The path · Laying the foundation
Beginning practice
Talks that speak mostly to this
- MN 20 Removal of Distracting Thoughts- Do you Destroy or Torture your Wandering Mind?
Delson reads through MN 20 (Vitakkasanthana Sutta, the removal of distracting thoughts) and explains its five methods: replace an unwholesome sign with a wholesome one, examine its danger…
- MN 17 Jungle Thickets - Are We Being Supported? - Vanapattha Sutta
Delson reads and comments on MN 17, the Vanapattha Sutta, which describes when a monk should stay in a jungle thicket and when he should leave, depending on whether mindfulness and…
- MN 16 -Five Wildernesses -Weaknesses to be overcome -Cetokhila Sutta
Delson walks through MN 16, the Cetokhila Sutta, which lists five wildernesses in the heart (doubt about the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha and training, plus resentment toward fellow…
- Day 4 Right Effort - 7 Enlightenment Factors -June Retreat at DSMC
Delson explains right effort as abandoning the unwholesome and cultivating the wholesome, and frames this as the core work of samadhi.
- Day 4 Foundations of Mindfulness and the Hindrances -Retreat Talk
Delson explains that hindrances should be released and relaxed rather than pushed away, using the six R's as the practical method.
- MN 4 'Fear and Dread" Sunday Sutta Series with Delson Armstrong
Delson reads through MN 4, the Bhayabherava Sutta (Fear and Dread), in which the Buddha describes how he stayed in remote forests and shrines without fear, relying on purified conduct…
- MN 2 Sabbasave Sutta-Taints -Sunday Series with Delson Armstrong
Delson walks through MN 2, the Sabbasava Sutta, on the taints (asavas) and the Buddha's teaching that they are abandoned in six ways: by seeing, restraining, using, enduring, avoiding…
- "Dozing" Sunday Sutta Session AN 7.62 with Delson Armstrong
Delson reads AN 7.61 ("Dozing"), in which the Buddha coaches the Venerable Maha Moggallana through drowsiness with a graded list of remedies: change the object, reflect on the Dhamma, rub…
- Day 2 AN 50 'Blocks to the Luminous Mind' - Delson Armstrong
Delson explains the Anguttara Nikaya passage on the luminous mind, which says the mind is naturally luminous but is obscured by adventitious defilements.
- Day 2 All the Taints MN 2 -Hindrances!- Delson Armstrong
Delson reads and comments on MN 2, the Sabbasava Sutta, on the taints (asavas) and the six ways they are abandoned: by seeing, restraining, using, enduring, avoiding, removing and…
- June 6 -Day 2 -First Day Blues-Origin of Hindrances
Delson explains, on the second day of a retreat, that the difficulties beginners meet in sitting come from hindrances: the five basic distractions of sensual craving, ill will…
- Mar 30 MN 2 Sabbasava Sutta with Delson Armstrong - Sunday Zoom
Delson reads MN 2, the Sabbasava Sutta, on the taints (asavas) and the seven ways they are abandoned: by seeing, restraining, using, enduring, avoiding, removing and developing.
- Mar 30 2025 Sunday Sutta Study "All the Taints" MN 2-Delson Armstrong
Delson reads MN 2, the Sabbasava Sutta (All the Taints), and comments on it section by section.
- Mumbai Retreat February 2025 | Day 2 - Dealing with Hindrances
Delson Armstrong gives a day-two retreat talk on the five hindrances (sense craving, aversion, sloth and torpor, restlessness and remorse, and doubt) and how to work with each one.
- Day 2 First Day Blues Japan Retreat Dec 2023
Delson explains the five hindrances on the second day of a retreat, which he calls the "first day blues." He describes each hindrance (sensual craving, aversion, restlessness and remorse…
- Day 2: Hindrances Netherlands 2023
Delson gives a retreat talk on the five hindrances: sensual craving, aversion, restlessness and worry, sloth and torpor, and doubt.
- Day 2: Hindrances
Delson Armstrong opens the second day of a retreat by explaining the five hindrances (craving, aversion, restlessness, sloth and torpor, and doubt) as obstacles that arise when mindfulness…
- Day 2: Hindrances
Delson gives a retreat talk on the five hindrances: sensual craving, aversion, restlessness (with worry and remorse), sloth and torpor, and doubt.
- Day 1 Mumbai 2023 Hindrances Ach Delson Armstrong
Delson explains the five hindrances (sensual craving, aversion, restlessness, sloth and torpor, doubt) and how to work with them during loving-kindness and six-directions practice on…
- 14 Dec 2021 Online Retreat. Dhamma talk with Delson Armstrong.
Delson reads and explains MN19, the Dvedhavitakka Sutta (Two Kinds of Thought), as guidance for the first day of a retreat, when restlessness, sloth and torpor, and other distractions…
- Day 2 UK Retreat (Sept 2023) Hindrances and Awakening Factors
Delson teaches the five hindrances (sensual craving, aversion, restlessness, sloth and torpor, and doubt) on the second day of a UK retreat, and explains how each arises.
- HIndrances + Q&A Day 1/3 Bandra, Mumbai Sept 2023 w/Delson Armstrong Sept 7-9, 2023
Delson explains hindrances as distractions that reveal attachment and aversion, describes the five hindrances, and shows how the 6R's (shortened to four R's) work as right effort tied to…
- Kalimpong 2023 Buddha Pāda Day 2 Hindrances
Delson teaches the five hindrances (sensual craving, aversion, restlessness and remorse, sloth and torpor, and doubt) on the second day of a Buddha Pada retreat in Kalimpong.
- Kalimpong Buddha Pāda Day 2 Hindrances
Delson Armstrong gives a day-two retreat talk on the five hindrances: sensual craving, aversion, restlessness and remorse, sloth and torpor, and doubt.
- Day 2 Hindrances, BUDDHA PĀDA INSTITUTE, Kalimpong, India Metta Retreat- w/Delson Armstrong
Delson Armstrong teaches the five hindrances as they appear in sitting and daily life: sensual craving, aversion, restlessness and remorse, sloth and torpor, and doubt.
- Day 2 - 2nd Day Blues -Distractions AN5 5.51 July 14
Delson gives a second-day retreat talk on distractions in meditation, reading from AN5.51 on the five hindrances: sensual desire, ill will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and remorse, and…
- June 23, 2023 MN 128 Upakilesa Sutta Day 2 Distractions
Delson reads and comments on MN 128, the Upakkilesa Sutta, in which the Buddha's disciple Aniruddha lists the imperfections of the mind that disturbed his collectedness and the light and…
- Deerpark Retreat Day 2 MN 107 Hindrances -2nd day blues w/Delson Armstrong
Delson reads MN 107, the Ganakamoggallana Sutta, as a summary of the gradual path, and uses it to explain how to deal with the five hindrances during a retreat.
- Day 9 Mahabodhi Tree Mettā
Delson's talk, recorded on 2022-11-24, is very hard to follow because the transcript is largely garbled.
- Day 1 -2022 First July 10 Day Retreat - with Delson Armstrong-Instructions
Delson gives opening instructions for a ten-day silent retreat: keep noble silence, start each day with a smile, and practise a feeling-based loving-kindness meditation held in the chest.
- Day 10 June Retreat - Metta Sutta - Karaniya Sutta SN 1.8
Delson reads through the Karaniya Metta Sutta (snp1.8) verse by verse as guidance for carrying loving-kindness into daily life after a retreat.
- Day 2 June 2022 Day DN 2 Distractions -Retreat with Delson Armstrong
Delson reads and comments on DN2, the Samaññaphala Sutta, in which King Ajatasattu asks about the visible fruits of the homeless life and the Buddha answers by starting with morality.
- Day 2 May Retreat MN 107 Ganaka Moggalana Sutta with Delson Armstrong -Distractions
Delson reads MN 107, the Ganaka Moggallana Sutta, and explains the gradual training it describes: precepts, restraint of the senses, moderation, wakefulness, full awareness, then seclusion…
- Day 2 Apr Retreat -MN 39 Distractions and Hindrances
Delson reads from MN39 (the Maha Asapura Sutta) on the qualities of a recluse: shame and fear of wrongdoing, purified conduct in body, speech, mind and livelihood, sense restraint…
- Day 2 Apr Retreat -MN 39 Hindrances and Distractions
Delson Armstrong reads from MN 39 (Maha Assapura Sutta) and walks through its list of training steps, from purified conduct and the precepts to sense restraint, moderation, wakefulness and…
- Suttavada Foundation Online Retreat 15 Dec 2021 Dealing With Hinderances With Delson Armstrong
Delson Armstrong gives a day-one retreat talk on dealing with hindrances, reading and commenting on MN 19, the Two Kinds of Thought.
- 4 Dec 2021 Online Retreat Q & A With Delson Armstrong Session 2 of 2
Delson answers questions from a retreat on the nature of the present moment, meditation pain versus physical pain, posture, and craving for subtle states.
- Introductory Talk on TWIM to Zen Community in Netherlands
Delson introduces TWIM, the meditation practice he teaches, and explains the brahmaviharas as a way to uplift the mind and let go of hindrances, especially ill-will.
- GTOG Sunday Meditation Session: Sutta reading (MN2 - Sabbasava Sutta) by Delson Armstrong
Delson reads MN2, the Sabbasava Sutta, on the taints (asavas) and the six ways the Buddha gives for abandoning them.
- April 24 2021 - MN 4 - Fear & Dread - Letting Go of Hindrances Leads to the Natural Freedom of Mind
Delson reads MN 4, the Bhayabherava Sutta (Fear and Dread), and comments on how the Buddha's solitude in the forest was free of fear because his conduct was purified and he recognized and…
- April 2021 Online Retreat Q&A 1
In this Q&A, a practitioner describes getting distracted in the jhanas, mainly by restlessness, and asks whether determinations would help at this stage.
- Day-2 QA - Online 10-day Retreat (Nov-17) with Delson Armstrong
Delson answers retreat participants' questions on day two of an online 10-day retreat.
Talks that also touch on it
- Day 1 Guided Metta Meditation with Instructions -Retreat June 4-14th 2026
Delson leads a guided metta meditation for retreat students, beginning with posture, a body scan and a smile.
- DN 2 Oct 12, 2025 DN 2 Delson Armstrong Sunday Sutta Series
Delson reads from the Samannaphala Sutta (DN 2), section 42 onward, and explains the path it lays out from morality through sense restraint, mindfulness and contentment to the abandoning…
- Who is Delson? From Yoga to Buddhism - My personal Journey -From India to the US
Delson Armstrong tells his personal story: an early start in Hatha and Kriya yoga and study of yoga philosophy in the Himalayas, then his move to Buddhism through the Brahmaviharas and…
- Dissolve the 5 Aggregates: Using Guided Loving-Kindness Meditation
Delson leads a guided sitting that begins with relaxing the body and generating loving-kindness for oneself, then for everyone in the room, then for all beings in every direction…
- Dissolve the 5 Aggregates - Using Guided Loving-Kindness Meditation
Delson leads a guided sitting that begins with relaxing the body and building loving-kindness toward oneself, then extends it through the room, in all directions, to beings in other realms…
- Mumbai Retreat February 2025 | Day 8 - Five Aggregates Guided Meditation
Delson leads a guided sit that begins with relaxing the body and developing loving-kindness, first toward oneself and then extended outward to others in the room, the city, all directions…
- Jan 2025 Retreat: Orientation and Talk w/Delson Armstrong
Delson opens a January retreat with beginner instructions for TWIM loving-kindness practice: sit comfortably, smile, bring up an uplifting feeling in the chest, and send metta first to…
- Oct 2024 Retreat: Orientation-Day 1 Metta Instructions Oct 11, 2024
Delson gives an orientation talk for an October 2024 retreat, mainly about intention rather than technique.
- Guided Metta Meditation -Beginner-Excellent TWIM Starter 30 min
Delson leads a 30-minute guided loving-kindness (metta) meditation as an introduction to the TWIM approach.
- Sept 2024 TWIM Retreat Orientation: Metta Instructions with a Guided Meditation and Instructions.
Delson leads a guided loving-kindness (metta) meditation for participants of a TWIM retreat, then gives orientation instructions for the retreat.
- Day 3: Awakening Factors-Netherlands Oct 2023
Delson explains the seven awakening factors as qualities that counter the five hindrances and support jhana and insight, and walks through how mindfulness, investigation, energy, joy…
- Day 1: Introduction and Meditation Instructions
Delson opens a retreat by explaining the basic practice: there is no goal, the aim is a light heart and mind, and a smile.
- Day 3: Awakening Factors
Delson explains the seven awakening factors (mindfulness, investigation of states, energy, joy, tranquility, collectedness and equanimity) and how they arise together, with the first jhana…
- Day 3: Awakening Factors
Delson explains the seven awakening factors and how they relate to the five hindrances, the four foundations of mindfulness, and right effort.
- Guided Loving Kindness Meditation by Delson Armstrong
Delson guides a 30-minute loving-kindness meditation.
- Kalimpong 2023 Buddha Pāda Day 3 Awakening Factors
Delson explains the seven enlightenment factors as a way of understanding what jhana is: the absence of the five hindrances with the enlightenment factors present to varying degrees.
- Kalimpong Buddha Pāda 2023 Day 1 Introduction
Delson opens a 10-day Brahmavihara retreat at Kalimpong Buddha Pada with a feeling-based loving-kindness (metta) practice.
- Kalimpong Buddha Pāda 2023 Day 1 Introduction
Delson opens a ten-day Brahmavihara retreat at Buddha Pada by explaining the loving-kindness practice: a feeling-based meditation sent first to oneself and then to a spiritual friend.
- Kalimpong 2023 Buddha Pāda Day 3 Awakening Factors
Delson explains the seven factors of awakening (mindfulness, investigation, energy, joy, tranquility, collectedness and equanimity) as the basis for jhana and as the path to nibbana.
- Day 3 7 Enlightenment Factors, BUDDHA PĀDA INSTITUTE, Kalimpong- Delson Armstrong
Delson explains that jhana is the absence of the five hindrances together with the enlightenment factors present to varying degrees, and he walks through the seven factors (mindfulness…
- Loving Kindness Guided mediation for 60 min (Audio only) by Delson Armstrong
Delson leads a 60-minute guided loving-kindness (metta) meditation with no talk or teaching section.
- Day 1 Metta Lovingkindness Meditation Instructions with Delson Armstrong
Delson gives beginner instructions for metta (loving-kindness) meditation on the first day of a retreat.
- Guided Meditation Lovingkindness and Letting go of the 5 Aggregates
Delson leads a guided sitting that begins with loving-kindness (metta) toward oneself and radiates it in all directions.
- MN 10 Mindfulness Redefined-Satipatthana Sutta with Delson Armstrong-Very Good!
Delson reads through MN 10, the Satipatthana Sutta, and explains the four foundations of mindfulness: body, feelings, mind and mind objects.
- MN 10 Satipatthana Sutta with Delson Armstrong
Delson Armstrong reads MN 10, the Satipatthana Sutta, and explains the four foundations of mindfulness (body, feelings, mind, and mind objects) as they apply to meditation practice.
- Deerpark Retreat Day 1 Orientation w/Delson Armstrong
Delson gives orientation for a 10-day retreat, covering the metta practice with a smile, the choice of a spiritual friend, and the six R's for handling distractions and hindrances.
- Day 7 -2022 10 Day June Retreat - SN 12.25 Karma and Dependent Origination
Delson reads SN 12.25 (the Bhumija discourse), in which Sariputta and the Buddha say that pleasure and pain are dependently arisen on contact, and he uses it to explain karma through…
- Day 1 -2022 June 10 Day Retreat with Delson Armstrong-Instructions
Delson gives the opening instructions for a ten-day silent retreat, beginning with a loving-kindness (metta) practice built on a smile and the feeling of warmth in the heart.
- Day 1 2022 April Retreat 26 May5 - Orientation / Instructions
Delson gives the opening meditation instructions for a TWIM retreat.
- 14 Dec 2021 Online Retreat. Intro on how to practice and Q & A with Delson Armstrong
Delson gives the opening instructions for an online retreat: a metta practice that begins with oneself and then a living spiritual friend, with sitting and walking alternated and the six…
- Guided Loving Kindness Meditation 2 by Delson Armstrong (with Alpha Binaural Beat)
Delson leads a guided loving-kindness meditation of about thirty minutes.
- Feb 28 2021 - MN 23 - The Anthill - Right Effort Leads to the Mind of the Arahant
Delson reads and explains MN 23, the Vammika Sutta, in which the Buddha explains to Kumara Kassapa the riddle of the anthill, the brahmin and the knife.
- Feb 21 2021 - MN19 - Two Types of Thought - Right Intention, Awakening Factors & Threefold Knowledge
Delson reads and comments on MN19, the Buddha's account of dividing thoughts into those of wrong intention and those of right intention, and of recognizing and releasing unwholesome…
- Delson Armstrong talks on The Discourse about Meghiya
Delson reads the Meghiya Sutta (AN 9.3, with the Udana version noted as nearly identical) and comments on it paragraph by paragraph.
- Day 5 Foundations of Mindfulness - Discussing the Satipatthana Sutta -What is Mindfulness?
Delson explains right effort in the context of the Satipatthana teaching, describing it as abandoning unwholesome states and cultivating wholesome ones.