Introduction

At Deep Spring Center we offer different formats of instruction including workshops and retreats. While both focus on spiritual inquiry and meditation, there is a real difference in these forms. The focus in retreat is on learning the techniques of meditation and deepening that meditation. The base practice is Insight, or Vipassana, meditation, and is the primary practice taught by me and Aaron. Insight Meditation is a simple and direct practice: the moment to moment investigation of the mind/body process through calm, focused awareness-which allows us to experience sensations, emotions, thoughts and consciousness with greater clarity and balance. This frees our mind from conditioned patterns of self-centeredness, negativity and confusion, opening our heart to deeper wisdom and compassion. This process of opening non-judgmentally and compassionately to ourselves moves from the sitting period to the whole of our lives. We begin to know each moment as practice for our growth toward wholeness and harmony. Insight meditation derives from Buddhist teaching but no special religious beliefs are necessary to its practice.

We balance insight practice with a deepening awareness of our true nature, not as something which we strive to manifest but as that which is eternal and present NOW. These teachings are drawn from the Tibetan Dzogchen tradition. Again, no special religious beliefs are necessary to its practice.

A retreat is silent by nature, with instruction in meditation, regular discussion periods which offer the opportunity to raise questions involving the meditation practice and our experiences with it, short private meetings with the teachers to look together at what is being experienced in practice, and a daily dharma talk, that is, a talk on some subject related to this opening to deeper Truth. Beyond these, there is no talk at retreats. Most of the time is spent in silent sitting and walking meditation practice. This isn't a statement that talk is 'bad' but only a commitment to use this retreat time to move past the limits of the servant brain and into non-discursive mind wherein we may discover the deepest truth of our being.

A workshop has a different focus. There is meditation instruction but also more words. The workshop emphasizes spiritual inquiry with talks from Aaron, discussion, and some meditation to support that inquiry. Before many people are ready to commit themselves to deeper meditation practice, they often have the same very real and important questions meditators have: Who am I? Why am I incarnate? How do I learn to live this life with more wisdom and compassion? What do I do about the difficult mind and body states that seem to block skillful living? Ultimately, meditation answers these questions best, but we find that people often do need to talk about their situations first, to enter into a certain level of intellectual understanding before they are ready to let go of intellect and move deeper. This is an opportunity for the discursive mind to become more comfortable with the intertwined relative and ultimate nature of being. Those who already do meditate find that a workshop offers the opportunity to bring up the questions with which they're working and to share their investigations and findings with others.

I don't consider one of these forms, retreat or workshop, to be superior to another. We are all at different places and must be honest with ourselves, Each has a real value. Thus, Aaron and I have a commitment to offer both of these forms so that people may find the learning situation that speaks most clearly to their present condition. I do, however, believe that eventually one must learn to meditate and to deepen that practice so as to move beyond the limits of discursive mind.

I find that wherever I travel-different cities, different countries and continents even-people have the same basic questions. Whether in workshop or retreat, the primary questions are: 'How do I learn to love more fully and live more wisely? What do I do with the difficult energies I've learned to judge or fear in myself and others? How do I begin a meditation practice that will allow more clarity, love and understanding?'

With these questions in mind, we recorded and transcribed the entire contents of a workshop, and then a retreat … seven days. This book is the collection of these two transcripts. It differs from Aaron's prior books in that my own talks and instructions are included, so it presents both of our voices; this feels appropriate as we do co-teach both workshops and retreats. Aaron provides a very clear spirit perspective and I'm able to offer a human experience and interpretation of those teachings.

It's my hope that the entirety of the work will provide those unable to attend such events a foundation in both the background concepts and the meditation practices, and will offer those who have attended workshops and retreats a convenient reminder of the ground we've covered. The book is also our answer to the need we have heard expressed from people who want a consolidated version of Aaron's and my basic teachings on meditation and spiritual inquiry.

Part One, 'Days One to Three,' is the transcript of a three day workshop in Mexico City in November, 1996, The workshop was attended by about 80 people, most of whom had some form of meditation experience, mostly through Catholicism and the practice of various mantra and visualization meditations. The first two days were a time where we would alternately discuss what might be termed 'spiritual questions' and learn and practice insight meditation. The days were not silent; with several exceptions, there was conversation during lunch and breaks. On the third day some of the workshop participants gathered for a day of more formal meditation practice. The day was held in silence except for instructions and question periods.

In April of 1997 a retreat gathered outside Mexico City, in a quiet spot framed by mountains. All the participants had attended the workshop. This four day retreat was held in silence except for instructions and question periods, The practice and questions built upon the November sessions and went far deeper.

The November sessions are available here as Part One. The April retreat will be Part Two of the book, and will be available in early winter. We've chosen to make Part One available now rather than wait for the final transcribing and editing of the April material. We will make Parts One and Two available separately for some months and then combine them into one volume.

The transcripts are edited for typographical error but neither Aaron's nor my words have been otherwise altered, except very occasionally for clarity. As usual in our books, no attempt has been made to convert spoken talks into written material.

With special thanks to Karen Agne for her patient transcribing; to Sally Seymour for her editorial skills, and to Ian Jaffray for his final and wonderfully clear editing and layout. Thanks also to Jocelyn Arellano who organized the sessions in Mexico and to the loving, enthusiastic community there whose hearts and questions inspired these words. And thanks to the Deep Spring Center Board of Directors and volunteers whose work allows these books to flourish.

My heartfelt gratitude, also, to the entire lineage of teachers, through the centuries, who have given voice to these teachings. None of it is original with Aaron or with me, but is the voice of Love sometimes loud, sometimes dim, as it has echoed through the centuries. Where I've expressed it clearly, I thank my teachers for leading the way. For any errors in understanding which may be present, I accept full responsibility.

My appreciation to Aaron for the love, gentle wisdom and constancy of his presence is beyond words.

Forehead to the floor and heart filled with love, my gratitude to my guru, Neem Karoli Baba, without whose grace none of this work would have been possible.

Finally, my love and gratitude to all who walk this path with me, for the privilege of this joyful sharing of the way.

Namasté,

Barbara Brodsky