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FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON 43

you suggest the preliminary steps and types of understanding. If you have a teacher, discuss your
meditation they should begin with? concerns about not progressing and seek their advice.

I think the preliminary steps involve using whatever If you’ve been practicing for a while without a teacher,
resources are available around you. We’re really fortunate that’s where to start. Your lack of progress might be
these days because we have so much information at our because you haven’t connected with the human element
fingertips. This is both positive and negative – positive in of this practice. Lineage in Buddhism isn’t just about
the sense that someone interested in Buddhism or new to texts and reading stories of great masters from the
Buddhist meditation has a lot to explore on the Internet, past – that’s part of it, but lineage is a living thing. We
but negative in that we can mistake information for can connect with people who have not only received
experience and depth. Information is just information – these Buddhist lineages but have actually practiced and
depth comes from practicing the Dharma, contemplating developed depth in their practice.
it, and trying to understand it through study.
Remember that obstacles and roadblocks in meditation
Start by exploring different lineages, teachers, books, practice can be very personal – they don’t all look the
etc., online. If you have an earnest wish to know the same or manifest in the same way. It can really depend
Dharma and you start to feel faith in the Dharma of on the individual. So we may need some more personal
Shakyamuni Buddha, I strongly believe this will lead advice from a teacher.
you in the right direction. Things will emerge naturally
Would you like to share with us your online course
– you’ll develop more discernment as you read different
“Buddhist Practices for Opening the Heart”?
books, watch videos, and perhaps take online courses.

It’s beneficial to have a meditation teacher, so try to I have various courses available on my website to explore
connect with a local meditation teacher or one online, meditation practice and deepen your understanding
and learn some basics of Buddhist meditation. Most of of Buddhism and the Dharma. The course on Buddhist
us start with shamatha practice, which I think is a great practices for opening the heart focuses on cultivating
foundation because we learn to bring our attention loving-kindness and compassion from a Buddhist
and awareness into the present moment. This gives us perspective. It addresses how these qualities influence our
more strength and ability to go deeper into the Dharma. relationships with others, but begins with examining our
While different lineages or traditions might start you relationship to ourselves, our emotions, and our thoughts.
with different practices, even a basic mindfulness of
breath practice can be a great beginning. We move through different embodiment or somatic
awareness practices, as well as a classical approach
What if you’ve been practicing for a long time but through what are called the four boundless states:
not making any progress in it? boundless equanimity, love, compassion, and joy. The

course continues with exploration of lojong or mind
This relates back to our earlier discussion about training practice from the Indian and Tibetan Buddhist
progress. First, we need to understand the Dharma to traditions, working with a practice called tonglen or
understand what progress is. Sometimes we think we’re giving and taking. It concludes by exploring how to
not making progress because we have a particular idea develop non-dual compassion, merging the teachings
of what progress should look like. from Buddhism, specifically Mahayana Buddhism, on
compassion with the teachings on Buddhist non-duality
For beginners, understanding might come through
reading books and connecting with teachers or classes The course takes an experiential rather than scholastic
online or in person. For someone who has been practicing approach, with different meditation practices each
for a while, you need to examine your intentions for week. You’re welcome to find more information on my
why you’re doing what you’re doing and check your website. EH