HeartDhamma, 3414 Renwick Road, Nelson, BC (2025)

08/01/2025

Seeds of Distractions | How Thoughts Take Root & Become Hindrances

https://youtu.be/fMoisj59ucI

A deep yet practical exploration of how mental distractions arise and evolve, using the metaphor of a plant’s life cycle—from seed to full-grown entanglement, also called the five hindrances. Drawing from the Five Aggregates, and the Six Senses, this teaching reveals how unnoticed moments of craving and clinging silently take root in the mind. Here, we explore the process of recognizing these seeds of distraction, understanding how they are nourished, and applying Right Effort to gently uproot them and experience the calming of thoughts.

Dhamma talk given by Bhante Ānanda
Day 3 of meditation retreat at Tierramor, in Costa Rica, June 2024.

MN 19 Discerning Thoughts into Two
https://heartdhamma.love/sutta/mn-19/

07/25/2025

From Struggle to Syntropy | The Uplifting & Life-Giving Power of Right Effort

https://youtu.be/Z93X5KWEaAs

Explore the awakening of the Buddha of the nature of mental states, wholesome and unwholesome, which is a the core of karma, and the path of meditation which he discover. Syntropic meditation refers to the life-giving principle of cultivating wholesome mental states through this ancient technique based on the Buddha's wisdom. The natural samādhi that ripens through right effort by uplifitng the mind with loving kindness and letting go as somatic release.

Dhamma talk given by Bhante Ānanda
Day 2 of meditation retreat at Tierramor, in Costa Rica, June 2024.

MN 19 Discerning Thoughts into Two
https://heartdhamma.love/sutta/mn-19/

***We apologize for the poor sound quality, the mic was not connected.

07/16/2025

This year, the HeartDhamma community in Canada is inviting Bhante Ānanda and Anagārika Sarah to spend vassa (Monastic rains retreat), from July until October, at their hermitage in the West Kootenays.

Yesterday, the intimate ceremony of invitation (Vassa Ārādhana) was performed, monastics were formally invited and then, they determined the Heartwood Hermitage as their residence for the retreat. 🙏😇♥️

The ceremony had the flavour of simplicity, without expensive and elaborate decorations, free of hassle, going to the essence, going to the heartwood. In the Heartwood Hermitage's usual style, cutting through the clutter, and going to the heart of what truly matters: Mental Development (Bhāvanā) and a loving community (Saṅgha). 🪷

07/07/2025

🇱🇰A glimpse at our retreat which ended last week, in the heart of Sri Lanka! All smiles, open hearts and deep meditation practice for yet another memorable 10-day retreat. Our group was unique and filled with particularly devoted meditators! 🧘😇🧘‍♀️

Our next retreat in our meditation heaven of the mystical island in the Indian Ocean will be next February (2026)! 🏝️🌅 Find out more on the HeartDhamma website! Next retreats in Canada and Australia 😇

06/15/2025

Letting Go with Wisdom | Relaxing & Smiling in Loving Kindness Meditation

This short teaching emphasizes the importance of relaxing and smiling before returning to loving kindness. Instead of forcing the mind, it requires first letting go of distractions. Using wisdom to gently guide the mind to loving kindness meditation makes the process more effective and insightful, promoting deeper mindfulness. These brief instructions are the ABC of meditation (Bhāvanā).Meditation instructions given by Bhante Ānanda 10-Day meditation retreat at Tierramor, in Costa Rica, June 2024.

06/06/2025

The Surprising Power of Smiling in Meditation | How to Meditate w/ Right Effort

https://youtu.be/A6lzFIV-Vg0

Wondering how to meditate? Here, we are putting down the essentials of loving kindness meditation and how to use right effort. These brief instructions are the ABC of meditation (Bhāvanā). Cultivating wholesome mental states (Loving kindness) and letting go of unwholesome mental state (Distractions) in a process that develops the seven factors of awakening.

Meditation instructions given by Bhante Ānanda
10-Day meditation retreat at Tierramor, in Costa Rica, June 2024.

06/01/2025

The guided meditations from our last retreat in Sri Lanka (February 2025) are now out! 🧘‍♀️🌅🧘

Do you ever feel a bit alone when meditating, and feel like you want to feel a part of a bigger community when you practice? 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Maybe having the sense of meditating with other people would enliven your practice again? Maybe, you would like to kick off the dust from these old meditation instructions and refresh your knowledge?

All of our retreats guided meditations are posted on SoundCloud!
You can re-live memories of a past retreat or strengthen your understanding, if you have not come for a retreat in a while. :) 💪🏻

They are all accessible for free, and free to download.☸️✨
We’ll put the link in a comment below 🔗

Enjoy! 😇❤️

05/30/2025

What Did Buddha Teach His Son About Meditation? | Sutta Sunday

https://youtu.be/vOYxQAnndU8

The Longer Advice to Rāhula offers an excellent overview of the progressive path of meditation taught by the Buddha. In this discourse to his son, here, the Buddha explains how to meditate like the four elements, then recommends the development of loving kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity, the four brahmavihāras. Moving on to meditation on disadvantages (Asubha) and finally, when all these practices have been developed, to cultivate awareness, using the breath as a reminder (Ānāpānāsati).

Sutta Sundays are the monthly gathering of the HeartDhamma community where we study original teachings on meditation directly from the Buddha.

Dhamma talk by Bhante Ānanda, Sri Lanka Retreat, April 2025

MN 62 Longer Advice to Rāhula | Maharāhulovada Sutta
https://heartdhamma.love/sutta/mn-62/

05/25/2025

On the last day of our meditation retreats, we like to go on a small, mindful adventure in nature. We gently open the doors again to skillful, kind speech and human interactions. We find that easing back into our lives is smoother when we allow some time after each retreat to reconnect with others in this special and wholesome retreat container.

Our mindful nature walk allows for a more gentle and meaningful transition before returning to our daily lives. We like to create some space for all meditators who have spent the past 9 days on a silent retreat, to meet each other and to foster a sense of community and wise friendship among us. 🧘‍♀️🦋🧘

05/05/2025

“Live as islands unto yourselves, friends,
as shelters unto yourselves,
with no other shelter.
Live with the Dhamma as your island,
the Dhamma as your shelter,
with no other shelter.

How?

Here, one meditates, aware of body as body
Intent, fully aware and present,
Letting go of clinging and aversion (for the things) of the world.

One meditates, aware of sensations as sensations,
Intent, fully aware and present,
Letting go of clinging and aversion (for the things) of the world.

One meditates, aware of mind as mind,
Intent, fully aware and present,
Letting go of clinging and aversion (for the things) of the world.

One meditates, aware of mental phenomena as mental phenomena,
Intent, fully aware and present,
Letting go of clinging and aversion (for the things) of the world."

Stay in your own fields, friends,
Stay on familiar grounds!

Abiding in your own fields,
Abiding on familiar grounds:
You will grow in vitality,
You will grow in beauty,
You will grow in happiness,
You will grow in wealth
And you will grow in power."

For the Buddha:
Vitality = Four Pathways to Psychic Abillities
Beauty = Moral Beauty
Happiness = Meditation
Wealth = Boundless Love, Compassion, Joy and Calm
Power = Breaking the Fetters

Some pictures of meditators on our retreats, being islands unto themselves, in Sri Lanka, Australia, Costa Rica and the Himalayas. 🧘🌅🧘‍♀️

04/27/2025

A few glimpses at the incredible nature surrounding our retreat in Sri Lanka. 😍🧘‍♀️🧘 It is a great blessing to practice these amazing teachings on boundless love and somatic release, and at the same time, to be held by such lush and loving nature. 🍃

These pictures were taken during last vassa, the yearly monastic monsoon retreat which lasts for three months. They convey the peace and beauty of the knuckles mountain range, where our retreats take place. This generous land which give us plenty of opportunities for sky gazing meditations, contemplation on the elements and meditative nature walks.
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Join us for the next June retreat! 🧘‍♀️🪷🧘
Link in the Bio!
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03/30/2025

We are happy to announce our new online monthly teachings! 🌅

Sutta Sunday is the monthly gathering of the HeartDhamma community where we explore the original teachings of the Buddha: the suttas. Every first Sunday of each month, Bhante Ānanda offers reflections and insights on carefully selected discourses of the Buddha to deepen our meditation practice and offer some clarity in practical meditation advice.

We look forward to seeing you there on Zoom 🙂

Click the link below to learn more about how to join the Zoom session.🧘‍♀️☸️🧘🏽‍♂️
https://heartdhamma.love/sutta-sunday/

Love Unbound!

Colombo, Sri Lanka
Sun, Apr 6, 4:00pm - 5:30pm (GMT+530)

Bodh Gaya, India
Sun, Apr 6, 4:00pm - 5:30pm (IST)

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Sun, Apr 6, 6:30pm - 8:00pm (GMT+8)

Sydney, Australia
Sun, Apr 6, 8:30pm - 10:00pm (AEST)

Vancouver, Canada
Sun, Apr 6, 3:30am - 5:00am (PDT)

San Jose, Costa Rica
Sun, Apr 6, 4:30am - 6:00am (CST)

Montreal, Canada
Sun, Apr 6, 6:30am - 8:00am (EDT)

Brussels, Belgium
Sun, Apr 6, 12:30pm - 2:00pm (CEST)

Berlin, Germany
Sun, Apr 6, 12:30pm - 2:00pm (CEST)

Helsinki, Finland
Sun, Apr 6, 1:30pm - 3:00pm (EEST)

HeartDhamma

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