Vinny Ferraro, a renowned Dharma teacher and Guiding Teacher of the Big Heart City Sangha, shares his intriguing insights on Buddhism and personal growth. He emphasizes the importance of aligning internal experiences and the practice of 'noting' to foster mindfulness. Vinny discusses the art of being an 'empathetic witness' to oneself and reflects on the ties between family dynamics and personal suffering. He also explores techniques for redirecting awareness, managing emotions, and cultivating compassion, highlighting transformative paths toward healing.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Aligning with Wisdom
Regularly check in with yourself and discern which mind states to follow.
Align with wise, kind, and generous qualities within yourself.
insights INSIGHT
Limitations of the Mind
Recognize that suffering arises from identifying with thoughts and emotions.
Cultivate the Brahma Viharas (loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity) as stable refuges.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Flashing Basic Goodness
Remember your inherent goodness, even amidst challenging circumstances.
Don't let others' perceptions define you; stay rooted in your own value.
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Practical advice from a straight-talking former criminal and occasionally profane dharma teacher.
Vinny Ferraro is the Guiding Teacher of the Big Heart City Sangha in San Francisco and has led a weekly sitting group for almost two decades. As a fully empowered Dharma Teacher thru Spirit Rock/IMS, he has taught residential retreats at Spirit Rock, Insight Meditation Society, and the Esalen Institute. Currently, he leads Spirit Rock's Year to Live course and teaches retreats and daylongs through Big Heart City and meditation centers across the country. He is a respected leader in developing and implementing interventions for at-risk populations. leading groups in schools, juvenile halls and prisons since 1987. He has led emotional intelligence workshops for over 100,000 youth on four continents.
In this episode we talk about:
Alignment
Vinny‘s concept of “flashing your basic goodness”
Noting practice
The deep satisfaction in not seeking satisfaction
Redirecting awareness
Being an “empathetic witness” for yourself
When to opt for distraction
Not taking what’s not yours
Vinny’s ancestor practice
What is the connection between seeing our family patterns and not taking what is not ours?
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