Happiness and suffering are states of mind. If we are to experience the happiness we all long for, we must learn how to connect with that state of mind and not the ones that cause us so much pain. Part of this process entails identifying our negative patterns of thought so that we can begin to learn to let them go. This will allow us to actively replace those painful thoughts with the positive states of mind that lead to the happiness we want.

In this series we will explore how we can identify and let go of such pain-inducing patterns of thought such as anger, jealousy, obsession, anxiety and more. Buddha called such minds ‘delusions’ because they are characterized by exaggeration, which leads to them being both unpeaceful and unreliable.

Currently, we believe the harmful stories these minds are telling us, both about ourselves and the world. These stories are mistaken. Using the special meditation on the nature of the mind, we will learn how to recognize early on when we are under the influence of these harmful minds so that we will not entrust ourselves to them, but rather let them go. Changing such negative patterns of thought is hugely liberating and will open us up to a whole new joyful and creative way to experience our lives and our relationships.

03/03: Recognizing Negative Patterns of Thought
03/10: Letting Go of Anger
03/17: Dealing Skillfully with Unpleasant Feelings
03/24: Obsessing – Mistaking Where Happiness Comes From
03/31: Jealousy vs. Rejoicing
04/07: How Envy Blocks Success
04/14: Insecurity vs. Confidence
04/21: Freedom from Fear
04/28: Ignorance: The Root Delusion
05/05: Freedom from Ignorance