Self-compassion
4 teachings in the library are about this.
- Session Three - A Letter from a Loving Friend David Oromith · 45 minutes · recorded September 26, 2026
David leads a writing exercise drawn from Kristin Neff's research. We write about something we do not like in ourselves, then a letter to ourselves from an unconditionally loving friend, and read it back as if it had just arrived. After reflections from the group, David answers a question on resentment with the RAIN practice and work on the beliefs beneath it. It closes with Tonglen: we draw our suffering in as dark smoke to a white light at the heart, then widen out to the room and the world.
- Session Two - Self-Compassion and Buddha Nature David Oromith · 72 minutes · recorded September 26, 2026
David sets out Kristin Neff's three elements of self-compassion, self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness, and explains why self-criticism puts us under attack and shuts down learning. He talks about the Buddha's three kinds of conceit, better than, same as and worse than, and why feeling the worst is still self-cherishing. Against the critic he sets Buddha nature: nothing is missing, only obscured. The loving kindness practice, for ourselves and a loved one, closes on "I have worth".
- Session One - The Inner Critic, Guilt and Regret David Oromith · 75 minutes · recorded September 26, 2026
David talks about the inner critic, which holds us to standards we would never set for anyone else and often hides behind perfectionism or never being able to rest. He explains why guilt and shame are about the actor, not the action, while with regret we see the mistake and resolve to do things differently. In the loving kindness practice, drawn from Sharon Salzberg, we recall a kind thing we have done, a quality we admire in ourselves, and what someone who loves us would say.
- Acceptance Rooted In Loving Kindness David Oromith · 34 minutes · recorded September 6, 2026
The session opens with a twenty-minute meditation in which we relax body and mind on each out-breath, then rest in open awareness of whatever arises in the present moment. David talks about bringing love into acceptance, so that wisdom does not turn into cold logic when something hurts. He looks at changes we cannot reverse, such as ageing, illness and loved ones changing, and why loving acceptance is not passivity.
More by subject
- Anger and aversion 146
- Attachment and craving 125
- The nature of mind 93
- Emptiness 84
- The bodhisattva path 81
- Anxiety and fear 79
- Death and dying 77
- Distraction and attention 73
- Sleep and rest 66
- Buddhist psychology 60
- Illness and pain 57
- Karma 57
- Teacher and student 56
- Genuine happiness and wellbeing 54
- Habits and change 53
- Patience, forbearance and acceptance 51
- Impermanence 47
- Relaxation 44
- Gratitude and appreciation 42
- Relationships and family 40
- Motivation and intention 38
- Tantra and Vajrayana 37
- Comparison and self-cherishing 32
- Depression and low mood 32
- Dream yoga 32
- Dreams and sleep 31
- Work and daily life 29
- Guilt and regret 28
- Self-criticism and shame 28
- Rebirth and continuity 26
- Lineage and tradition 23
- Buddha nature 22
- The four noble truths 22
- Ethics and precepts 21
- Stress and burnout 21
- Emotional balance 20
- Generosity and dana 18
- Forgiveness 17
- Consciousness and science 15
- Perception and projection 15
- The eight worldly concerns 15
- The six perfections (paramitas) 15
- Enthusiastic effort (virya) 14
- Grief and loss 14
- Sangha and community 14
- The four thoughts that turn the mind 14
- Dependent origination 12
- Refuge 11
- Not-self (anatta) 10
- Attentional balance 9
- Ecology and the climate 7
- Cognitive balance 6
- Nature and the outdoors 6
- Peace and conflict 5
- The eightfold path 5
- The sixfold matrix of mental balance 4
- Introspection and self-monitoring 3
- Secular mindfulness 3
- Symbolism and iconography 3
- Spiritual materialism and bypassing 1
- The three marks of existence 1