Pariyatti

Story 72 from 'A Lifetime Doing Nothing' by Ian McCrorie . I think there is a place in our lives for tradition and even ritual. They keep our lives simple and understandable. In our family we have pancakes every Sunday and tea every evening. We go for walks together. We spend a month every summer at our cottage. We watch a movie every Friday night.... narrated by Ian McCrorie 2023 4 minutes 14 sec...

Story 71 from 'A Lifetime Doing Nothing' by Ian McCrorie . The summer after high school, Tony, his younger brother Chris, and I set out in an old Vauxhall held together with spit and bailing wire for points west on the Trans-Canada Highway. We camped the entire way and cooked over an open fire. Once we reached the Pacific, we headed south to the Oregon hills before turning east and eventually home...

Story 70 from 'A Lifetime Doing Nothing' by Ian McCrorie . Bhante Rahula and I would meditate outside on some very flat but hard boulders because that summer was particularly hot. On this particular day, I crossed my legs and straightened my spine as usual. I closed my eyes, and almost immediately I felt nothing but subtle vibrating throughout my entire being. It appeared I had dissolved into puls...

"How to Find More Psychological Stability in an Unstable Time: The Role of Meditation" is an online Zoom talk by Paul R. Fleischman given on November 10th, 2022, co-sponsored by Connecticut Vipassana, Being Well at Yale, Good Life Center, MCDB DEI Committee, New Haven Library, Hindu Life at Yale, Buddhist Life at Yale, South Asian Studies Council, New Haven Insight and Woodbridge Town Library. Thi...

Story 69 from 'A Lifetime Doing Nothing' by Ian McCrorie . The more I investigate and dissect what I focus my attention on with clear comprehension, the more apparent becomes the changing nature of the mind and body. I don’t have to chase away any uncomfortable feelings or pains with alcohol or drugs or various distractions. I am less inclined to succumb to their whispered promise to stop being th...

Story 68 from 'A Lifetime Doing Nothing' by Ian McCrorie . On my way to school one bitterly cold winter's day, I passed a house in the early stages of being built. The workers were framing the roof. The wind was howling, the snow was blowing, and they kept at it because that is what we all must do. We choose our path…roofer, physicist, or, like me, a solo contemplative on a hilltop in India. But w...

Pariyatti Presents...a panel discussion about "Maintaining Your Meditation Practice at Home: Helpful Supports and Challenges" recorded on November 13, 2022. The panel consists of meditators in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin as taught by S.N. Goenka moderated by Paul R. Fleischman. The panelists (Michal Barnea Astrog, Wayne Smith, Kory Goldberg and Marta Van Patten) share their experiences base...

Story 67 from 'A Lifetime Doing Nothing' by Ian McCrorie . I was too thin to have good quality clothes fit me well. When I wore a suit, my head looked too small. When I turned my head while wearing a collar and tie, neither collar nor tie moved. Like a compass, my tie always pointed north. If it weren't for the sleeves, I could perform a full 360-degree rotation without my suit getting a wrinkle....

Story 66 from 'A Lifetime Doing Nothing' by Ian McCrorie . To be a Buddhist is to be a Stoic and to be a Stoic is to be a Buddhist. Neither is a religion. Mere belief in their precepts holds no purchase. Reciting them every morning proves futile. Both speak of universal truths and natural laws that govern human and social behavior. Both schools are empirical, which is to say they are evidence-base...

This is a Pariyatti Presents... interview with Bill Crecelius, the author of A Meditator's Handbook , Vipassana teacher and practiioner of Vipassana meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin. The interview is followed by a 30-minute Q&A session, where he answers selected questions from the audience. Bill Crecelius interviewed by Marta Van Patten 2022 1 hour 29 minut...

Story 65 from 'A Lifetime Doing Nothing' by Ian McCrorie . From my small hut atop a hill in Maharashtra, I could watch the farmers on the plains below. Late afternoon was my favorite time of day. The cow dust hour, it was called, and for good reason. The cows kicked up reddish dust as they were herded home from the pastures. The farmers sang... narrated by Ian McCrorie 2022 2 minutes 13 seconds Li...

Story 64 from 'A Lifetime Doing Nothing' by Ian McCrorie . When someone says hello to me in Korean, I invariably reply “kamsahamnida.” My response is immediate and trips naturally off my tongue. Unfortunately “kamsahamnida” does not mean “hello.” It means, “thank you.” But I don’t care. To my ear, “kamsahamnida” sounds like a greeting. It sounds more like a... narrated by Ian McCrorie 2022 3 minut...

This is a Pariyatti Presents... interview with the Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi on September 18, 2022. Ven. Bodhi discusses topics such as how he became a monk, how he started his Pāli translation work, the challenges encountered, social engagement as a monk (while running the charity Buddhist Global Relief), and right speech. The interview is followed by a 30-minute Q&A session, where he answers selected q...

Story 63 from 'A Lifetime Doing Nothing' by Ian McCrorie . I like to bake bread. Actually, the bread bakes itself; I simply facilitate the process. I add the flour to the yeast and water. I then knead the mixture, but even in this most tactile of experiences I am more an engaged observer than a creator. Kneading continues until the mixture reveals to my hands and fingers that the mixture is well k...

Story 62 from 'A Lifetime Doing Nothing' by Ian McCrorie . Because we aren't trying to get better or happier or stronger or wealthier, our life advice no longer needs to come from style gurus and lifestyle coaches. (What is a lifestyle anyway? And why does it need coaching?) Of course, we aren't trying to get sadder or weaker or poorer either. We are simply living a more unconditioned life, a more...

This is an interview with Klaus Nothnagel, Pāli teacher, author, and creator of the online Pāli courses "Exploring the Path" and "Buddhasahassanamavali." Klaus Nothnagel interviewed by Marta Van Patten 2022 1 hour 32 minutes Watch the video or download the audio.   Download Audio (44MB) Find the online Pali courses by Klaus at the Pariyatti Learning Center . Introduction to Pali (PDF) Intro to Pal...

Story 61 from 'A Lifetime Doing Nothing' by Ian McCrorie . When I was young, we were a family of four living in a small apartment. At the time, especially as a teenager, I bemoaned my lot in life and wished I lived in a far grander home like a few of my friends. My mother fancied herself a philosopher. She read Lin Yutang and Richard Needham of the Toronto Globe and Mail. My father was an army guy...

Story 60 from 'A Lifetime Doing Nothing' by Ian McCrorie . As one proceeds on the non-doing path, the simpler life becomes. The simplicity refers to a lessening of inner confusion, not necessarily to fewer possessions. A letting go or a discarding happens naturally to all the habitual mind patterns that we immerse ourselves in. Again, it’s the craving for and our attachment to our chosen modes of...

This was an online talk given by Paul R. Fleischman to the Denver Insight Meditation Group on July 17, 2022. It is intended for an audience that, while experienced in practicing meditation or well-informed on the subject, still seeks to understand the unique features of Vipassana meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka and the organization that provides 10-day courses to learn it. Paul R. Fleischman h...

Story 59 from 'A Lifetime Doing Nothing' by Ian McCrorie . I have spent most of my adult life avoiding gainful employment. I remember telling my guidance counselor at the age of fourteen that I wanted to be a shepherd. I pictured myself lazing under a giant oak, my trusty staff at my side, ready to rescue any wayward sheep. But shepherding was not on his list of future occupations, so he checked o...

Story 58 from 'A Lifetime Doing Nothing' by Ian McCrorie . I don't do fun. I shun hysteria. I never understood the causal relationship between indulging in a fun activity and happiness. Having the bejesus scared out of me on a roller-coaster is not, in and of itself (as we used to insert into arguments in Philosophy 101), fun. It is terrifying. The fun can only arise, if at all, when the ride is.....

Story 57 from 'A Lifetime Doing Nothing' by Ian McCrorie . One parent-teacher evening, a parent caught me alone at my desk and asked to see me for a few minutes. She seemed upset over some perceived injustice or oversight. She started in on me before she had sat down. “My Eliza in your grade 6 geography class received a failing grade on her last test. She had studied very hard for that test. She i...

Story 56 from 'A Lifetime Doing Nothing' by Ian McCrorie . I meditate mostly in my room, but I always meditate in silence. I remain still. Stillness is both a vehicle to silence and a byproduct of the same. Ajahn Chah referred to doing nondoing as a still forest pond. Stillness is also the antonym of distraction, whereas the conditioned mind is the epitome of distraction, filled as it is with well...

Story 55 from 'A Lifetime Doing Nothing' by Ian McCrorie . On the way to Eungam Station in Seoul lived a tailor and his wife. He did simple alterations to pants and jackets. His wife did the measuring and the pinning. They had two large dry-cleaning machines, also her responsibility, as was the folding. He however did all the pressing. They both worked slowly. This being my favorite speed, I could...

Story 54 from 'A Lifetime Doing Nothing' by Ian McCrorie . When I was young, I would spend a few weeks of my summer holiday at my grandmother’s in Toronto. She lived by herself in a small apartment in the downtown. She had no television. She had no games or toys. There were no books at my age level, let alone comics. I loved it. My mother would catch up with Grandma. I was left to fend for myself....