In this episode Rev. Mikey Noechel offers the closing talk of WHMC's Interdependence Day Weekend Retreat held in Bay St. Louis, MS on July 6th-9th, 2023 with Flowering Lotus Meditation.

In this episode Rev. Mikey Noechel offers an instructional talk and guided meditation on compassion. This talk was given as the second morning instructions of WHMC's Interdependence Day Weekend Retreat held in Bay St. Louis, MS on July 6th-9th, 2023 with Flowering Lotus Meditation. The phrases Mikey offers for the meditation are: May I open to any parts of myself that are hurting. May I care for any parts of myself that are hurting. May I be free from suffering.

The first evening of the Interdependence Weekend Retreat, Andrew talks about the Wisdom of Dissatisfaction and how the dharma encourages us to embrace the difficulties in our lives rather than always seeking to fix, manage, and control ourselves into being better versions of ourselves. Enjoy!

In this episode Rev. Mikey Noechel offers an instructional talk and guided meditation on metta or loving kindness. This talk was given as the first afternoon instructions of WHMC's Interdependence Day Weekend Retreat held in Bay St. Louis, MS on July 6th-9th, 2023 with Flowering Lotus Meditation. The phrases Mikey offers for the meditation are: May I be at ease May I be at peace May I be kind and gentle with myself May I be filled with loving kindness

On the first day of the WHMC Interdependence Weekend Retreat, Andrew offers instructions on mindfulness of breathing. Enjoy!

In this episode, Rev. Mikey Noechel offers a talk on tanha which is the cause of suffering. Tanha is often translated to mean craving, thirst or addiction and is the second of the Four Noble Truths. The Four Noble Truths are: 1st Noble Truth (dukkha): There is pain, loss, sickness, and death in life. 2nd Noble Truth (taṇhā): The cause of suffering is reactive, repetitive craving. 3rd Noble Truth (nirodha): There is an end to suffering. 4th Noble Truth (magga): There is a path leading to the...

In this episode, Andrew talks about the 3 skills that we are essentially cultivating in our meditation practice: 1. concentration, 2. investigation, and 3. equanimity. These are three aspects of meditation that guide us to the liberating potential of the Buddha's teachings. Enjoy!

In this episode Rev. Mikey Noechel offers a talk on the 1st Noble Truth, the truth of dukkha. Dukkha is often translated as pain, suffering, or stress. This is what the Buddha described dukkha as in the Turning the Wheel of Dhamma Sutta: "This is dukkha: birth is dukkha, aging is dukkha, sickness is dukkha, death is dukkha, encountering what is not dear is dukkha, separation from what is dear is dukkha, not getting what one wants is dukkha." Mikey offers compassion, a loving relationship...

Andrew finishes up the series on the Buddha's teaching of "The 3 Marks of Existence: Dukkha, Annica, and Anatta". In this talk he speaks on the topic of non-self. How can we take our thoughts, mind states, and emotions less personally and learn to relate to them with more open-ness and curiosity? This is the heart of the Buddha's liberating teaching on Anatta. Enjoy!

In this episode Jennifer Wang and Rev. Mikey Noechel team up to discuss the role of discipline in meditation practice. They explore how effect, integrity, and discipline brings upon spiritual joy. Peace & Love. Hope you enjoy! UPCOMING RETREAT: Interdependence Day Weekend Retreat: A Compassion Meditation Retreat with Andrew Chapman & Rev. Mikey Noechel July 6th - 9th, 2023 WILLIAM J. KELLEY RETREAT CENTER Bay St Louis, Mississippi Learn more & sign up...

Flowering Lotus Meditation will be hosting our Interdependence Day Compassion Meditation Retreat on July 6-9, 2023 in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. In this episode, Beth Herzig from Flowering Lotus Meditation speaks with Rev. Mikey Noechel and Andrew Chapman about the upcoming retreat. Listen to find out: What's a compassion meditation retreat? How do we face life's suffering and pain? What is the point in experiencing pain? What's going on with Buddhism in the Southeast? This episode was...

In this episode Rev. Mikey Noechel offers a talk and meditation on the 3rd foundation of mindfulness: mindfulness of the mind. This talk is a part of a series on the Satipatthana Sutta which is the discourse of the four foundations of mindfulness. The four foundations are: 1st Foundation: Mindfulness of Body 2nd Foundation: Mindfulness of Feelings 3rd Foundation: Mindfulness of the Mind 4th Foundation: Mindfulness of the Dharma The Satipatthana Sutta can be viewed...

In this episode, Andrew continues a series of talks on "The Three Marks of Existence". This is his second talk on "Dukkha", where we dive into the topic of craving and clinging. Enjoy!

Andrew continues a series of talks on "The 3 Marks of Existence" speaking on the topic of Dukkha. Perhaps the first teaching that the Buddha offered was on the nature of our unhappiness and dissatisfaction in life, and his radical and somewhat paradoxical teaching of how embracing this aspect of our lives is actually a way to find deeper freedom and peace.

In this episode Kit Canlas offers a talk on engaged Buddhism in response to the Nashville school shooting and the political violence which followed. Kit offers reflections on clear seeing, non-violence, compassion, spiritual urgency, and right action as a way to apply Buddhist principles in difficult times. UPCOMING RETREAT: Interdependence Day Weekend Retreat: A Compassion Meditation Retreat with Andrew Chapman & Rev. Mikey Noechel July 6th - 9th, 2023 at WILLIAM J. KELLEY RETREAT...

In this episode Rev. Mikey Noechel offers instructions on mindfulness of breathing as it appears in the Satipatthana Sutta: "Herein, monks, a monk, having gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree or to an empty place, sits down with his legs crossed, keeps his body erect and his mindfulness alert. "Experiencing the whole (breath-) body, I shall breathe in," thus he trains himself. "Experiencing the whole (breath-) body, I shall breathe out," thus he trains himself. "Calming the activity...

Andrew continues a series of talks on the Buddha's teachings of the 3 Marks of Existence. How often do we suffer over the story the mind tells about ourselves? The endless comparisons, expectations, and negative self-talk. What if the Buddha told you that all of those stories are simply just thoughts? At first that may feel condescending, but once you sit in meditation and start taking the mind less personally, we can find so much freedom from its unhelpful stories and comments. Enjoy!

This is a continuation of a series of talks on the topic of "The 3 Marks of Existence". These are the essence of the Buddha's teachings: impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and not-self. Andrew kicks it off by talking about how we can notice impermanence on every scale of our lives: macro (birth, aging, illness, and death), mezzo (changing events and experiences in our lives), and micro (moment to moment changes in our sensory experience and mind). In particular, Andrew highlights how the...

Andrew Chapman begins a series of talks on the 3 marks of existence, which are the 3 core insights realized through the Buddha's teachings and the practice of vipassana (insight meditation). The 3 marks are: Anicca, Dukkha, and Anatta, which roughly translate to mean: impermanent, imperfect, and impersonal. We're very excited for this series and hope you enjoy!

In this episode Rev. Mikey Noe and Callan Dwan offer an introduction and overview of the Satipatthana Sutta. This discourse outlines the four foundations of mindfulness which are: 1st Foundation- Mindfulness of Breath & Body 2nd Foundation- Mindfulness of Feeling Tone 3rd Foundation- Mindfulness of Mind 4th Foundation- Mindfulness of Dhammas The Satipatthana Sutta is available here: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.010.nysa.html Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoy....

In this episode, WHMC facilitator Maddie Finn offers a talk on "The Second Arrow". A teaching that brings clarity to the ways we can cause extra suffering and pain for ourselves. She touches on not only the basics of this profound teaching, but also how to implement it into practice both on and off the meditation cushion.

In this episode Rev. Mikey Noe and Callan Dawn offer a talk on the Five Spiritual Faculties which are: faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. Enjoy!

In this episode WHMC facilitator Roy Wyman takes a deep dive into Viparinama Dukkha. He discusses how practicing with the understanding that all pleasant things are subject to change, can be a powerful vehicle for insight. Can we be willing to acknowledge that clinging to pleasant experiences and things will not bring lasting happiness?

In this episode, guest facilitator, Jennifer Wang, and Andrew Chapman tag team a talk on equanimity. Jennifer starts off by talking about how equanimity fits into the larger scheme of the Heart Practices, as a balancing factor. Then, Andrew talks about the experience of equanimity as spaciousness and letting go of control. Lastly, Jennifer shares about the common misconceptions of equanimity and then Andrew outlines the practice and offers a guided meditation. Enjoy!

in this talk, WHMC Facilitator Maddie Finn talk about equanimity. how do the Buddha's teachings and the meditation path that we're on help us develop more evenmindedness and balance with life's inevitable joys and sorrows? how do we find peace, even when life itself is not feeling very peaceful? this is the practice of equanimity: a deep abiding sense of steadiness inside of oneself. Enjoy!