The House of Inner Tranquillity Podcast

'Awareness' is a word you hear used time and time again when you come across meditation. What is awareness? How do you develop it? And what benefits will it give you if you do develop it? Jacqui James was a Buddhist Insight meditation teacher and the co-founder of the House of Inner Tranquillity. Jacqui passed away in 1989, aged only 42. This talk was given in September 1986

Have you ever smelled a rose in the evening after the rain has fallen? Anyone who has examined and explored life to any degree knows that there is something special and mysterious about the world we live in. The Buddha's teaching shows us how to realise the wonder and perfection of life for ourselves. Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He...

The increased popularity in mindfulness practices is to be welcomed, although with some reservations. Paul talks about how, through taking the practice of mindfulness beyond just aiming to feel "a bit calmer," we can begin to revolutionise the way we comprehend life. Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.      This talk was given in O...

Many spiritual traditions emphasise the more feminine aspects of meditation, like faith, tranquillity and openness, but can sometimes neglect the equally important masculine components, such as investigation, essential for the development of insight-wisdom and the realisation of freedom from suffering.  Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranqu...

Are political views simply the invention of the ignorant mind that craves for life to be different? Paul explores how embracing the law of kamma and adopting the view of rebirth fulfils both the need for collective responsibility and personal liberty. Further, discovering how the conventional reality of time and space emerges from the play of conditional forces, brings the transcendent understandi...

What is the role of the meditation teacher and how best might students behave towards their guide? Although only 24 minutes long, this is one of the most powerful talks Jacqui gave. The sound quality of the recording is not so great, but the subject matter is still just as relevant and important. Jacqui James was a Buddhist Insight meditation teacher and the co-founder of the House of Inner Tranqu...

What is the perfection of compassion and how does it relate to walking the path to enlightenment? Paul discusses the bodhisattva vow and whether spontaneous enlightenment ever really happens without significant prior spiritual work. Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.    This talk was given in February 2018

Composure is an attitude of self-possession, collectedness, readying oneself and understanding what needs to be done. It is the absence of a "wildness of heart." Paul talks about the role composure has in meditation and walking the spiritual path. Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.   This talk was given in August 2015

Jacqui talks about why we are here on this planet Earth and whether there is or is not a purpose to life. Jacqui James was a Buddhist Insight meditation teacher and the co-founder of the House of Inner Tranquillity. Jacqui passed away in 1989, aged only 42. This talk was given in February 1987

It is fair to say that people meditate because they believe there is a deeper dimension to life, one with which they can get in touch by pursuing that particular path. Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.  This talk was delivered in December 1988

At some point, especially when things are not going well, most of us wonder what life is all about. We ask questions like, "Why me?" or "What have I done to deserve this?" This, Alan James suggests, is the call to the spiritual quest, to discover for ourselves that which lies beyond the conditioned universe. Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 19...

What is the one thing that omniscient knowledge lacks? Can you say life is perfect without imperfection?  Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.  This talk was given in December 2017

What gives rise to compassion, the "melting of the heart," where one intuitively understands another's suffering and its cause? Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.  This talk was given in May 2016

Jhanas are deep states of concentration wherein the mind is fixed or absorbed in a single object of contemplation. Hindrances are the mental qualities, based in self-concern and resistance, that prevent such deep states of absorption from arising. Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity. This talk was given in May 2016

Why is perception such an important part of life and meditation? Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.   This talk was given in October 2016

How do we deal with unwanted memories, the concomitant painful feelings and sense of regret that arise as a consequence? Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.  This talk was given in April 2017

Why is the Sangha, the community of practitioners, such an important part of the Buddhist philosophy and training? Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity. This talk was given in August 2017