Everyone has heard the phrase “being your own worst enemy” which points to the way we can sometimes use negative self-talk to sabotage or hold ourselves back from progress on the path. This talk will highlight the importance of befriending our own mind and accepting it rather than fighting it. Then, as the meditation master Dipa Ma once said, “it ceases to be a problem.”
Gil Fronsdal writes: “Some people have a strong tendency to resist change of any type, including new perspectives and understandings.” “Not me” we might think, “I know about impermanence.” But this practice teaches us that “knowing about” a concept is quite different than “living into” an experience or insight.
While a general understanding of changes in the seasons may be helpful, a more precise awareness can reveal the discomfort that accompanies the transition from one moment to another. Given that change is built into this human life, our practice of using the practice of meditative awareness to work with transitions, uncertainty, and discomfort can serve us well, especially in difficult times in our lives and the world. Further, it can also reveal that change itself can bring great benefits.
This evening will be an opportunity to reflect on our relationship to uncertainty and change and to learn from each other about how to work with them.
Why do we practice, and how do we practice, in a life that keeps moving, changing, and asking things of us, especially in times like these, when the world feels intense, fast, and fragile?
If there is a goal in meditation practice, perhaps it could best be described as inner transformation of the heart. In Satipatthana Meditation: A Practice Guide, Buddhist scholar Bhikkhu Analayo writes, “Meditation practice should result in an improvement in the way we are, how we relate to others, and how we deal with outer circumstances.” He also describes this as “a genuine opening of the heart to the qualities of kindness and compassion.” During this talk, we will explore this further, with the aid of stories and poems, and perhaps discover ways it might manifest in our own experience.
SIM’s mission is to integrate meditative awareness into all aspects of daily life. The core faculty will explore this topic together on this evening. Walt, Diane, and Rich will reflect on their own daily life practices and leave plenty of time for reflections from the community.
This talk explores how we get swept away by reactivity or sink into disconnection, and how practice invites a steadier, more open way of meeting experience.
What is our state of mind when we show up — for meditation, for relationships, for life? The way we arrive inwardly shapes what happens next: how we perceive, relate to, and understand our experience. It quietly guides the direction in which the mind and heart are pointed.
Learning to establish the mind in Not Knowing is a vital foundation of practice. This evening will explore what “establishing the mind in Not Knowing” really means, why it matters so deeply, and some practical ways to cultivate this fertile, spacious quality of mind.
Please join us for our 2026 State of the Sangha gathering. We continue the tradition begun last year of keeping our community informed about what is happening at SIM, including updates on teaching, finances, and Board succession.
We will share where we are in our five-year plan, reflect on the past year, and offer a clear picture of SIM’s financial health. This is an opportunity to ask questions, stay informed, and better understand how our community is moving forward.
We look forward to gathering together in a spirit of transparency as we continue to strengthen our community.