Ep. 210 - Virya: Courage, Energy and Trust with Buddhist Teacher Trudy Goodman

Explaining Virya, the effort factor of enlightenment, meditation teacher Trudy Goodman explores the courage it takes to trust in our practice and to mindfully face the five hindrances. 

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This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Trudy Goodman explains:

• Virya, the effort, energy, and enthusiasm factor of enlightenment 
• The courage it takes to be fully present with every life experience
• Showing up for our human experience with qualities of heart, courage, and balance 
• An impactful Iraq War story that reveals the power of presence and awareness
• How to work wisely with challenges that block mindful presence
• The five classical hindrances: wanting, ill-will, restlessness, sloth & torpor, and doubt
• A reading from the Flower Ornament Sutra about freeing the heart and mind from hindrances  
• How living defensively against pain limits our full human experience
• The positive impact of naming our struggles and how it prevents us from being swept away
• Moving through all experiences with steady effort—no halting, no straining
• Daily spiritual practice and repetition in order to build trust in life and the dharma
• The four great efforts that the Buddha talked about
• Protecting our hearts by not watering seeds of harm that arise in our thoughts and emotions
• Watering the seeds that are beneficial, feeding their growth, and encouraging goodness
• How to stay open to life's potential by expecting goodness, not fearing missed chances
• Trusting in the dharma, the natural world, and life’s unseen supportive forces

About Trudy Goodman:

Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats, engages in activism work, and teaches workshops worldwide and online. She is also the voice of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series, The Midnight Gospel. You can learn more about Trudy’s flourishing array of wonderful offerings at TrudyGoodman.com

This 2011 recording is from Spirit Rock’s Fall Insight Meditation Retreat and was originally published on Dharmaseed. 

“It takes great effort, great energy, great trust. When we bring that to this practice everyday, the trust is also a kind of confidence that if we just do this, things will unfold naturally without forcing them.” – Trudy Goodman

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