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Falling Down, Getting Up
Caitlin Lambstrom remembers Michael and what he taught her: that practice is not a way to transcend our humanness, but to embrace it. Awakening is not an end goal, but a possibility that exists in each moment – even the
We Practice Because We Forget
A discussion and talk Michael gave at the Yoga Festival Toronto with local teachers and studio owners. Recorded August 21, 2010.
The Creative Task of Performing One’s Life
Michael provides a reflection on the retreat with Stephen and Martine Batchelor. He speaks to making a practice of our lives where all our roles, our actions are interconnected. Michael examines the end of the first chapter of the Yoga
Symbols of Awakening
Martine Batchelor explains and explores ceremonial offerings in Korean Zen practice. Recorded March 28, 2010, at Centre of Gravity in Toronto, Ontario. Martine Batchelor, a former Buddhist nun, studied Zen Buddhism under the guidance of Kusan Sunim and is the
Mindfulness in the Classroom
Gifted school teacher Kristie Burnett offers a funny and brilliant presentation on how she brings meditative practices to kids. She describes class plans, games, managing emotions, rethinking the role of a teacher, collaboration, problem-solving, and how to model mindfulness with
Aim & Allow: How Mindfulness of Breathing Helps Us Manage Expectations
In meditation we need ‘initial application of attention’ then ‘sustained application’ so that we cultivate a spacious field in which thoughts and sensations can come and go. Sometimes blessings are all over the place and we miss them. Recorded May
Raw Fear is a Dot in Space
More people are afraid of uncertainty than they are of physical pain. If we do something about our own pain, we can connect with the pain of others. 50% of our practice should be inward and 50% in our environment.
The Secular Buddha
Stephen Batchelor reflects upon secular Buddhism and revisits the Four Noble Truths, primary Buddhist ideals, assumptions, and dogmas. Recorded March 28, 2010.
Fear, Rebirth, and the 3 Insights
Describing how the Buddha met fear, Michael maps out how concentration practice unfolds, then offers a mind-opening view of rebirth and reincarnation.
What Is This? Short Guided Meditation
An 8-minute guided meditation with Martine Batchelor. Recorded in Toronto, March 28, 2010.
From Fear to Sympathy
How to meet others who are in fear or anxiety, how to help anxious kids, how to validate the feelings of other people without exacerbating what’s going on for them, and how to develop concentration practice.
Fear, Dread & Anxiety: The Buddha in the Forest
On retreat, Michael speaks about the Buddha’s instructions for practicing alone in the wilderness, how past actions haunt the body, how to turn towards anxiety and a moving story about his son and autism. Recorded March 25, 2017, in Wisconsin.
About the Community Library
Michael was a great archivist and the Community Library was—and continues to be—a labour of love. Everything in the Community Library is available for free. Anyone, anywhere can have instant access to material that will help them deepen their practice and contribute to a culture of compassion and collaboration.
Libraries are places where we gather alone together. They are known to be places of refuge for seekers, as well as those who are marginalized. This library is no different. It helps us nourish our beautiful, international community without walls. Now, it will also help keep Michael’s legacy alive.