by Eric Harrison | Jul 24, 2018 | General Articles
This is a transcript of a lecture I gave on 21 July 2018 at the Australian Meditation Conference in Melbourne. This talk is an analysis of just one word. Sati is the Buddha’s word for ordinary, everyday attention. Sati is also translated by our more complicated and... Read more
by Eric Harrison | Jan 10, 2018 | General Articles
Three years ago, I reached the age of 65, and I started to seriously consider life after work. What would be the best possible way to live, given the time remaining? When I become free of the need to earn a living, what activities would give me the most satisfaction?... Read more
by Eric Harrison | Oct 27, 2017 | Foundations of Mindfulness
The Foundations of Mindfulness is the Buddha’s original manual for the training of attention. 2500 years on, it is still the most lucid and comprehensive explanation of mindfulness available to us. Both the modern mindfulness movement and 10-day Vipassana retreats... Read more
by Eric Harrison | Nov 2, 2017 | General Articles
Because I seem to know a lot about Buddhism, my students often ask me if I also follow a spiritual path. In other words, do I follow a particular Buddhist teacher or lineage, or hold beliefs about reincarnation or an afterlife? Often these people are also wondering... Read more
by Eric Harrison | Oct 27, 2017 | Foundations of Mindfulness
In the last chapter I described sati as sustained, purposeful attention. I will now explain how it is applied throughout the Sutta. Before I do so, I have to address an uncomfortable issue. The Buddha’s techniques are exquisitely practical, but his values are not... Read more
by Eric Harrison | Oct 27, 2017 | Foundations of Mindfulness
For a text that is 2500 years old, the Sutta is remarkably easy to understand, so why is it so neglected? Part of the reason is the mistranslation and consequent misuse of its key term. In this chapter, I’ll try to answer just one question: what did the Buddha... Read more
by Eric Harrison | Apr 6, 2016 | General Articles, Magazine Articles
In 2005, after producing my book The 5-Minute Meditator, I was asked to write a series of monthly articles for Nova Magazine, which is a nationwide publication based in Perth. Each magazine has a particular theme, which explains the diversity of subject matter in the... Read more
by Eric Harrison | Oct 15, 2016 | General Articles
1. What is Meditation? Meditation is a technique that relaxes the body quickly and calms the mind. It involves two skills. The first is learning to relax quickly and consciously. The second is learning to pay attention and so control thought. Relaxation and... Read more
by Eric Harrison | Apr 28, 2016 | General Articles
Why do people meditate choose to meditate? There are many possible reasons but one always comes out on top. This issue usually has to be dealt with first. When I ask my students why they want to learn, they typically say they are too anxious. They have runaway minds... Read more
by Eric Harrison | Apr 27, 2016 | General Articles
Most insomniacs know why they can’t sleep. They think too much. Their minds go too fast and never stop. When they go to bed, the unfinished thoughts of the day crowd in on them. Even if they fall asleep through sheer exhaustion, they often wake a few hours later... Read more
