Vanessa Zuisei Goddard

Nov 9, 2024 | tricycle.org | Vanessa Zuisei Goddard

Before dawn, the sky was heavy with its own weight and low-hanging. It pressed down on the water of Chazy Lake, solid and slate-colored, disappearing in a sheet of fog the mountains that normally border the lake. It was as if those mountains had never been there, nor the houses dotting their hillsides, nor the people living their lives inside.

Aug 10, 2024 | tricycle.org | Vanessa Zuisei Goddard

Of the five hindrances, the fifth, doubt (vicikiccha), is the most pernicious because it can cause us to step off the path altogether. Sometimes called “hindering doubt,” vicikiccha is distinct from the great doubt that often brings us to practice. It doesn’t question whether suffering is avoidable but rather whether we have the capacity to address it. It manifests as doubt in the dharma, our teachers, our practice, and, worst of all, ourselves.

May 11, 2024 | tricycle.org | Vanessa Zuisei Goddard |Christina Feldman

“But I just can’t sit still!” This is the most common argument new meditators make to explain their aversion to practice. Yet restlessness (Pali: uddhacca; Skt.: auddhatya), as one half of the fourth hindrance we encounter in meditation and life—the other half being worry (Pali: kukkucca; Skt.: kaukritya)—is an obstacle that can stop all of us regardless of our level of experience. Restlessness is the body that won’t settle; worry is the agitation that blocks our awareness.

Feb 11, 2024 | tricycle.org | Vanessa Zuisei Goddard

¡Bienvenidos a nuestra nueva sección de Dharma en Español! Aquí en Tricycle reconocemos la importancia de seguir ofreciendo el dharma a los practicantes de una amplia gama de comunidades, y dado el creciente interés en el dharma en español, hemos puesto en marcha una nueva iniciativa para ofrecer enseñanzas originales y traducidas.

Feb 10, 2024 | tricycle.org | Vanessa Zuisei Goddard

The third hindrance described by the Buddha is sloth and torpor (thina-middha). During meditation, this unwholesome pair presents itself as sleepiness, disinterest, or a general feeling of malaise. It’s the “I can’t be bothered” feeling that makes caring about practice so difficult. Off the cushion, it may manifest as brain fog, overwhelm, or lethargy—all of which are rooted in our need to avoid a painful feeling or deep-seated fear.