Shell Fischer's Podcast

In our modern western lexicon, the word “karma” is often employed as a kind of derogatory term that implies that someone who is experiencing some negative consequences is somehow getting their just reward, or cosmic punishment. Yet in the Buddhist teachings, this is not at all an accurate description, and the Buddha himself was actually critical of many of the beliefs and myths that are attached to this word. In this talk, Shell explores this complicated concept, and how we can use it to bring more happiness and joy into our lives, and into the lives of others.

In the famous Upaddha Sutta,the Buddha’s disciple Ananda suggested that ”admirable friendship” is half of the holy life … and the Buddha exclaimed, strongly, “no, it is the whole of the holy life.” In this new talk, Shell explores the importance of cultivating Kalyanamitra(a Sanskrit word that means “spiritual friendship, or “noble friend”) and why it’s essential that we nourish this same strong friendship with the most important person in our lives – ourselves.  

According to the Buddhist teachings, there are 8 main “anxieties” or “hang-ups” that take up an enormous amount of our emotional energy, and keep us trapped in a cycle of pain, frustration, and suffering. These 8 are praise and blame, recognition and disregard, gain and loss, and pleasure and pain. As we use our practice to learn to face these inevitable winds in our lives without being constantly blown over by them, the more peace, steadiness, and ease we experience. In this talk, Shell explores these 8 Winds (also called 8 Worldly Dharmas, Attachments, or Concerns).  

In the Pāli canon, the Buddha asks us to practice reflecting each day on what are called “The 5 Remembrances” as they relate to the truth of annica (impermanence). Over time, and with practice, reflecting upon these 5 things can help us to more deeply recognize and accept that change, loss, and death are not unusual events, but are woven into the very fabric of existence. As we continue to reflect on these truths, the more the mind becomes imbued with peace, & equanimous in the face of difficulties. This talk from Shell explores these 5.

“If we had a keen vision and feeling of all ordinary human life, it would be like hearing the grass grow and the squirrel's heart beat, and we should die of that roar which lies on the other side of silence.” ~ George Eliot This talk explores how we can cultivate a deeper sense of sustained silence and presence through meditation practice, and how, more and more, as this silence deepens, we can begin to let go of words and concepts and preconceived notions, and go right to direct experience.

During a recent "Noble Silence" night at Shell's meditation class, she was asked to record the metta (loving-kindness) meditation that she offers. This recording includes a brief explanation, followed by the meditation. Enjoy! 

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom.” ~ Victor Frankl   In this talk, Shell explores how, through our mindfulness practice, we can better access what has often been called “The Sacred Pause,” to create more calm, ease, and grace in our lives.

“Listen to Sadness. Sadness is important. Sadness has something to teach you. It stands in opposition to an entire culture that tells people that happiness is the highest, best, and sometimes only permissible emotion, and that sadness is an obstacle to being happy, and that we should concentrate all of our emotional and cultural energy on trying to eradicate sadness so that everyone can be happy.” ~ Roger Ebert During this talk, Shell explores the great importance of allowing ourselves to be sad, and points to the truth of the saying “the way out is through.”

As the Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh tells us, “Suffering is not enough.” Yes, the First Noble Truth tells us that there is suffering, but our practice is not to live and dwell there; it is to cultivate a kind of lightness, joy, and ease in our lives, so that we’ll be better able to deal with the inevitable suffering. One of the easiest ways to practice this is to nurture and cultivate a strong sense of gratitude. During this talk, Shell explores how we can access even more thankfulness and joy in our lives through our practice.

In this talk, Shell dives into the idea of "humility" - a word fraught with shame in the English language - and explores how, through the teachings and the practice, we can start to view humility more and more as a pathway to love, genuineness, reverence, and connection.

Traditionally, realms and states of deep consciousness have been described in mystical and spiritual literature as having been achieved through the art of concentration – which is exactly what we’re trying to cultivate in our Vipassana practice. As we develop a more refined and skilled awareness, this in turn offers us access to even deeper levels of understanding and insight. This talk explores how we can use our practice to train our minds to become more focused, steady, and clear.   

Mindfulness is whole-body-and-mind awareness of the present moment. When we are mindful, we are fully present, without judgment, with exactly what’s happening, right now. We’re not lost in the past or future … not tangled up in daydreams, anticipation, indulgences, or worry. We are right here, witnessing our bodies and minds and whatever is present. During this talk, Shell explores this essential component of our practice and path.

In his teachings about how we should go about investigating the nature of our minds and hearts, the Buddha continually emphasized the words diligent, ardent, and resolute. If we really want to experience more joy and freedom in our lives, we need to apply a more sustained and wise effort to our practice in order to discover more clarity - or insight - into which mind states lead us to happiness, and which ones lead us towards more suffering. In this talk, Shell dives into what this “wise effort” looks like in more detail.

In anticipation of an annual Refuge Ceremony, Shell offers this talk on what it means to Take Refuge (find sanctuary) in what are called the 3 Jewels of Practice: 1. Buddha: (who we are not worshiping in any way, but honoring as an example of what is possible within ourselves.) 2. Dharma: Here we are agreeing to take a deep look within ourselves, through the teachings, and discover for ourselves what is true, and what leads us towards freedom. 3. Sangha: Here we are honoring the support and encouragement we find in the community of us who meet weekly to practice together, as well as the larger community (the maha-sangha) of like-minded people who are also courageously looking within their own hearts, bodies, and minds to discover more peace and freedom.

As the great Zen master Thich Nhat Hahn tells us, “Suffering is not enough.” In order for us to not be pulled under by the great forces of greed, hatred, and delusion in our world, the teachings urge us to continually and consciously nurture the heart and mind states of kindness, compassion, peace, and joy (mudita), which includes a deep wish or aspiration for all beings to be happy and to know the causes of happiness – including ourselves. During this talk, Shell dives into the rich practice of Mudita, and shows us how it can help to more fully open and expand our hearts, and discover more joy in our lives.

When we are practicing this step on our path, we’re being asked to consciously, and very honestly reflect on the question: How am I living my life? along with considering, “What am I really offering?” In essence, we are being asked to contemplate our deepest intention for ourselves, and whether this aspiration is arising from a sense of “what’s in it for me?” or from a more compassionate response of “how can I help?” During this talk, we dive into this rich practice of investigation.

In the Buddha’s teachings on Right Action (samma kammanta) we are being asked to be mindful of the harm we’re capable of causing with - and to - our physical bodies, and in our expression of our bodies and how we use them – and to consciously avoid or abstain from those things by following the 5 Ethical Precepts, which Shell explores in this talk. 

During this talk Shell begins to explore the sila (or virtue, moral conduct) section of the Noble 8-Fold Path, which is considered the foundation of the whole path, what it’s built upon. Without an essential grounding in sila, our practice can easily morph into a kind of self-improvement project … or, a type of self-serving practice that might help us to feel a little more calm or peaceful, but lacks the transformational aspects of ethical speech, action, and livelihood. And this 3rd spoke - Right Speech - is said to be where the practice of sila starts. As the great monk Thanissaro Bhikkhu tells us: “If you can't control your mouth, there's no way you can hope to control your mind.”

According to the Buddhist teachings, every single moment of our lives involves an intention, and a choice -- and we can either make these decisions consciously, or unconsciously. The Buddha is urging us to make them consciously, to “intentionally” plant and cultivate 3 main seeds of thought and action (renunciation, goodwill, and non-harm). These 3 more refined and conscious intentions are meant to counter the more base and toxic choices of greed, aversion, and ill-will … with the understanding that whatever we nurture and water is what will eventually grow.

If you can imagine that the Noble Eightfold Path is a kind of ancient spiritual GPS that the Buddha mapped out for us … then the first spoke in the wheel – Right View (samma dhitti) is like being able to zoom our inner screen all the way out to its fullest so that we can see the vast scope of the terrain, and therefore gain a clearer understanding of the path we’re walking on, where we’re headed, and why. (This is talk #2 in a series of talks on the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path; the 1st talk is the summary talk.)