[Lucy Fleetwood]

Dear Andrei

Welcome and thank you for beginning this wonderful conversation, there is so much for me to learn hear. I have been immersed in Tibetan Buddhism for the last 14 years with teachers from the Sakya and Kagyu lineages.

When we run the introductory classes at our centres we teach the meditation that Don mentions – counting breaths. We count to 21. In the Tibetan tradition, it is called shamatha meditation, also known as calm abiding, and is for calming the mind so that gradually the mind becomes still enough to then focus the mind – vipassana meditation – with the aim of realising the empty nature of everything that appears. We also work with deity practises. I remember when I began my root lama gave me my daily practices with the advice, practice without hope. Such wise advice, lovely I think 🙂

I look forward to reading more of everyone’s thoughts.