Christina Feldman, a longtime dharma teacher and co-founder of Gaia House, shares her journey from unexpectedly landing in India to becoming a prominent voice in Buddhist mindfulness. She discusses the transformative power of early meditation experiences and the significance of compassion in understanding dukkha, or suffering. Their conversation explores the balance between empathy and self-care, highlighting the role of fear in human suffering. Christina emphasizes practical paths to nurture equanimity and cultivate nirvana in everyday life.
Christina Feldman's journey into meditation began unexpectedly in India during the 1970s, highlighting the transformative power of immersive experiences in spiritual growth.
The conversation emphasizes understanding 'dukkha' not only as suffering but also as life’s inherent instability, crucial for personal growth and compassion cultivation.
Both speakers discuss equanimity as an embodied understanding, essential for navigating life's challenges, especially in emotionally demanding situations like caregiving.
Deep dives
Sharon Salzberg's Annual Meditation Challenge
The podcast highlights Sharon Salzberg's annual Real Happiness Meditation Challenge, which opens for registration in January and takes place throughout February. This month-long initiative offers participants guided meditations aimed at fostering personal meditation practices, emphasizing that all contributions are by donation. It serves as an inviting opportunity for both beginners and seasoned practitioners to either jumpstart or rejuvenate their meditation journeys. Participants can engage in different daily meditations focusing on concentration, mindfulness, and loving-kindness, creating a sense of community among practitioners from around the world.
Christina Feldman's Journey to Meditation
A significant portion of the conversation delves into Christina Feldman's personal journey into meditation, which began unexpectedly when she found herself traveling to India in the mid-70s. As she recounts her experience of adapting to the challenging environment of India, she shares how the Tibetan refugee community's resilience and generosity deeply inspired her. This immersive experience ultimately led her to study under renowned teachers, including the Dalai Lama and various Tibetan tutors, solidifying her commitment to Buddhist practices. Christina's narrative illustrates the power of finding unexpected paths in spiritual growth, showcasing the transformative potential of such solitude and connection.
Exploring Dukkha: Understanding Suffering
Throughout the discussion, both speakers emphasize the importance of understanding 'dukkha', the Pali term commonly translated as suffering. They discuss its various definitions, suggesting that dukkha encompasses not only intense pain but also the subtler feelings of instability and vulnerability inherent in human existence. Christina shares her insights on how reflections on motivation and compassion form the foundation of overcoming dukkha in daily life, stressing the need to explore one's emotional landscape thoroughly. The speakers convey that acknowledging dukkha is essential for personal growth and the cultivation of compassion and equanimity.
The Concept of Equanimity in Practice
The conversation shifts to the concept of equanimity, with both Sharon and Christina discussing its relevance to their teachings and personal experiences. Christina explains equanimity as an embodied understanding rather than a mere state of emotional neutrality, reflecting on balancing joy and sorrow in one’s life. They explore how equanimity allows one to engage with life's challenges without being overwhelmed by them, especially in caregiving contexts where emotional burnout is common. The speakers offer practical advice on fostering equanimity through mindfulness practices that encourage recognizing the limits of control over others and finding peace amidst external chaos.
The Role of Joyfulness in the Spiritual Path
Towards the end of the episode, Christina emphasizes the importance of cultivating joyfulness as a resource to meet suffering and challenges in life. She shares her recent focus on encouraging practices that allow space for appreciation and gratitude amidst daily struggles, suggesting that joyfulness is vital for fostering resilience. Amidst their discussion of serious themes, both speakers highlight the necessity of integrating moments of joy, which can revitalize one's spirit and support the broader spiritual practice. This perspective challenges the notion that spirituality is solely about addressing suffering, advocating instead for a balanced approach that embraces the full spectrum of human experience.
For episode 257 we are continuing the Fireside Chat Series on the Metta Hour with guest Christina Feldman.
This series features intimate conversations with longtime dharma teachers about the early days of their practice and the most impactful moments with their own teachers. Hosted by IMS Online, the seventh episode in this series. Christina is of the generation of dharma teachers that began teaching in the west in 1975 after spending some years in Asia studying and practice in both the Mahayana and Theravadan traditions. She is a co-founder of Gaia House and served as a guiding teacher of IMS beginning in its early days. She teaches Buddhist psychology in several university settings in Europe, and she teaches both traditional retreats and study programs. Christina is the author of Boundless Heart: The Buddha’s Path of Kindness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity and co-author of Mindfulness: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Psychology, among other books. The conversation begins with a guided practice led by Christina.
In this conversation, Christina and Sharon discuss:
How Christina accidentally ended up in India
First encountering Tibetan refugees
Christina first learning meditation
Dharma as an immersive experience
Sharon’s first attempts to meditate
Different techniques in Christina’s early practice
Goenka’s impact on Sharon
Secular Mindfulness
Practice versus Path
Definitions of Dukkha
What Christina is teaching lately
Bodhi College
Sharon’s work with caregivers
Equanimity as embodied understanding
How Christina has developed as a teacher
The conversation segues to questions from the audience with a guided meditation from Christina. Sharon and Christina then take questions on specificity of intention, working with physical pain, emptiness as a practice, moving from knowing a truth to living a truth, and Christina’s yearly intentions.
You can learn more about Christina’s work right here. Learn more about IMS Online right here.
