V1 ~ What is Practice?

Prefer watching on YouTube? View it here → MTCSD Essay 1: What is Practice?OverviewIn this introductory video essay, I open the conversation about contemplative practice as I view and experience it, centering attention/awareness and the role of the breath as foundational for developing greater agency over our attention and lives.Sources & Further Reading** 1:30 “Practitioners, I know not one single thing more intractable and harmful than an untrained mind.”* AN 1.31-40, accesstoinsight.org* AN 1.31-40, buddha-vacana.org* 3:15 Monoculture, Wikipedia* 3:30 Sādhanā, Wikipedia* 4:20 Three Gates, wisdomlib.org* 5:10 Neuroplasticity, Wikipedia* 6:55 Samsāra, Wikipedia* 9:15 Avidyā, Wikipedia* 10:00 MN 19, Dvedhavitakka Sutta, accesstoinsight.org* 12:45 Mindfulness, Wikipedia* 15:45 Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism, kagyuoffice.org* 17:25 Perfection Pāramitā, Shambhala* 18:30 Wisdom & Compassion, mindworks.org* 24:10 Upaya, Wikipedia* 26:20 Upanishads, translated by Eknath Easwaran, Thrift Books* 35:25 Prāṇāyāma, Wikipedia* 36:35 Ānāpānasati, Meditation on Breathing, accesstoinsight.org*I support the democratization and crowdsourcing of knowledge, and I regard platforms such as Wikipedia as valid and valuable repositories of human knowledge that help balance academic gatekeeping of epistemic authority. I also value rigorous fact-checking and common sense.Disclaimer: I use AI to assist with research, learning, and systems design. All ideas, writing, music, editing, and creative choices are my own. I believe these technologies should support and enhance our creativity, not replace it. Get full access to May This Channel Self-Destruct at mtcsd.substack.com/subscribe