Discourse on the Four Kinds of Nutriments - Volition (2018) (4 of 5)

March-December 2018 

In this talk, Dharma teacher Fred Eppsteiner continues his discussion of the Buddha's teachings on the four kinds of nutriments that affect the well-being of our bodies and our minds with an introduction to the nutriment of volition. He explained that if we want to free our minds of suffering, we have to attend to the underlying motivations and aspirations that are directing our activities of body, speech, and mind in this life. Whether conscious or unconscious, whatever we are moving toward is conditioning our mind. We have to look deeply in order to clearly see what is truly motivating our actions, words, and thoughts throughout our life. We can then ask ourselves whether this is nurturing a healthy, happy mind, or a mind of suffering. Fred also encourages us to more consciously cultivate and live by aspirations that move us toward well-being.