Author Archives: John Barter
AUTUMN, FIND YOUR WAY TO THE MIDDLE WAY
Dear Friends
Welcome to Autumn.
As we know extremes are exciting!
Extreme sports, extreme seasons, extreme places, extreme people, extreme practices; all distract us from the norm and attract us to the exciting.
Yet such extremes can also be unpleasant and even painful.
However, that which is in between the extreme, that which is the moderate , the middle, can be much more manageable, bearable, even pleasant and pleasing.
Such is our new Season of Autumn, here in the Southern Hemisphere of our Planet Earth.
Autumn...
Read More
Read More
Renovate our real home with meditative mind training
RENOVATE OUR REAL HOME WITH MEDITATIVE MIND TRAINING
Of all the varieties of practices and processes, psychologies and psychotherapies for ‘self-improvement’; there is however no adequate replacement or alternative for Mindfulness based Meditation.
Mindfulness based Meditation is the main way to exercise, develop and enhance the fundamental functioning of the ‘hard ware’ of the brain for enabling and engaging the resultant mind and functioning ‘self’. Many of the life- long unhelpful habits of self can be brought into the calm and...
Read More
Read More
The 3 Ways to Wisdom
Half Day Meditation Retreat
Sunday 25th March 10.00 – 1.00pm NSW time (9.00am to 12.00 noon QLD).
‘Ratanagiri’ 11 Double View Road Farrants Hill NSW
THE THREE WAYS TO WISDOM
Much of our experience of stress and suffering would be alleviated if we used more Wisdom in making choices and dealing with the challenges of our life.
Living and relating from Wisdom can enhance our well-being and the welfare of others that we connect with.
Wisdom is a faculty that we can develop and strengthen...
Read More
Read More
The Freedom Gift of Forgiveness
We are all seeking Freedom in some form or another.
One special form of Freedom is through the gift of Forgiveness.
Have you noticed that in giving the great gift of Forgiveness it offers Freedom on various levels.
1. Forgiveness firstly frees our own mind from the psychological poison and prison of anger, resentment and self- centered concern.
2. Forgiveness frees the perpetrator from our directed anger, resentment and disconnection.
3. Forgiveness frees the troubled relationship from distress and fear, allowing understanding,...
Read More
Read More
Retreat Dates for 2018
Here are the dates for my retreats for the rest of this year - mark them in your diary.
Sunday 25th March - (past)
Sunday 20th May - (special event, John's birthday, stay for lunch after retreat) - (past)
Sunday 1st July
Sunday 26th August
Sunday 14th October
Sunday 2nd December
Read More
Read More
Miracles
Miracles.
We love ‘Miracles’.
Human beings love miracles!
For the fact remains that we as human beings did conceive of and are the creators of the idea of miracles!
A miracle, may merely be an ordinary, naturally occurring event or happening. However, it is our particular perception and conception, that transforms and creates that happening into a miracle, the miraculous.
Miracles are a matter of mind!
A miracle is relative to the Mind-Heart and eyes of the beholder.
So, in that sense, apart from what...
Read More
Read More
Neutral Knowing
Have you ever noticed how easily it is for our mind to become caught up and caught out; reacting, resisting, denying and distracting from just noticing and noting what is, with Calm, Clarity and Peace!
With SATI PANNA- mindfulness and wisdom, we can understand and see the ways and workings of SAMSARA – the rounds of rebirth into existence.
The energy that perpetuates SAMSARA is life energy, the universe’s energy, manifesting through the ‘Three Ills’ or defilements – KILESA, of Greed,...
Read More
Read More
Protectors of Truth
We all seek to be Happy, Healthy and Safe.
We all fear the loss of these or not having these at all.
We all seek various insurances against the loss of our Happiness, Health and Safety.
Insurance Policies, tend to not insure against the loss of Happiness, Health or some misfortune affecting our safety and security, but they can provide some financial support if something happens. They can also make life a little easier by financially helping so that things don’t get...
Read More
Read More
New Year 2018
Dear Friends
A ‘Mindful’ and ‘Kind-ful’ welcome to our New Year of 2018.
I do hope and trust that the last year ended well for you, with some Mindful Reflection on the lessons and learnings from a year of life well spent.
I also hope that what ever worth and wealth of understanding and wisdom you have gained from the last year, that you are able to use it well in our New Year, so that it becomes an even better year...
Read More
Read More
2018 … different but the same
Different but the Same
How can this be?
The idea of something being different but still the same!
From the Buddhist Philosophical and Wisdom Teachings, we can appreciate that all things do change at some time or another; that any thing that is a conditioned thing is subject to impermanence and hence change.
Yet could there be that which is not such a conditioned, transient, changing thing?
Certainly, this could be related to that which is fundamental, that does not change, that which is...
Read More
Read More