Claim OwnershipThe House of Inner Tranquillity Podcast
Subscribed: 27Played: 2,794
Subscribe
Description
The House of Inner Tranquillity is a Buddhist Insight meditation centre located in south-west England. The centre was established in 1980 for those in search of a practical approach to the Buddha's teaching.
Stripped of ritual and cultural accretions, the path is presented in a manner ideally suited to the needs of the modern westerner. Today, just as in the times of the Buddha, someone committed to truth can travel right to the end of the path and realise the goal of enlightenment.
Countless talks on all aspects of the Buddha's teaching have been given at the Centre over the years. We have created these weekly podcast programmes as a way to make some of these talks available to a wider audience.
Stripped of ritual and cultural accretions, the path is presented in a manner ideally suited to the needs of the modern westerner. Today, just as in the times of the Buddha, someone committed to truth can travel right to the end of the path and realise the goal of enlightenment.
Countless talks on all aspects of the Buddha's teaching have been given at the Centre over the years. We have created these weekly podcast programmes as a way to make some of these talks available to a wider audience.
165 Episodes
Reverse
This podcast introduces the concept of a kalyanamitta, a good
spiritual friend, the qualities that such friends have and the reasons
why we need them. It also discusses the necessary qualities needed by
the student in order for the relationship to grow and how it develops
over time, leading the student on towards enlightenment.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in October 2007
This podcast discusses the various aspects of the four noble truths
and the three trainings of the noble eightfold path: sila (ethics),
samadhi (mental development) and panna (wisdom). It then describes how
insight develops and leads towards enlightenment.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in August 2007
This talk describes how Buddhism shares aspects of several other
systems, including religion, ethics, psychology and philosophy. It
discusses how trying to mix different systems can lead to problems and
then points out the way in which Buddhism differs from all other
systems, how it is a middle way, which is all encompassing.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in February 2008
This podcast discusses how life changes with the way we choose to
respond to situations. It looks at the meaning of acceptance and the
impact it has on our actions, including meditation, and how acceptance
develops interest which leads to understanding and wisdom into the
transient, conditioned nature of all things.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in May 2015
This talk discusses the Noble Eightfold Path and the Buddha’s approach
to conflict resolution, along with ways to achieve physical and
psychological security.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in February 2004
This talk discusses rebirth and its importance within the Buddha’s
teaching. It explores the different impacts on our lives of holding a
one-life view compared with a view of rebirth and describes how the
noting of the five aggregates in vipassana meditation can take us
beyond the cycle of rebirth to the realisation of enlightenment.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in November 2006
In this podcast, Paul introduces the four cankers of sensual desire,
becoming, views and ignorance, describes how they corrupt meditation
and gives tips on how to overcome them. He then discusses ways to
prepare in order to make the most of a retreat and the effect it can
have on our practice.
This podcast examines the power of the mind and how it can be used to
influence our lives. It discusses the influence of the parami, kamma
and rebirth, how the hindrances can hamper personal power and also
warns about the potential dangers of the power of the mind. Finally it
describes how certain acts of power can lead to enlightenment.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in December 2005
This podcast discusses the role of renunciation in undertaking a
Buddhist practice and the difference between renunciation and
asceticism. It discusses how renunciation can show up our attachments
and the hindrances to meditation, enable us to note the three marks of
transience, unsatisfactoriness and non-self and finally, bring us to
the realisation of nibbana.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in October 2005
This talk discusses the topic of belief in self and the Buddha’s
teaching of non-self, what we mean by “self” and how it develops. It
introduces the Buddha’s three-fold training of ethical conduct,
concentration and insight. Then how to see through the illusion of
self by noting experience at the ultimate level, using the five
aggregates.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in August 2003
This talk discusses the five hindrances to meditation, using an analogy given by the Buddha. It describes how we use them in daily life to avoid unwanted situations and the problems they cause in meditation. Antidotes specific to each hindrance are discussed and then a description of how meditation can develop without the hindrances.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in August 2004
This podcast discusses interconnectedness and the conditioned and conditioning nature of phenomena. Paul points out the importance of ethical conduct and kamma, then introduces the Abhidhamma - the higher teaching of Buddhism. He concludes with some descriptions of Nibbana, enlightenment.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in June 2005
Paul describes the cycle of perceived threat, fear and response which is often perceived as aggression by the person receiving it, leading to more perceived threat, fear, reaction and so on.
We break the cycle of fear and response by radical acceptance. By following the Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path. Definitions of what he means by radical and acceptance are given with an example of the opposite.
The importance of kamma and rebirth is discussed along with a description of the Buddha’s approach to fear using acceptance and mindfulness and how we can do the same.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquility.
This talk was given in April 2022
This talk describes ways in which we try to find happiness in this life and how, as the Buddha said: “Life is suffering”. Then, how we can come to the end of suffering by keeping the precepts, developing a regular practice using vipassana meditation, allaying the five hindrances and looking at the three marks of transience, unsatisfactoriness and non-self.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given on 21st May 2003
Paul discusses samsara, describing a variety of realms of existence, from realms of ghosts and demons up to heavenly realms with the human world in between. Explores how to escape the wheel of rebirth, by developing faith, living according to mundane right view and most importantly, developing vipassana meditation.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given on 9th October 2002
Suffering within the four noble truths is discussed and the need to understand the cause behind it. The two arrows are described: how the first is inherent suffering that we are born with and that the second is conditioned by the craving to get away from the first. The importance of compassion to lessen self concern is described along with a description of insight meditation and how to approach it. Finally, there is a description of how the enlightened being approaches the two arrows.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given on 3rd November 2021
A reading and discussion on the meaning of the Parable of the Raft. The importance of various aspects of the teaching, such as the five spiritual faculties and the parami, is described. Hindrances are discussed, how to deal with them and then what meditation is like when they have been set aside. Finally, on the realisation of enlightenment, how the dhamma and meditation are no longer needed.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given on 1st June 2022
Paul discusses the simplicity of being present, what obstructs it and what to do in order to obtain it; the difference between non-hatred and anti-hatred and the role of obsessions with the past, present and future; and how the absence of suffering is not something we create, but that it develops through dealing with the things that pull us into suffering.
Finally, he describes how vipassana meditation can bring us to the present.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given on the 29th September 2021
What is meditation and how can we learn through it? Paul discusses the three trainings of the Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path and how they work together. How to approach meditation: setting it up properly beforehand and how to deal with unwanted thoughts. How concentration and equanimity develop over time. and finally, the development of wisdom
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given on 1st December 2021
This talk discusses the four bases of spiritual power (iddhipada). It explains what they are, how the meditation feels when they start to develop and also how to develop them. This is all illustrated using the description of skills needed in the example of driving to the meditation centre for a Wednesday evening meeting, and comparing these with those needed in meditation. Finally, there is a description of the end of the insight path, Nibbana.
Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.
This talk was given on 4th May 2022
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States