Personal Practice

• 464The Paramita of Prajna/Wisdom

  Analyze how discriminating wisdom (prajna) reveals they way all things have no independent existence (emptiness); evaluate how wisdom serves as both the foundation and culmination of the other paramitas; and demonstrate understanding by examining how conceptual study and reflection can lead to direct insight through contemplative practice.
• 457Wise Attention

  Analyze the distinction between wise and unwise attention in personal experience; evaluate how different types of mental focus either support or hinder insight development; and implement specific techniques for cultivating wise attention during challenging emotional states or decision-making situations.
• 456Sense Restraint

  Analyze the Buddha’s teachings on sense restraint; evaluate how sensory input influences mental states, thoughts, and emotions; and develop the habit of pausing before reacting to sensory experiences.
• 465Right Samadhi

  Analyze the relationship between mental stability, ethical conduct, and the development of insight; evaluate how right samadhi differs from ordinary concentration through examining motivation and ethical foundation; and implement systematic concentration practices while documenting how sustained attention supports both daily clarity and deeper understanding of mind’s nature.
• 452Stillness Practices

  Analyze various stillness practices, evaluate their value in daily life, and implement discerning choices about energy expenditure, recognizing that sometimes the best option is to do nothing.
• 442Four Immeasurables Overview

  Analyze the distinctive qualities and antidotes of each immeasurable by examining their progression from conditional to unconditional states, evaluate how systematic cultivation of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity transforms relationships with all beings, and implement guided meditation practices that demonstrate the expansion from limited affection to boundless regard for all sentient beings.
• 466Right Action

  Analyze potential consequences of actions in different areas of life, honestly acknowledging personal challenges and ethical blind spots, and create a systematic approach to decision-making that prioritizes universal well-being and harmony.
• 431Setting Boundaries

  Analyze various methods for creating sacred space and practice boundaries in contemplative settings; evaluate how intentional boundary-setting affects group concentration, respect, and spiritual atmosphere; and implement systematic approaches to establishing practice containers that support both individual focus and collective contemplative experience.
• 439Right Motivation

  Implement regular motivation checks and adjustments, appreciating the value of benefiting others, and analyze how motivation functions within the eightfold path using personal examples.
• 426Eight Worldly Dharmas: Overview

  Analyze the eight worldly concerns by categorizing specific life experiences into the four opposing pairs, evaluate how attachment to these conditions creates cycles of hope and fear that perpetuate samsara, and synthesize understanding by developing equanimity practices that demonstrate freedom from dependence on external circumstances for well-being.