This video series is from a Buddhist meditation retreat on the text, “Stages of Meditation” by Kamalashila. These teachings by Khenpo Sherab Sangpo and his guided meditation instructions help students to deepen their practice of calm-abiding meditation (samatha) and special insight meditation (vipashyana or “clear seeing” meditation).

The union of a peaceful mind and wisdom into the nature of reality is essential to living a life filled with joy. Joy comes from a mind at ease that knows how to help others and not to harm them. In this video, Khenpo Sherab Sangpo offers practical teachings on how to cultivate ease via meditation instructions that calm your mind and help you to recognize your innate wisdom whose expression is joy.

Samatha (Pāli), (Sanskrit: शमथ, śamatha is the Buddhist practice of calming the mind (citta) and its ‘formations’ (sankhara). This is done by practicing single-pointed meditation through mindfulness of breathing. Samatha is common to all Buddhist traditions and makes the mind more peaceful (workable or able to be trained).

Vipassanā (Pāli) or vipaśyanā (विपश्यना, Sanskrit; Chn. 觀 guān; Tib. ལྷག་མཐོང་, lhaktong; Wyl. lhag mthong) in the Buddhist tradition means insight into the true nature of reality. Vipassana means “analytic meditation” or “clear seeing meditation”.