Shell Fischer's Podcast

The good news of our practice is that, as it deepens, we are bound to experience what in the Pali language is called piti - otherwise known as joy, happiness, delight, and even rapture. It’s an important aspect of our journey, and we absolutely want to cultivate and nurture this sense of pleasure, and joy. Yet, it is also vital that we learn how to skillfully work with it as it arises, so as to not become attached to it - which can take us in the wrong direction. In this talk, Shell explores this 4th Factor of Awakening, and how we can both access it, and know when to wisely let it go.

The root meaning of the Pali word viriya, or energy, is “hero” … and in the Buddhist tradition, when we start walking on the path of meditation, we are considered warriors. This is because what we’re doing as we practice is acting as ‘warriors’ against the great forces of greed, hatred, and fear in ourselves. We’re also courageously facing and confronting our natural tendencies … which are to run away from ourselves and our problems, or to fight them, or to completely ignore them, drown them out, or pretend they aren’t there. In this talk, Shell explores this 3rd Factor of Awakening - viriya - and how it can inspire us to become more bravely dedicated to our path towards freedom.

The great teacher Joseph Goldstein tells us that the awakening factor of investigation (vicaya) is a refined quality of mind that “discerns and illuminates the truth by means of discriminating wisdom.” In our practice, this is the crucial factor that can cut through our delusion, and liberate the mind. In this 2nd talk of a 7-talk series, Shell explores how we can develop, nurture, and harness this important quality of wise discernment to discover more clarity – and therefore more joy and ease – in our lives.

As you might imagine, we cannot develop a good mindfulness practice without first learning how to be mindful. But, what does mindfulness (or sati, in Pali) really mean? And, how do we do this? In this new talk, Shell explores this foundational factor of our spiritual development, and offers suggestions about how we can both utilize and strengthen it in order to discover more joy and freedom in our lives.

In the teachings, it is said that there are seven profound qualities of mind that not only lead us to awakening, but also perfectly describe the awakened mind. In fact, all our approaches to practice are to be considered in the light of the development of these profound qualities, or factors. In this talk, Shell offers a summary of how we can use our meditation practice to develop these, in anticipation of a series of talks on each one.

One of the most profound gifts we can offer both ourselves and others is our kind, compassionate presence. In truth, the most important aspect of all our interactions lies in our ability to listen, along with a deep intention to truly understand – a skill that takes conscious practice. In this talk, Shell explores how we can tap into our practice to create true connection – or communion - with both ourselves, and others, through the art of listening.

There are many definitions of the word “dharma,” which includes natural phenomena, as well as the Buddha’s teachings. In our own practice, rather than relying on an outside authority to offer us the answers, we are being asked to contemplate the dharma (or truth) within ourselves, with guidance from the teachings. This inner seeking is often called “come and see” and is the basis of our practice – being willing to look inside, and see for ourselves whether or not the dharma is true. In this talk, Shell explores how we can do this through the 4th Foundation of Mindfulness - Mindful of Dharmas.

Ever wonder what it means to Take Refuge in the 3 Jewels? In celebration of the meditation group’s 9th anniversary, Shell offered a traditional Refuge Ceremony for sangha members, including a brief summary of what it means to take refuge (find sanctuary) in what are called the 3 Jewels of Practice: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. You can listen (and participate) here.

A popular myth about meditation practice tells us that in order to meditate, we need to get rid of all of our thoughts. This is not only untrue, but unhelpful. Vipassana Insight meditation is actually asking us to take a good, close look into the nature of our minds, and this includes becoming aware of what we’re thinking. As we get better at exploring the mind more intimately - gradually we recognize that our thoughts are not “us,” and understand that they don’t need to define us, or control us. In this talk, Shell explores the 3rd Foundation of Mindfulness - Mindfulness of Mind - in the 3rd talk in a series of 4 talks on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.

In our exploration of meditation, we are asked to be “mindful of feelings,” and to contemplate the “feelings IN the feelings,” often described as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. As we learn how to more accurately discern these subtle sensations, we gradually develop a more calm, non-judgmental awareness of whatever is happening in our lives, so that we’re no longer so controlled by our conditioned responses to experience. In this new talk, Shell explores this 2nd Foundation of Mindfulness - Feelings - as part of a four-part series of talks on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.

This meditation was adapted by Thanissaro Bhikkhu the Abbott of the Metta Forest Monastery near San Diego. He learned this from his Thai teacher Ajaan Fuang who learned this technique from Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo (1907-1961).  I learned it from my teacher, Pat Coffey, and now it is yours! Thich Nhat Hahn:“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.” 

For thousands of years, the famous Satipatthana Sutra has been used as a powerful and profound spiritual road map. Contained within it are the rich teachings on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, which the Buddha himself called the “direct path to enlightenment.” In essence, this sutra is the very basis and ground of our entire practice, and diving deep into its teachings is exactly what can lead us out of suffering, and into more freedom, joy, and ease in our lives. During this series of talks, Shell will explore each of these Four Foundations in more depth. Talk 1: The 1st Foundation of Mindfulness - Mindfulness of Body.  This is the grounding foundation, where we begin. By practicing mindfulness of the body, the Buddha is asking us to see “the body IN the body,” and to recognize that it is not a solid entity, but made up of parts that are impermanent, constantly changing, and “not self” (anatta). It is here where we discover that our entire spiritual life is em-bodied, that we experience everything from

Instead of offering the weekly dharma talk, Shell opened the room up to about 30 minutes of questions this week. If you have a question you'd like to ask Shell, please visit us at the website to write your question, and Shell may answer it in the next session!  Starting in October, 2019, Shell will be offering these Q&A sessions once a month. 

While the teachings offer us numerous ways of praying, people often ask: in this non-theistic tradition, what does it mean to do this? Or, what is it that we are aspiring to, when we place our hands together and bow our heads in prayer? In this talk, Shell explores how we can use this powerful form of aspiration to open our hearts, expand and connect, and extend more compassion and care to both ourselves and others.

When we practice what the Buddha called The Middle Way, we start to realize with more and more clarity that happiness resides at the center of wanting and not wanting; that nothing is really happy or unhappy in and of itself - no thing, person, or situation; that our joy or sorrow depends entirely on how we are relating to our experience. In this talk, Shell explores how learning to “walk in the middle” can help us discover more joy, ease, and balance in our lives.

The teachings warn us of 5 main challenging and complicated mental states that block, confuse, or “hinder” our ability to more fully open our hearts and minds, and prevent us from discovering freedom from suffering. In this talk, Shell explores how we can better recognize these five, and learn to transform and eventually overcome them.

Often, as we search for deeper spiritual meaning in our practice, it’s easy to become stalled or stuck at certain points, and become unclear about which direction we need to take in order to continue further. This talk from Shell explores the famous Heartwood Sutra, which points out four things that are often mistaken for progress in our practice.

The Buddha spoke about 5 spiritual faculties which, if cultivated and developed, can flower into spiritual powers. The truth is, we all have these faculties within us, and when we learn to nurture them through our practice and our lives, they can lead us to more joy, ease, and freedom. In this talk, Shell explores these five, and offer ways that we can begin to harness their profound power, and offers a meditation on these to end.

Though it’s considered an integral part of our formal meditation practice, walking meditation is something that is often not well-known in the West, or practiced, and can seem odd when we first try it. Yet, it can not only help the body refresh and rejuvenate between meditation periods, but can help us to take our practice “off the cushion” and into every single moment of our lives, so that we can become more and more aware of being fully embodied, experiencing the whole of our lives through all of our wonderful senses. In this episode, Shell “walks us through” this important practice with explanation, guided practice, and q&a to end. 

As we all know, whenever we’re having difficulty relaxing, or sleeping, this can often profoundly affect our thinking, mood, behavior, and quality of life. The good news is, the Buddha’s teachings (especially those that deal with the hindrance of worry and restlessness) can not only help us to fall asleep more easily, but can allow us to live with greater calm, joy, and ease. In this talk, Shell offer some ways that we can discover sacred rest through the teachings and our practice.