Going Deeper...
Graduate Explorations

The 24 learning modules listed below are intended for Palouse Mindfulness graduates, but all the videos and readings given here are open to anyone. They are selected from meetings Dave Potter led in which there is a deeper exploration of topics from the eight-week Palouse Mindfulness course. Some of these are from in-person graduate meetings held between 2013 and 2023 and some from large-group zoom meetings held more recently. Feel free to experience these selectively and in any order.

If you already have a regular meditation practice, it's expected that you will continue with that as you explore these modules. For that reason, there are no practice sheets. Of course, it's quite possible that how you practice and how often you practice may change as you explore some of these topics, but we leave that to you.

Each of the 24 modules are organized similarly to one of the weeks of the main Palouse Mindfulness course, containing some or all of the following components:

A video recording of part or all of the corresponding meeting (if one exists)

A few paragraphs describing the topic of this module

A series of videos and readings related to the topic

A collection of excerpts from other resources related to the topic

There is more in these "exploration" modules than there is in the entire Palouse Mindfulness 8-week course (over 120 videos and articles!), so please take your time. Because there are any number of ways to explore these, including just sampling one or two, and because we don't want anyone to feel that they need to explore all 24 modules, there is not a "certificate of completion" as there is for the regular Palouse course. We are hoping that your engagement with these "extra" materials comes from a sense of curiosity and exploration.

PS - While studying the modules below could be thought of as "advanced" training, it is not teacher-training. The teacher-training programs we know of can be found on the Teacher-Training page.

"Graduate Exploration" Modules
Clicking on the titles below will take you beyond the one-paragraph summary
and to the videos and readings for that topic

Acceptance / Non-Striving

The concept of “acceptance” in a mindfulness context is one of the hardest things to understand, and something that comes up time and time again for students. What does “acceptance” even mean in situations where there is emotional or physical abuse, or social injustice? Does this mean you sit there and do nothing? In this module, we define "acceptance" as accepting the fact that what is happening is, indeed, happening, without wasting energy with reactions like “This can’t be happening!” or “How can they be doing this?!?” or “This is so unfair!”. In such cases, it is possible to act immediately and with great energy, but from a place of inner stability, and with a clear perception of the situation.
Being at Peace with Not Being at Peace

Most of us begin meditation practice in the hopes that life will get “better” in certain specific ways. For instance, we may hope that we'll have more peace and calm in our lives, be less anxious, be more effective. This is the “carrot”. It’s what motivates us to practice, and while it is, in fact, true that things are likely to get better, this is not actually the deepest benefit meditation practice can provide. At some point we may discover, with patience and continued practice, something truly profound and transformative: It's possible to be at peace with not feeling peaceful. This doesn’t mean that you sit back and do nothing about the things you want to change - it means you are able to change them from a place of stability and strength rather than anxiety and fear.
Preferences vs. Demands

In "The Realm of Hungry Ghosts", Tara Brach makes the point that desire is natural, a part of existing in a dynamic and alive universe, but it is being "hooked", or being attached, that causes suffering. Joko Beck, in "Nothing Special", says there is nothing wrong with preferences, the problem occurs when the preferences become demands. We spend much of our waking hours wanting life to be different than it is, anticipating pleasure or pain, all the while missing what's right in front of us. Such a demand puts us at war with our own experience, making the present uncomfortable at best, and unbearable at worst. "The Terribly, Tragically, Sad Man" is a beautiful and poignant parable about a man who learns how to love what he already has.
Loving Those Who Don't Deserve It

One of our graduates told us she was having trouble with the “non-judgmental” part of the lovingkindness prayer. She said: “How can you show compassion for everybody? How is that even possible? What about someone who intentionally harms other people? It’s one thing to feel lovingkindness for my friends and family, or even people you don’t know, but how does it make sense to feel lovingkindness for someone who has done or is doing great harm? Instead of lovingkindness, what I want to do is make them pay for what they've done."
How is it possible, or is it even appropriate, to practice lovingkindness in such a case? What does this even mean?
Forgiveness

At its heart, forgiveness is a function of deeply understanding our inter-connectedness, the impossibility of assigning ultimate cause, a recognition of the fact that those who are abusive to others are often themselves victims of abuse. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said: "If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility."
In Jack Kornfield's article, "The Practice of Forgiveness", he says:"Forgiveness is fundamentally for our own sake, for our own mental health. It is a way to let go of the pain we carry. ...There is a strength to forgiveness. When we forgive we can also say, “Never again will I allow these things to happen.” We may resolve to never again permit such harm to come to ourselves or another. And at the same time we can also resolve to release the past and not carry bitterness and hate in our heart."
Belonging / Wholeness

In "Sanctuary", Jack Kornfield tells a wonderful story of the spontaneous and surprising emergence of cross-species community initiated by a chimpanzee. In "Sangha", Tara Brach suggests that what is often the most important thing near life's end, feeling connected to others, is also the most important thing during the whole of our lives, but that we sometimes forget that. She says that "the treasure we seek is closer than we imagined", and that "it's in the field of relationship that the magic happens".
In the Supplementary section is a beautiful and moving song called "I'm On Your Side" by Michael Franti, and a powerful video, "All That We Share" which demonstrates (through a Danish TV ad!) that we have more in common with others than we might think.
Who are the Heroes?

We think that those who act heroically are somehow unique, special, and we ask "What makes them different? Why were they the one who jumped in?". But are they truly some special breed of human? When the hero is interviewed and asked why they did it, they almost always say something like, "I didn't think about it. It just needed to be done, so I did it".
In the book Humankind: A Hopeful History, Rutger Bregman, a Dutch historian, gives very convincing historical and literary references illustrating that human beings are hard-wired for kindness. In it he says that “the notion that civilization is nothing more than a thin veneer that will crack at the merest provocation is a myth... The opposite is true. It's when crisis hits - when the bombs fall or the floodwaters rise - that we humans become our best selves.”
Helping vs. Serving

Rachel Naomi Remen makes a distinction between serving and helping. She says: "Helping incurs debt. When you help someone they owe you one. But serving, like healing, is mutual. There is no debt. I am as served as the person I am serving. When I help I have a feeling of satisfaction. When I serve I have a feeling of gratitude. These are very different things." This module expands on this theme and includes articles and videos of Rachel Naomi Remen and Jack Kornfield not found elsewhere in the eight-week Palouse Mindfulness course.
Be Kind. Always.

Mindfulness teacher Jamie Derrick talks about her personal guideline, "Be Kind. Always.", which has been central to her life for many years. This is not a "wimpy-walk-on-me" kindness but a strong, "say-what-needs-to-be-said" kindness. Being kind does not necessarily mean backing down when a hard truth needs to be told or when we need to protect ourselves. Jamie reminds us that kindness is possible in any circumstance when intelligence and wisdom are applied. In Tara Brach's "A 'real' Good Samaritan", she shares a surprising story about a modern-day good Samaritan in the form of a British train conductor. "Empathy: The Human Connection" is a powerful short from Cleveland Clinic which transports us into other peoples' inner worlds.
Happiness

Thinking there is some external event that is going to make us happy is, in itself, an obstacle to true happiness (maybe a better word for what we’re seeking is life-satisfaction or well-being). In "The Habits of Happiness", Matthieu Ricard says that we confuse happiness with pleasure, and that any pleasurable experience extended indefinitely soon becomes unpleasant, and true satisfaction in life comes not through events or things but through our relationship with ourselves and with others. In "Want to be happier? Stay in the moment", Matt Killingsworth describes a fascinating research study he did which suggests that our level of reported happiness is directly related to the degree we are in the present moment, regardless of the type of activity we may be involved in.
Telling the Truth

In "Mindful Speech", Tara Brach suggests that if we had no other practice than bringing mindfulness into conversation, that it would transform our lives. It is extraordinarily difficult to remain mindful in conversation, especially if we aim to both speak truthfully and do it in a way that is not harmful or disrespectful. In "The Abilene Paradox", Jerry Harvey describes a fascinating paradox. He says that "the inability to manage agreement is a major source of organization dysfunction". He's describing the dynamic wherein every individual in a group may be thinking that the group is headed in the wrong direction, but no one speaks up because they think they are the only one. "The Challenger Space Shuttle" describes the consequences of not giving credence to a clearly spoken "truth" because of external demands in the hours before NASA sent seven astronauts to their death in 1987.
Appreciation

It's a shame that for most of us, the one event that brings all the people who knew us, many from thousands of miles away, to share what they love and appreciate about us, the stories they remember about us, what made them laugh, cry, think, grow – is our memorial service. Often, we don’t tell people what we love and appreciate about them, maybe because we think that, of course, they know – they don’t need to be told – or because we worry that they might think it’s phony or done with ulterior motives. And on the flip side, when we are given genuine appreciation by others, we often don’t receive it well, deflecting it or diminishing it when all that was needed is a simple, “thank you”."All the Good Things" is a poignant and inspiring story about the magic and power of appreciation.
Inner Listening

In Week 5, we introduced the counter-intuitive idea of "Turning Toward", rather than away from, emotional difficulty. The most sophisticated and complete method we know of for turning toward our inner landscape is "Inner Relationship Focusing", as taught by Ann Weiser Cornell. Becoming completely comfortable and skilled with Focusing requires significant work and is beyond the scope of the MBSR course, but for those who are interested, some introductory materials are provided here. Much more, in the way of materials and training, can be found on Ann's website, "Focusing Resources". Also, Ann offers "Get Bigger Than What's Bugging You", a completely free, 5-day online course that is a terrific introduction to Focusing.
Practice

There are so many questions one could ask about practice: What does it mean to “practice” mindfulness? Is it necessary to practice in a formal way, such as sitting meditation or yoga? If one is going to have a formal practice, then how long and how often? There are countless ways to practice mindfulness. If you look at Mirabai Bush's "Tree of Contemplative Practices", you'll see that only one of the many practices described is a sitting meditation - others include yoga, journaling, Tai chi, walking/hiking. Whatever form our meditation takes, it's important to consider the "why" of meditation. As Pema Chödrön says in "5 Reasons to Meditate": "If meditation was just about feeling good (and I think all of us secretly hope that is what it’s about), we would often feel like we must be doing it wrong. Instead, meditation is about a compassionate openness and the ability to be with oneself and one’s situation through all kinds of experiences."
Social/Political Unrest

Socially and politically, these are trying times. Core values are being challenged and divisive rhetoric and actions are erupting all around us. It’s important in times like these that we don’t put those who think differently than we do out of our hearts. As Pema Chödrön says in "Practicing Peace in Times of War": "We have to be brave enough to soften what is rigid, to find the soft spot and stay with it... That's true spiritual warriorship. That's the true practice of peace." And to counter the possible objection that “finding the soft spot” is somehow accepting harmful behavior, Jack Kornfield says in "Tolerance in Difficult Times": "To prevent further suffering, we may need to respond with great strength. But when our heart is connected with our actions, even this strength can be combined with compassion and understanding."
The Dark Pieces

The title of this module was inspired by Rachel Naomi Remen's story from "Kitchen Table Wisdom". We all have aspects of ourselves or our circumstances that we don't like. John Tarrant of Pacific Zen Institute says: "We often disapprove of parts of our lives without really examining them - it's like never going into certain rooms of your house. But meditation allows all the voices and all the images in the room. When we open the invisible doors, we can come to rest in the life we have; we can love it as it is instead of waiting for a shinier version." In Zen practice, it is sometimes said, "obstacles aren't to be avoided, they are the path itself". In "Life is Tough: Six Ways to Deal with It", Norman Fischer echoes this when he says: "In spiritual practice, which is our life, there are no breaks and no mistakes. We human beings are always doing spiritual practice, whether we know it or not… To practice this… is to know that no matter what is going on, [you] have the ability to take all negativity, bad circumstance, and difficulty and turn it into the path."
Grief and Loss

In "Working Through Grief", Jack Kornfield notes that we often think there is something wrong with us if we have grief that "feels like it's going to go on forever” and he reminds us that everyone's grief is unique and individual. If you look at nothing else from this module, be sure to watch the "Stephen Colbert / Anderson Cooper interview" in which they talk about their own experiences with grief. Colbert, talking about losing his father and two brothers in a plane crash when he was 10, tells Anderson, "I learned to love the thing that I most wish had not happened." In "The Five Invitations Interview", Frank Ostaseski, founder of San Francisco Zen Hospice, talks about his many years of hospice work, and gives an introduction to the Five Invitations and to the book by the same name, invitations which are about living just as much as they are about dying.
Looking Good

You've probably heard the Leonard Cohen quote: “Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in". It's natural to want to hide our imperfections and "look good", but at its extreme is a quest for perfectionism that is so pervasive in the west that it's practically a cultural trait. Brené Brown, in the Faking It & Perfectionism video, says: "[Perfectionism is] the 20-ton shield. We carry it around, thinking it's gonna protect us from being hurt, but it protects us from being seen." Brené Brown is known for her TED talk, The Power of Vulnerability, which went viral in 2012 and was viewed over 21 million times. In her book, The Gifts of Imperfection, she says, "Belonging is the innate human desire to be part of something larger than us. ...Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance."
Original Goodness

In "Discovering Our Nobility: A Psychology of Original Goodness", Jack Kornfield tells a wonderful story about the Wat Traimit Buddha in Thailand. For hundreds of years, It was thought to be made out of clay before it was discovered in 1955 that underneath a surface layer of plaster was a stunningly beautiful statue made of solid gold, some five tons in weight and worth more than $250 million (see photo to the left). Jack uses this as a metaphor to illustrate the idea that every human being, without exception, has an inner core of "original goodness", ever-present, pure and intact, but obscured by habits and behaviors born out of self-protection and ignorance. In "Trusting Your Basic Goodness", Tara Brach builds on this theme.
Emotional Courage

While we aren’t confronted with life and death situations very often, Brené Brown believes that at the heart of courage is the willingness to be vulnerable. In "The Call to Courage", she says this includes being willing “…to ask for what you need… to talk about how you’re feeling… to have the hard conversations.” It takes courage to tell a friend or loved one a hard truth, or to admit that you made a serious mistake, or to speak up for what you think is right even when you think you stand alone. And there’s still another kind of courage, the courage to stand face-to-face with our thoughts and feelings and sensations, seeing them just as they are, without either sugar-coating them or banishing them. This is the type of courage we try to teach in Palouse Mindfulness, acknowledging thoughts, feelings, images, sensations without being swept away by them or pushing them away.
Self-Compassion

Our most important relationship is our relationship with ourselves, yet we are often unkind to ourselves in subtle and not-so-subtle ways, such as critical self-talk, in which we talk to ourselves in ways we would never talk to someone we care about. At the heart of our lack of compassion for ourselves is the lie that many of us grew up with: in order to be successful, we must not only work hard, but we must never be satisfied, always push harder. If we’re harsh with ourselves (or others), every time something doesn't go the way we want it to, which is nearly all the time, we’d be pretty miserable.
Not-Knowing

It can be argued that “not knowing” is actually a very high state of being, allowing for wonder, mystery, and surprise. “Not knowing” allows us to look at what is actually before us with a minimum of assumption – to see and experience what we would otherwise miss, because of preconceived ideas and expectations. “Not knowing” is what allows a child to be fascinated by something an adult sees as ordinary. “Not knowing”, in Zen circles, is called “beginner’s mind”. As Gil Fronsdal says below, "An expert may know a subject deeply, yet be blinded to new possibilities by his or her preconceived ideas. In contrast, a beginner may see with fresh, unbiased eyes."
Impermanence

That nothing is static or fixed, that all is fleeting and impermanent, is the first mark of existence. It is the ordinary state of affairs. Everything is in process. Everything—every tree, every blade of grass, all the animals, insects, human beings, buildings, the animate and the inanimate—is always changing, moment to moment. We don't have to be mystics or physicists to know this. Yet at the level of personal experience, we resist this basic fact. It means that life isn't always going to go our way. It means there's loss as well as gain.
The Illusion of "Self"

This month's discussion was not about proving or disproving whether you have a “self”. This is a futile enough exercise that even the Buddha is said to have gone silent when asked the question directly. The discussion is centered around considering that you may be much more than you thought, much more fluid, much less limited, but that this “who” that you really are may not be limited to your individual body or mind, that in some very fundamental way, we are truly not at all separate from anyone else or anything else. Einstein called it a delusion of consciousness. In the Jack Kornfield video, "Sanctuary", he says that we need to recognize both our larger self, which has no boundaries, and our more conventional individual self, and forgetting either one is problematic.