Ecstatic Contemplative Support Community
Having hosted a wonderful meditation group in Boulder, CO for 9 months during 2010, Michael is in the process of creating a second group -- details forthcoming!
Michael is also considering retreat possibilities for the coming months, so do stayed tuned on that front.
And, finally, Michael is interested in leading meditation via Skype, so that friends and fellow contemplatives across the globe may gather together for a brief teaching based on instructions and insights gained from shared dhamma study (see below), and then spend an hour in silence that effortlessly traverses the miles. He looks forward to spending time with you in this way.
Those interested in joining a cyber community around ecstatic meditation and Michael's other offerings, please visit the Forum page.
Michael is also considering retreat possibilities for the coming months, so do stayed tuned on that front.
And, finally, Michael is interested in leading meditation via Skype, so that friends and fellow contemplatives across the globe may gather together for a brief teaching based on instructions and insights gained from shared dhamma study (see below), and then spend an hour in silence that effortlessly traverses the miles. He looks forward to spending time with you in this way.
Those interested in joining a cyber community around ecstatic meditation and Michael's other offerings, please visit the Forum page.
Ecstatic Meditation Peer-Mentorship
Whether you live near Michael's home in Boulder, Colorado or within
Skype range via the Internet, he is available to mentor those who are
ready to establish a rigorous and skillful daily meditation practice.
This practice follows instructions given by Gautama Buddha, preserved in
the Phala Nikaya
(i.e., Discourses on Meditative Attainment), and is meant to form the
centerpiece of the contemplative's life, around which every other
activity is arranged.
We've found that this practice, which entails a lifetime commitment (see below) every bit as serious as outlined in monastic vows, makes sense only for those who have exhausted their search for a contemplative practice and are ready to knuckle down into a retreat-like existence for the remainder of their earthly life. Three meditation sessions are prescribed, upwards of an hour's length each -- or, two hour-long sessions with a shorter one before bed, after which one meditates into the sleep domain, the goal being to practice throughout the nocturnal cycle. We also make time for daily dhamma study of the Buddha's Discourses, writings from ecstatic mystics of various traditions, and divine Scriptures that reflect the Mystery behind human existence. And, most importantly of all, we give rise to saturation in meditative absorption, such that we are able to shift our conscious attention onto self-arising bliss, joy and ecstasy throughout the day, deepening our mindfulness of the present moment without reference to any surface drama.
Contact Michael if you are interested in a peer-mentorship relationship around establishing and supporting you in a contemplative practice along the lines described here.
We've found that this practice, which entails a lifetime commitment (see below) every bit as serious as outlined in monastic vows, makes sense only for those who have exhausted their search for a contemplative practice and are ready to knuckle down into a retreat-like existence for the remainder of their earthly life. Three meditation sessions are prescribed, upwards of an hour's length each -- or, two hour-long sessions with a shorter one before bed, after which one meditates into the sleep domain, the goal being to practice throughout the nocturnal cycle. We also make time for daily dhamma study of the Buddha's Discourses, writings from ecstatic mystics of various traditions, and divine Scriptures that reflect the Mystery behind human existence. And, most importantly of all, we give rise to saturation in meditative absorption, such that we are able to shift our conscious attention onto self-arising bliss, joy and ecstasy throughout the day, deepening our mindfulness of the present moment without reference to any surface drama.
Contact Michael if you are interested in a peer-mentorship relationship around establishing and supporting you in a contemplative practice along the lines described here.
A Lifetime Commitment
While it is clear that not everyone builds her or his life around ecstatic meditation and the study of sacred texts, it is also clear that some of us do.
Further clarity reveals that Western culture does very little to support the ecstatic contemplative. Mainline meditation traditions, for the most part, suppress the ecstatic through outright condemnation in some cases, or through subtle subterfuge in others.
Giving rise to bliss, joy and ecstasy (as directly and clearly taught by the Buddha) requires a lifestyle that is similar to an endless meditation retreat.
Such a lifestyle leads to ever-deepening saturation in meditative absorption, which gradually erodes our neuroses and other hindrances to spiritual awakening. It is the cultivation of this saturation in meditative absorption that forms the art of a rigorous and skillful contemplative life.
If you have come into (or seek help in coming into) the bliss, joy and ecstasy of meditative absorption, and are looking for the support of contemplatives who have done the same, please consider joining me in growing a community that meditates and studies together on a regular basis.
Further clarity reveals that Western culture does very little to support the ecstatic contemplative. Mainline meditation traditions, for the most part, suppress the ecstatic through outright condemnation in some cases, or through subtle subterfuge in others.
Giving rise to bliss, joy and ecstasy (as directly and clearly taught by the Buddha) requires a lifestyle that is similar to an endless meditation retreat.
Such a lifestyle leads to ever-deepening saturation in meditative absorption, which gradually erodes our neuroses and other hindrances to spiritual awakening. It is the cultivation of this saturation in meditative absorption that forms the art of a rigorous and skillful contemplative life.
If you have come into (or seek help in coming into) the bliss, joy and ecstasy of meditative absorption, and are looking for the support of contemplatives who have done the same, please consider joining me in growing a community that meditates and studies together on a regular basis.