The House of Inner Tranquillity Podcast

We have a genetic heritage and an identity created for us when we enter this world. Is that, however, who we really are? In this talk Paul describes life as seen from the point of view of a Buddhist …

The idea behind this talk will only really make sense if we first accept that the purpose of life is to realise nibbana, the cessation of suffering.

Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquilli…

The title of the talk says it all, but, as Jacqui points out, the difficulties faced by newcomers to meditation may still be just as relevant for those with years of meditative experience. Despite th…

Our modern western education tends to create within us a bias towards a rational, empirical view of the world. When approaching the Buddha's teaching there can be a strong urge to dismiss anything we…

A somewhat more technical talk about the Buddha's higher teaching on the constituents of ultimate reality.

In meditation, once the mind is calm and free of hindrances, the next step is to turn the …

'Awareness' is a word you hear used time and time again when you come across meditation. What is awareness? How do you develop it? And what benefits will it give you if you do develop it?

Jacqui Ja…

Have you ever smelled a rose in the evening after the rain has fallen? Anyone who has examined and explored life to any degree knows that there is something special and mysterious about the world we …

The increased popularity in mindfulness practices is to be welcomed, although with some reservations. Paul talks about how, through taking the practice of mindfulness beyond just aiming to feel "a bi…

Many spiritual traditions emphasise the more feminine aspects of meditation, like faith, tranquillity and openness, but can sometimes neglect the equally important masculine components, such as inves…

Are political views simply the invention of the ignorant mind that craves for life to be different? Paul explores how embracing the law of kamma and adopting the view of rebirth fulfils both the need…

What is the role of the meditation teacher and how best might students behave towards their guide? Although only 24 minutes long, this is one of the most powerful talks Jacqui gave. The sound quality…

What is the perfection of compassion and how does it relate to walking the path to enlightenment? Paul discusses the bodhisattva vow and whether spontaneous enlightenment ever really happens without …

Composure is an attitude of self-possession, collectedness, readying oneself and understanding what needs to be done. It is the absence of a "wildness of heart." Paul talks about the role composure h…

Jacqui talks about why we are here on this planet Earth and whether there is or is not a purpose to life.

Jacqui James was a Buddhist Insight meditation teacher and the co-founder of the House of I…

It is fair to say that people meditate because they believe there is a deeper dimension to life, one with which they can get in touch by pursuing that particular path.

Alan James founded the House …

At some point, especially when things are not going well, most of us wonder what life is all about. We ask questions like, "Why me?" or "What have I done to deserve this?" This, Alan James suggests, …

What is the one thing that omniscient knowledge lacks? Can you say life is perfect without imperfection? 

Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tr…

What gives rise to compassion, the "melting of the heart," where one intuitively understands another's suffering and its cause?

Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at…

Jhanas are deep states of concentration wherein the mind is fixed or absorbed in a single object of contemplation. Hindrances are the mental qualities, based in self-concern and resistance, that prev…

Why is perception such an important part of life and meditation?

Paul Harris is the Spiritual Head and principal meditation teacher at the House of Inner Tranquillity.  

This talk was given in Oc…