Realizing Change

“After finishing high school I was not sure what to study next. Philosophy was one of the possibilities, it seemed interesting, but I knew I did not really want to learn other people’s theories and thoughts, but rather how to live a good life myself. Wisdom was what I was looking for . . . .”

In this final Realizing Change Dhamma podcast, Come and See!, meditators share stories confirming that the search for truth is a very personal journey. An ancient technique of meditation, Vipassana is as relevant now as in the past and the direct personal experience of one’s own inner reality, mind and body, as it changes moment to moment, is at the core of the practice.

12 - Come and See!
as read by Ian Hetherington
recorded 2014/2015
29 minutes

Download Audio (41 MB)

Realizing Change: Copyright, 2016 Pariyatti

There is more information about vipassana meditation at Dhamma.org, and books and audio resources available for purchase in the Pariyatti bookstore.

May all beings be happy!

For the harmonious development of individuals and society, proper integration of science and Dhamma is essential, yet they are often perceived as irreconcilable. Dhamma for many people today has become identified with sectarian religions, ritual, community conflicts and a stubborn resistance to any logical scrutiny of beliefs. Science meanwhile is usually associated with thoroughgoing materialism—the view that matter is the only reality.

In this month’s Dhamma podcast, One Truth - Vipassana, Science and Spirituality, we focus on how Vipassana elevates shared spiritual values over superficial differences, and points a way towards genuine understanding and reconciliation within and between diverse faiths, traditions, and science.

11 - One Truth - Vipassana, Science and Spirituality
as read by Ian Hetherington
recorded 2014/2015
54 minutes

Download Audio (77 MB)

Realizing Change: Copyright, 2016 Pariyatti

There is more information about vipassana meditation at Dhamma.org, and books and audio resources available for purchase in the Pariyatti bookstore.

May all beings be happy!

Political, social and economic problems have always existed but with today’s almost instant communications, we can see just how widespread these are: the frightened refugees vowing revenge, another tainted food scare, the latest corruption scandal. Why even now, we may ask, do these same patterns keep recurring? Why have world organizations like the U.N. and individual governments not been able to deal effectively with problems such as communal tension, poverty, unemployment and abuse of power? Do we ever learn?

In this month’s Dhamma podcast, Managing Oneself - Vipassana, Work & Social Action, we focus on how Vipassana offers an alternative approach to solving these problems and the untold misery they cause. Know-how and resources are certainly necessary but above all wisdom is required. Listen to how people from various professions and backgrounds apply the benefits of vipassana in practical ways to tackle these global problems.

10 - Managing Oneself - Vipassana, Work & Social Action
as read by Ian Hetherington
recorded 2014/2015
74 minutes

Download Audio (72 MB)

Realizing Change: Copyright, 2016 Pariyatti

There is more information about vipassana meditation at Dhamma.org, and books and audio resources available for purchase in the Pariyatti bookstore.

May all beings be happy!

“His physical condition worsened, the atmosphere at home grew increasingly tense and he seriously considered closing down his dental clinic. As a last resort, on the recommendation of a neighbor, he joined a ten-day Vipassana retreat, never thinking he’d be able to complete it. With faith and sheer willpower he learned to meditate and noticed an unmistakable lessening in the pain which had become his constant companion.”

A combination of physical, mental and social factors makes up the whole person. Each one contributes to our evolving state of health. But of these mind is most important because it is the central directing force of our entire life and activity. In this month's Dhamma podcast, Healing Mind - Health and Vipassana, we share stories from meditators about the impact vipassana has had helping them face mental disorders, physical illnesses, addictions, and ultimately, death.

9 - Healing Mind - Health and Vipassana
as read by Ian Hetherington
recorded 2014/2015
54 minutes

Download Audio (79 MB)

Realizing Change: Copyright, 2016 Pariyatti

There is more information about vipassana meditation at Dhamma.org, and books and audio resources available for purchase in the Pariyatti bookstore.

May all beings be happy!

“Grown ups think that children don’t have problems, but we do . . . missing my mum, worrying about school work,feeling lonely, getting angry with my little sister. Why do I get so upset? Can’t I stop being bad tempered? …”

Children come to learn meditation with many of the same aims and hopes as adults. Some hope “to become nicer to be around.” Others wish to be able to deal with stressful situations or to become more self-confident. In this month's Dhamma podcast listen to the inspiring experiences and stories of young people who have taken a children’s course.

8- The Compass - Vipassana and the Young
as read by Ian Hetherington
recorded 2014/2015
37 minutes

Download Audio (52 MB)

Realizing Change: Copyright, 2015 Pariyatti

There is more information about vipassana meditation at Dhamma.org, and books and audio resources available for purchase in the Pariyatti bookstore.

May all beings be happy!

"Speaking for myself, we all need a way to face suffering. Suffering includes everything from the knowledge of our own mortality and ultimate aloneness, to the more immediate miseries of each person’s life….When an inmate finishes a Vipassana course, he or she has had a glimpse of freedom, perhaps for the first time. Hope and confidence arise from the knowledge that the source and the end of all misery lies within."

In this month's podcast, Chapter 7 " Freedom Behind Bars - Vipassana in Prisons," we explore how Vipassana courses conducted in prisons are attracting interest as they affect penal systems and treatment programs around the world (India, Taiwan, Thailand, Nepal, USA, New Zealand, and UK). Listen to inmates, prison guards, and administrators express their stories after sitting a 10-Day Vipassana course.

7 - Freedom Behind Bars - Vipassana in Prisons
as read by Ian Hetherington
recorded 2014/2015
47 minutes

Download Audio (65 MB)

Realizing Change: Copyright, 2015 Pariyatti

There is more information about vipassana meditation at Dhamma.org, and books and audio resources available for purchase in the Pariyatti bookstore.

May all beings be happy!

“For as long as I can remember I believed that every person had the right, and the ability, to achieve peace and happiness. When it did not happen for me automatically, as all my childhood (and adult) fairytales had promised, I was lost. No one had given me any practical way of overcoming the pain and suffering that I was experiencing. Would meditation help? A few tentative enquiries led me to Vipassana meditation as taught by Mr S.N. Goenka of India….”

In this month's podcast, Chapter 6 "On the Path," we hear students tell their own stories of transformation, from first sitting, through years of practice and service, to the responsibilities of teaching.

6 - On the Path
as read by Ian Hetherington
recorded 2014/2015
63 minutes

Download Audio (58 MB)

Realizing Change: Copyright, 2015 Pariyatti

There is more information about vipassana meditation at Dhamma.org, and books and audio resources available for purchase in the Pariyatti bookstore.

May all beings be happy!

“I have practiced Vipassana meditation every day for three months now. The rewards are great. The change in my life is enormous. I used to drink alcohol every day to survive the stress, now I can live without it. I was having a lot of trouble with my son, but since I learned not to react, not to get too angry, the relationship has taken a positive turnaround...”

This audio podcast is Chapter 5 of a twelve-part series from the audiobook Realizing Change by Ian Hetherington. It examines how to build on what’s been gained and how to keep growing on the path after a course.

5 - The Course Experience - After
as read by Ian Hetherington
recorded 2014/2015
42 minutes

Download Audio (60 MB)

Realizing Change: Copyright, 2015 Pariyatti

There is more information about vipassana meditation at Dhamma.org, and books and audio resources available for purchase in the Pariyatti bookstore.

May all beings be happy!

People sometimes feel that meditation is an introverted and rather selfish activity. “What about the ills of the world while you are contemplating your navel!” Vipassana is a self centered technique in the sense that only by working correctly on ourselves can we really be in a position to help others. But the whole thrust of the meditation is towards dissolving the false ego we have created and which now controls us. Little by little, as we transcend selfish egotism, we naturally want to turn the inner-directed energy and insight outwards. In this way we complete the circle of self and others.

This audio podcast is Chapter 4 of a twelve-part series from the audiobook Realizing Change by Ian Hetherington. It examines the course program detailing how it helps students get the most from their retreat.

4 - The Course Experience - During
as read by Ian Hetherington
recorded 2014/2015
69 minutes

Download Audio (67 MB)

Realizing Change: Copyright, 2015 Pariyatti

There is more information about vipassana meditation at Dhamma.org, and books and audio resources available for purchase in the Pariyatti bookstore.

May all beings be happy!

"I hung the brochure with the course schedule on the wall of my room, and often looked at it in disbelief. Counting the meditation periods, I kept thinking, is that really ten hours? Are they nuts? Am I nuts? What am I doing here? Why am I doing this to myself? Something had drawn me to the place, certainly, but as the ten-day course geared up to begin, I still could not pinpoint what it was."

This audio podcast is Chapter 3 of a twelve-part series from the audiobook Realizing Change by Ian Hetherington. It investigates why many students have travelled thousands of miles to attend the 10-day vipassana retreat and how they came to be there.

3 - The Course Experience - Before
as read by Ian Hetherington
recorded 2014/2015
32 minutes

Download Audio (46 MB)

Realizing Change: Copyright, 2015 Pariyatti

There is more information about vipassana meditation at Dhamma.org, and books and audio resources available for purchase in the Pariyatti bookstore.

May all beings be happy!