The following talk was given at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California.

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So then I'll offer a couple of words about the practice.

One of the images and metaphors that I've been living with lately for this practice is that of a turtle.

And with practice is that of a turtle and with the idea that a turtle always carries its

home with it and wherever it goes it has a home you know it can kind of rest and pull into its home and

and so the practice is that way that as we practice and develop the practice we discover

at homeness that an even a sense of belonging in

this world that we carry with us everywhere that's not depended on whether other

people make us feel at home.

We're not dependent upon, you know, other people help us feel like we belong.

But rather that it's amazing to have this feeling of wholeness and home and belonging that emanates

from us rather than needing to experience it from the world. And that's a wonderful gift to become a turtle that way.

So I don't know if that metaphor works for you, but you might want to see if there's some way that the turtle

metaphor can speak to something very profound that we can discover through this

practice with every breath, with every step we take when you do walking meditation. through this

we can't over the practice. We can do walking meditation that we can find the sense of at home

emanating from within rather than requiring it from other people.

It's a wonderful thing to have.

So thank you for being here and I look forward to this morning together.