Toward Awakening: Four Core Meditations in Sutrayana Buddhism (Ghatika Monthly #34)

When people first encounter meditation today, they often meet a highly simplified version, such as in modern mindfulness practices. Or, at the other extreme, they may encounter a very traditional form that lays out the steps and stages of a Buddhist path in great—and perhaps even overwhelming—detail.

In this session, Timo Pieters guides us through the four core meditation practices of the Sutrayana Buddhist path in a way that is accessible, while still doing justice to their original depth and intent: to awaken us step by step from our habitual state of unawareness and dissatisfaction.

Whether you are religious or not religious, Buddhist or non-Buddhist, a beginner or a seasoned meditator, this sequence of practices will help you get a taste of the Sutrayana Buddhist path in one session, and give you accessible tools to further cultivate your own experience of genuine well-being.

Additional Resources:

• Guided Meditation Audio:
  • The Determination to be Free (nge-jung)
  • Tonglen (Sending and Taking)
  • Settling into Awareness of Awareness (Shamatha)
  • Searching for the Self (Vipashyana)
• The Library of Wisdom and Compassion, co-authored by H.H. the XIV Dalai Lama and Venerable Thupten Chodron from Wisdom Publications
• For the Benefit of All Beings, a free documentary about the life of Garchen Rinpoche, who Timo mentions in this talk

About Timo Pieters

Timo Pieters encountered Buddhism as a teenager, and was fortunate enough to pursue both academic religious studies (BA & MA) and 15 years of Buddhist practice under the guidance of many mentors, including Rob Preece, Dr. B. Alan Wallace, and Garchen Rinpoche. Timo is the founder of Integral Wellbeing, where he teaches practices for cultivating physical, psychological, social, and systemic wellbeing, drawing on both modern science and the world’s wisdom traditions. You can connect further with Timo via his website, LinkedIn, and his YouTube channel.

What is Ghatika Monthly?

Ghatika Monthly is an in-person and virtual gathering held on the 2nd Saturday of every month, in which CCR expert teachers offer accessible guidance in foundational yet transformative contemplative practices. Ghatika is the Sanskrit term for one 24-minute meditation session, which is a recommended length for beginning meditators. While most of the CCR’s expert teachers come from a Buddhist background, these sessions are designed to be secular, informative, and welcoming to beginning and advanced practitioners alike. At Ghatika Monthly, we hope to offer a taste of the contemplative technology that our full-time contemplatives cultivate for 8–12 hours per day at Miyo Samten Ling Hermitage in Crestone. Subscribe to never miss a session!