Starting Over AGAIN
No blame. No shame.  Let’s start again.
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Mentor Diane Wilde

Frequently, we need to remind ourselves about this practice; what we are doing and why are we doing it.  It is so easy to slip into the stress and demands of everyday life, and put meditation and mindfulness WAY in the background… “When I have time.” By the time we get back to it, if we ever do, we may have lost our way.  Where should we start, AGAIN?  What do I need to do now?  Am I failure as a Buddhist practitioner?  Have my previous efforts been lost?

Tonight we will discuss the basics of this practice… the Three Trainings of virtuous behavior (sila), meditation or concentration (samadhi) and discernment or wisdom (panna), which make up the map that the Buddha encourages us to follow.  Whether we follow a linear path or determine an area which needs more attention, we are practicing mindfulness and meditation and we are starting over again.  The wonderful thing about the Dharma is when we focus on one aspect of the path, it automatically brings in the others.  Tonight, let’s start again.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.