from becoming pity, appreciative joy from becoming an unbalanced exuberance, and as equanimity deepens we avoid the tendency for non-attachment to become indifference.
It is the nature of life that we will all inevitably experience joys and sorrows and a range of other pleasant and unpleasant conditions. Our happiness and freedom depend not on getting more of the pleasant and less of the unpleasant, but on meeting the ups and downs of life with balance and steadiness, and without craving, aversion, or delusion.
The Buddha said the world spins around eight ‘worldly winds’ or conditions—pleasure and pain, success and failure, gain and loss, and praise and blame. We will all experience these conditions in our life. The untrained person, or ‘uninstructed worldling’, will be happy when they experience pleasant feelings, gain, success, and praise, and will be unhappy when they experience pain, loss, failure, and blame.
A dedicated dharma practitioner, or ‘well-instructed follower’ of the teachings will experience pain and pleasure, gain and loss, success and failure, and praise and blame and will see them all as impermanent, unsatisfactory, and not ‘me’ or ‘mine’, and doesn’t cling to the pleasant or fight against the unpleasant. The difference in response between the trained and untrained person is the difference between freedom and suffering.
The equanimity phrases I shared in the meditation were: ‘Breathing in, I calm my body; breathing out, I calm my mind.’ ‘May I be balanced. May I be at peace.’ ‘May I learn to see the arising and passing of all things with equanimity and peace.’
The poems I shared were; ‘Fluent’ by John O’Donohue; ‘Prayer of Shantideva; and an excerpt from Dorothy Hunt’s ‘Peace is this moment without judgment.’
Wishing you a good week ahead and see you for our next regular Sunday live session on May 24 at 9am eastern and for a special two-hour session on Saturday, June 6, 12-2 pm eastern on ‘The power of cultivating equanimity in these challenging times.’ Warmly, Hugh 🙏🏻 💜 🌻
Prayer of Shantideva
Prayer of Shantideva
May I be a protector to those without protection,
A leader for those who journey,
And a boat, a bridge, a passage
For those desiring the further shore.
May the pain of every living creature
Be completely cleared away.
May I be the doctor and the medicine
And may I be the nurse
For all sick beings in the world
Until everyone is healed.
Just like space
And the great elements such as earth,
May I always support the life
Of all the boundless creatures.
And until they pass away from pain
May I also be the source of life
For all the realms of varied beings
That reach unto the ends of space.
Fluent
A poem by John O’ Donohue, Irish poet titled ‘Fluent’
Fluent
I would like to live
Like a river flows.
Carried by the surprise
Of its own unfolding.
One thing leads to another:
https://communalactsofbeauty.org/2014/05/22/poem-12-for-the-senses-john-odonahue/
And another:
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Art of Power: Rilke: Let this darkness be a Bell tower
The Art of Power
Pages 65- Getting what we really want
The powerful discussion of craving about craving delusion, love, bodhissttva,….
All this offered via a Wednesday morning, May 13 via the Wednesday morning 7 AM Eastern daylight time from Stillwater morning group Deana and Larry hosting
Yhttps://wordsfortheyear.com/2020/04/02/let-this-darkness-be-a-bell-tower-by-rainer-maria-rilke/
https://onbeing.org/poetry/let-this-darkness-be-a-bell
Quiet friend who has come so far,
feel how your breathing makes more space around you.
Let this darkness be a bell tower
and you the bell. As you ring,
what batters you becomes your strength.
Move back and forth into the change.
What is it like, such intensity of pain?
If the drink is bitter, turn yourself to wine.
In this uncontainable night,
be the mystery at the crossroads of your senses,
the meaning discovered there.
And if the world has ceased to hear you,
say to the silent earth: I flow.
To the rushing water, speak: I am.
“Let This Darkness Be a Bell Tower” by Rainer Maria Rilke from Sonnets to Orpheus II, 29. Translation by Joanna Macy and Anita Barrows. Source: On Being “A Wild Love for the World”
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Patricia Koelsch - Martin Allyward - Four Flavors of Love -
https://www.upaya.org/video/four-flavors-of-love-mudita-session-2023-2/
Patricia Koelsch on the Four Abodes, the Four Flavors of Love ..from a talk in February , 2026
"And, um, the… the four…states are, um…
metta, the poly word which gets translated as loving-kindness, but it's benevolence,
Friendliness. Karuna is compassion.
Mudita, appreciation, joy.
And Upeka, which is, um, equanimity.
metta, the poly word which gets translated as loving-kindness, but it's benevolence,
Friendliness. Karuna is compassion.
Mudita, appreciation, joy.
And Upeka, which is, um, equanimity.
And, uh, Martin Allward talks about
Metta is the love that cares,
Karuna, compassion, the love that responds.
Mudita, the love that delights.
and Upeka, the love that allows.
Karuna, compassion, the love that responds.
Mudita, the love that delights.
and Upeka, the love that allows.
So it's very, um…They're… they're beautiful aspects of the way we can care.
Metta, loving-kindness, was initially taught
in the, uh, the Buddhist, uh, scriptures, the stories of
how the Buddha, um…
trained the disciples. The story is that
for the range of feet, which is a 3-month retreat, where…
the monks stayed in one place.
the Buddha assigned
a group of monks to go practice
in a beautiful forest.
And the monks went there.
And, uh, sort of setting up.
And, uh, the story is that the…
Tree spirits were…
really put out by this sort of invasion.
of these other… other beings, and so they really scared the monks. They made a lot of noise.
And, you know, you sort of…
I can imagine if anyone has been
camping, and, you know, especially the first couple of times you're camping. In the middle of the night, you know, you hear all this stuff, and you sort of freak out.
Well, these monks essentially freaked out and came back to the Buddha, and they said, um,
You know, this is not a good place for us to practice. There are these sort of angry tree spirits.
And, um, can you assign us
another place.
And the Buddha said, no.
That's where you're supposed to practice.
But you're supposed… but what you have to do is you have to practice
With the spirit of friendliness, you have to practice
going in there and, um…
being completely…
harmless.
The protection of 'harmlessness'. So it's taught as an antidote to fear.
And someone the other day said that, um,
she's really been sort of watching.
In her metta practice, and she noticed
that when she felt fearful,
And she could bring, especially if there's an individual, if she could bring some…
Some loving-kindness and friendliness to it. The fear sort of dissipated.
So, this idea is that, you know, no one… with Metta
It's the idea that no one should fear
should fear me. You know, that you go in as someone practicing
non-harming. I was, um…
at Moon Palace Bookstore the other day, and I saw that there was a bumper sticker that said,
I refuse to be your enemy.
in the, uh, the Buddhist, uh, scriptures, the stories of
how the Buddha, um…
trained the disciples. The story is that
for the range of feet, which is a 3-month retreat, where…
the monks stayed in one place.
the Buddha assigned
a group of monks to go practice
in a beautiful forest.
And the monks went there.
And, uh, sort of setting up.
And, uh, the story is that the…
Tree spirits were…
really put out by this sort of invasion.
of these other… other beings, and so they really scared the monks. They made a lot of noise.
And, you know, you sort of…
I can imagine if anyone has been
camping, and, you know, especially the first couple of times you're camping. In the middle of the night, you know, you hear all this stuff, and you sort of freak out.
Well, these monks essentially freaked out and came back to the Buddha, and they said, um,
You know, this is not a good place for us to practice. There are these sort of angry tree spirits.
And, um, can you assign us
another place.
And the Buddha said, no.
That's where you're supposed to practice.
But you're supposed… but what you have to do is you have to practice
With the spirit of friendliness, you have to practice
going in there and, um…
being completely…
harmless.
The protection of 'harmlessness'. So it's taught as an antidote to fear.
And someone the other day said that, um,
she's really been sort of watching.
In her metta practice, and she noticed
that when she felt fearful,
And she could bring, especially if there's an individual, if she could bring some…
Some loving-kindness and friendliness to it. The fear sort of dissipated.
So, this idea is that, you know, no one… with Metta
It's the idea that no one should fear
should fear me. You know, that you go in as someone practicing
non-harming. I was, um…
at Moon Palace Bookstore the other day, and I saw that there was a bumper sticker that said,
I refuse to be your enemy.
And, um, I still may pick it up, but I'm not the only one who drives my car, and I don't know if that sentiment is…
shared by the other people who drive my car, so…
Um, but I love that idea. I refuse to be your enemy. We might be adversaries.
We might be opponents.
But not enemies.
And I think that's really the spirit of, um…
of Metta. And the Brahmaviharas, it's not magical thinking. It's not wishing makes it so, but rather it's a wholehearted expression of the way we care.
Um, so, uh, Sharon Sobaldsberg says, you know, when we say something like,
Our caring is, you know, may you be safe and protected in all ways.
Assurances, it's like saying to someone,
Happy birthday. I hope this is a wonderful year for you.
It's not that it magically makes it happen.
But it's an expression of the genuineness.
of our care. Um…
So there are many ways of, um, practicing meta, of expressing our concern. There are…
_________
00:54:45.000 --> 00:54:48.000
And, um, the… the four…
00:54:48.000 --> 00:54:51.000
states are, um…
00:54:51.000 --> 00:54:57.000
metta, the poly word which gets translated as loving-kindness, but it's benevolence,
00:54:57.000 --> 00:55:02.000
Friendliness. Karuna is compassion.
00:55:02.000 --> 00:55:06.000
Mudikha, appreciation, joy.
00:55:06.000 --> 00:55:09.000
And Upeka, which is, um, equanimity.
00:55:09.000 --> 00:55:13.000
And, uh, Martin Allward talks about Metta is the love that cares,
00:55:13.000 --> 00:55:17.000
Karuna, compassion, the love that responds.
00:55:17.000 --> 00:55:20.000
Mudita, the love that delights.
00:55:20.000 --> 00:55:23.000
and Upeka, the love that allows.
00:55:23.000 --> 00:55:25.000
So it's very, um…
00:55:25.000 --> 00:55:30.000
They're… they're beautiful aspects of the way we can care.
00:55:30.000 --> 00:55:35.000
Metta, loving-kindness, was initially taught
00:55:35.000 --> 00:55:40.000
in the, uh, the Buddhist, uh, scriptures, the stories of
00:55:40.000 --> 00:55:43.000
how the Buddha, um…
00:55:43.000 --> 00:55:46.000
trained the disciples. The story is that
00:55:46.000 --> 00:55:50.000
for the range of feet, which is a 3-month retreat, where…
00:55:50.000 --> 00:55:52.000
the monks stayed in one place.
00:55:52.000 --> 00:55:54.000
the Buddha assigned
00:55:54.000 --> 00:55:57.000
a group of monks to go practice
00:55:57.000 --> 00:55:59.000
in a beautiful forest.
00:55:59.000 --> 00:56:02.000
And the monks went there.
00:56:02.000 --> 00:56:04.000
And, uh, sort of setting up.
00:56:04.000 --> 00:56:07.000
And, uh, the story is that the…
00:56:07.000 --> 00:56:10.000
Tree spirits were…
00:56:10.000 --> 00:56:13.000
really put out by this sort of invasion.
00:56:13.000 --> 00:56:20.000
of these other… other beings, and so they really scared the monks. They made a lot of noise.
00:56:20.000 --> 00:56:22.000
And, you know, you sort of…
00:56:22.000 --> 00:56:24.000
I can imagine if anyone has been
00:56:24.000 --> 00:56:32.000
camping, and, you know, especially the first couple of times you're camping. In the middle of the night, you know, you hear all this stuff, and you sort of freak out.
00:56:32.000 --> 00:56:37.000
Well, these monks essentially freaked out and came back to the Buddha, and they said, um,
00:56:37.000 --> 00:56:41.000
You know, this is not a good place for us to practice. There are these sort of angry tree spirits.
00:56:41.000 --> 00:56:44.000
And, um, can you assign us
00:56:44.000 --> 00:56:46.000
another place.
00:56:46.000 --> 00:56:48.000
And the Buddha said, no.
00:56:48.000 --> 00:56:50.000
That's where you're supposed to practice.
00:56:50.000 --> 00:56:55.000
But you're supposed… but what you have to do is you have to practice
00:56:55.000 --> 00:56:58.000
With the spirit of friendliness, you have to practice
00:56:58.000 --> 00:57:01.000
going in there and, um…
00:57:01.000 --> 00:57:04.000
being completely…
00:57:04.000 --> 00:57:06.000
harmless.
00:57:06.000 --> 00:57:12.000
The protection of harmlessness. So it's taught as an antidote to fear.
00:57:12.000 --> 00:57:16.000
And someone the other day said that, um,
00:57:16.000 --> 00:57:18.000
she's really been sort of watching.
00:57:18.000 --> 00:57:21.000
In her meta practice, and she noticed
00:57:21.000 --> 00:57:23.000
that when she felt fearful,
00:57:23.000 --> 00:57:28.000
And she could bring, especially if there's an individual, if she could bring some…
00:57:28.000 --> 00:57:32.000
Some loving-kindness and friendliness to it. The fear sort of dissipated.
00:57:32.000 --> 00:57:37.000
So, this idea is that, you know, no one… with Meta
00:57:37.000 --> 00:57:41.000
It's the idea that no one should fear
00:57:41.000 --> 00:57:46.000
should fear me. You know, that you go in as someone practicing
00:57:46.000 --> 00:57:50.000
non-harming. I was, um…
00:57:50.000 --> 00:57:56.000
at Moon Palace Bookstore the other day, and I saw that there was a bumper sticker that said,
00:57:56.000 --> 00:58:00.000
I refuse to be your enemy.
00:58:00.000 --> 00:58:07.000
And, um, I still may pick it up, but I'm not the only one who drives my car, and I don't know if that sentiment is…
00:58:07.000 --> 00:58:11.000
shared by the other people who drive my car, so…
00:58:11.000 --> 00:58:17.000
Um, but I love that idea. I refuse to be your enemy. We might be adversaries.
00:58:17.000 --> 00:58:19.000
We might be opponents.
00:58:19.000 --> 00:58:22.000
But not enemies.
00:58:22.000 --> 00:58:25.000
And I think that's really the spirit of, um…
00:58:25.000 --> 00:58:36.000
of Meta. And the Brahmavihars, it's not magical thinking. It's not wishing makes it so, but rather it's a wholehearted
00:58:36.000 --> 00:58:39.000
expression of the way we care.
00:58:39.000 --> 00:58:45.000
Um, so, uh, Sharon Sobaldsberg says, you know, when we say something like,
00:58:45.000 --> 00:58:51.000
Our caring is, you know, may you be safe and protected in all ways.
00:58:51.000 --> 00:58:54.000
Assurances, it's like saying to someone,
00:58:54.000 --> 00:58:59.000
Happy birthday. I hope this is a wonderful year for you.
00:58:59.000 --> 00:59:01.000
It's not that it magically makes it happen.
00:59:01.000 --> 00:59:05.000
But it's an expression of the genuineness.
00:59:05.000 --> 00:59:07.000
of our care. Um…
00:59:07.000 --> 00:59:10.000
So there are many ways of, um,
00:59:10.000 --> 00:59:12.000
practicing meta.
00:59:12.000 --> 00:59:16.000
of expressing our concern. There are…
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