Single Body Leaf

Colleague Praise

…an excellent and wise dharma teacher  >> Shaila is an excellent teacher with a vast knowledge and personal experience of meditation and dharma practice. She is quite unique in the breadth of her experience, which arises from years of dedicated learning from the greatest living masters of Myanmar, India and the West. She teaches deep concentration practice (jhana), which is hard to find from other teachers in the West. Yet as a teacher, she is approachable, light, easy, humorous and clear. There is a precision and clarity in her teaching. Her language and approach inspire trust and confidence with her students and pave the way for good reliable practice. She is helpful and personal, and students don’t feel that there is any distance or issues which might inhibit personal guidance. In short, Shaila is an excellent and wise dharma teacher. 

Stephen Fulder, Israel

Commitment gives her voice enormous authority  >> Shaila brings a wealth of personal experience to the Dharma that exceeds teachers who are a generation older than herself. As a dedicated practitioner of Dharma, she spent several years in India and Thailand to deepen her experience, her meditations and her understanding of the core issues of life. Shaila has never been one to rest on the past. Like yogis of old, she loves entering into extensive periods of silence and personal retreat. Such commitment gives her voice enormous authority. I would encourage everyone, from the complete beginner to the most seasoned meditator and mind/body professional to listen to the teachings and guidance of Shaila. 

Christopher Titmuss, England

…warm heart…crystal clarity of thought >>Shaila Catherine is a deep, wonderful Dharma teacher and one of the most profound Buddhist practitioners in the West. She has a warm heart and is also gifted with crystal clarity of thought. Her talks and instructions glow with simplicity, humility and humor. Shaila also guides by example, a laywoman who has crafted a beautifully dedicated life. I highly recommend Shaila as a trustworthy and compassionate guide who has walked the path in many traditions and forms, and has the ability to help sincere students—at any level—to find ease for the suffering of our human condition and to discover its hidden potential.

Lila Kate Wheeler, Massachusetts

…in-depth experience…commitment to intensive practice  >>Shaila Catherine represents a new generation of Dharma practitioner in the West, with in-depth experience studying with some of the greatest masters of both the Theravadan and Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Her commitment to intensive practice has been matched by her dedication to study, and her exploration of the practice of concentration and jhanas reflects both these strengths.

Sharon Salzberg, New York

…a genuine Bodhisattva  >>Shaila is a terrific Dharma teacher and accomplished Buddhist practitioner, a genuine Bodhisattva. I have known her for many years, in both India and America. We studied and practiced together under some of the same master teachers and now enjoy a close collegial friendship. She has a clear mind and a generous, loving and unselfish heart. I believe that anyone interested in our practice tradition would benefit by studying with her.

Lama Surya Das, Massachusetts

…wonderful teacher…great compassion…Shaila breaks the mold!  >>Shaila Catherine is a wonderful teacher who freely quotes from the suttas at will, and is able to offer these ancient teachings while keeping them fresh, vibrant and alive. With great compassion, she offers her wealth of firsthand knowledge in a very approachable and palatable manner. Shaila is not the kind of teacher who offers a dharma talk and then is off sequestered the rest of the day; she’s the kind of teacher that is right there with you, practicing along with you, all day long, showing you the proof is in the pudding…and I don’t know about you, but I find great comfort in that. It’s easy to see that Shaila isn’t just reciting from texts that she has memorized—she is teaching directly from her heart. She teaches from direct experience gained through years and years of fruitful, productive and intensive personal practice, while still being a great steward of her amazing lineage of powerful teachers. In all the other retreats I’ve been on, my teachers have ranged from being totally unapproachable to minimally accessible. Shaila breaks the mold and offers herself, her teachings, her direct experience, and the great teachings from her respected lineage freely and openly. Months after my retreat, my heart is still full of gratitude for what Shaila was kind enough to offer me. I cannot recommend Shaila as a teacher enough.

Gary Sanders, California

Student Testimonials

…deeply supportive  >>The guidance provided by the online Bodhi Course in The Liberating Practice of Metta gave me a new perspective on metta that really enhanced my practice. The regular weekly instructions, readings and course activities helped me carry that practice more fully into daily life. I found the structure of the course, including forums with other participants, guided meditations and conferences with Shaila, to be deeply supportive.  I learned so much from Shaila’s teaching and the insights of other participants, and am very grateful that Bodhi Courses is making this dharma wisdom available online.

Connie, Texas

…accessible, clear, and inspiring  >>Since attending Shaila’s meditation retreats and participating in her online sutta study, my meditation practice has become more supportive of my daily life, and my interest in further development and study has grown tremendously. I consistently find Shaila’s teachings to be accessible, clear, and inspiring. Shaila’s skillfulness in teaching the dhamma has profoundly influenced my spiritual development and meditation practice. Knowing that she has practiced and studied intensively also adds to my confidence. I particularly value the depth of Shaila’s understanding of the dhamma and her ability to connect it to experience that is relevant to my own practice.

Katrina, Georgia

…gain valuable instruction, inspiration, and wisdom  >>For me, sutta study has been an essential part of developing a deeper understanding of the dhamma and enriching my meditation practice. After five years of participating in online dhamma study with Shaila Catherine, I continue to gain valuable instruction, inspiration, and wisdom that guides both my sitting and daily life mindfulness practice. I think these fundamental dhamma courses are also excellent for helping both beginning and experienced meditators deepen their personal practice, expand their knowledge of the suttas, and share their questions and insights with other practitioners who live in many different places. The online framework gives us each the flexibility to participate when our varying schedules permit. I am grateful for these excellent courses and the convenient online format!

Karen, Nevada

…a great support for exploring this challenging topic  >>I’ve meditated for many years and studied the dharma on my own; however, my opportunity for study with a teacher has usually been limited to retreats. But attending the online course on the “Five Aggregates of Clinging” gave me a much deeper foundation for understanding the five aggregates and the creation of self. The mix of talks by Shaila, sutta readings, guided meditations, and weekly conference calls with Shaila was a great support for exploring this challenging topic. Because the course unfolded over six weeks, I got the chance to integrate the teachings into my daily practice.

Kathey, Texas

…very nurturing  >>Although from time to time I meet teachers in retreats who help me develop my practice, the gaps between these meetings are quite long, since in Europe there aren’t many jhana-samadhi based teachers. I have found Shaila’s on-line teachings very helpful for evaluating how my practice is going between retreats, as well as for learning more about sutta resources that cast new light on the meditative path. Her on-line conferences, and the help that was available from other qualified teachers and meditators in the on-line classroom, were very nurturing. This course gave me the inspiration to maintain my practice in the midst of everyday life.

José Luis, Spain

…deeply practical tools  >>Shaila’s talks on the Five Faculties provided me with a sturdy framework upon which to deepen my meditation practice. Her explanations of how to balance effort and concentration, and how to focus on mindfulness, give me deeply practical tools. Her teachings on faith in the Buddha and the true meaning of wisdom as it relates to this practice were indispensable.

Cameron, Louisiana

…Shaila provides a depth of understanding  >>I’ve taken part in Shaila’s online study of the Samyutta Nikaya for two years now, and I hope to continue it as long as she offers it. As my practice has developed over the years I have become increasingly interested in studying the Pali Canon, but it’s hard to do it by myself. Studying and discussing the texts with a group led by Shaila provides a depth of understanding that I don’t think I could reach on my own.

Ann, Nevada

…a wealth of knowledge, considerable insight  >>Although she claims not to be an academic, Shaila brings a wealth of knowledge to every class. In sharing her own considerable insight, she encourages and inspires others to share and deepen their own.

Shari, California

…informative, helpful, and leads me onward  >>The course on the Five Faculties was informative, helpful, and leads me onward in my approach to life. It gave words and meaning to what motivates me and keeps me moving forward on my practice path, nurturing the ongoing process to be the person I was intended to be: happy, loving and aware.

Kay, Texas

… jump-started my long-time Insight Meditation practice  >>I feel as if Shaila jump-started my long-time Insight Meditation practice, which had plateaued for a while.

Ginger, Texas

…great benefit to my practice  >>Any serious student of the dharma would be hard-pressed to do better than reading the original words of the Buddha – the problem for me was actually sitting down and doing it. Shaila’s online sutta study provided a wonderful vehicle for overcoming this obstacle, and as a result, I have nearly completed an organized reading of the Samyutta Nikaya – something I probably would not have accomplished otherwise, and it has been of great benefit to my practice.

Bill, Nevada

…an encyclopedic knowledge and profound skill  >>Shaila has both an encyclopedic knowledge of the Suttas and profound skill in giving very clear and specific, doable instruction on how to apply the Buddha’s teaching to personal practice. I have been practicing mindfulness meditation for years and I had several really significant breakthroughs during my last retreat with Shaila.

Jude, Texas

…really amazing to see…such an immediate impact  >>I came to Shaila’s retreat with a couple of burning questions. While I could see the enormous benefit of practice, it wasn’t clear to me how one actually uproots habitual patterns. My understanding was pretty much just intellectual, but the way this teaching was presented enabled me to see how one can actually use the teachings in practice. I was immediately able to see how my practice was out of balance and was able to begin experimenting with applying antidotes for the imbalance. It was really amazing to see how applying the teachings directly could have such an immediate impact.

Gwyn, Texas

…Shaila’s deep knowledge…extensive practice experience >>Shaila’s deep knowledge of the texts is backed by her extensive practice experience—this combination really opens up and clarifies the teachings in the Suttas. Shaila challenges us to find practical examples in our own lives to exemplify the teachings that we are studying, and she is really able to use the group to draw out the deeper meanings of the texts. Shaila has imparted a method for studying Buddhist texts that will be a guide for me long after this course is over.

Lindsey, New York

…a precious gift  >>Studying with Shaila is a precious gift. She has something to offer everyone, from beginner to advanced practitioner. Her pragmatic teaching style ensures that I always walk away from her classes with not only a deeper understanding of the Dhamma, but also a clear understanding of how the Dhamma applies to my own spiritual practice.

Kathleen, Indiana

…thought-provoking online classes  >>Our thought-provoking online classes are an ideal way for both beginners and experienced meditators to join together to read, share questions, investigate, and gain important insights. Not only do we benefit from teacher Shaila Catherine’s experience and wisdom, but we also have the added advantage of meeting with a wide variety of students from around the world to explore Dhamma study. Sharing ideas with a group offers me a unique opportunity to enrich and further my personal meditation practice as well as encouraging a deeper and more profound experience of the Dhamma. The wisdom gained during our studies continues to inspire and support me in developing mindfulness and diligence along the path toward true knowledge and liberation. I am deeply grateful to be a part of these online studies!

Karen, Nevada

…appreciate Shaila’s integrity…love the intellectual illumination  >>I appreciate Shaila’s integrity to the millennia-old Buddhist texts and her ability to teach directly from them. I love the intellectual illumination I get from Shaila’s dhamma talks. Her clear, orderly and compassionate teaching has benefited my practice. And I am looking forward to taking the next online course. 

Connie, Texas

…her guidance offers a rare combination of heart, intellectual rigor, down-to-earth practicality, and a faithfulness to tradition…  >>I can’t recommend highly enough Shaila Catherine’s dhamma teachings. Grounded in decades of deep meditation experience and study, her guidance offers a rare combination of heart, intellectual rigor, down-to-earth practicality, and a faithfulness to tradition that’s balanced by refreshing open-mindedness. Beginners and veterans alike will benefit from her wisdom and the loving care with which she presents the dhamma. 

Jeremy, Arizona

…makes the Buddha’s teachings accessible to students of all ages…  >>Shaila’s passion for transmitting the dharma makes the Buddha’s teachings accessible to students of all ages in today’s world. 

Jerry, Maryland

…she is both precise and sensitive, both demanding and encouraging…  >>I have been most fortunate to study with Shaila in a variety of settings, including her all day retreats in the South Bay, ten-day retreat in Northern California, and a number of online courses. She makes herself available to her students in a way that is rare in my experience. In fact, the first time I met her at a daylong retreat, she invited any of us to come and talk to her about our practice. I jumped at the chance, she donned her baseball cap and we set off for a very rewarding walk and talk. While deeply versed in all aspects of the suttas and practice, Shaila’s strongest gift as a teacher is helping her students navigate the nuances of concentration practice. In doing so she is both precise and sensitive, both demanding and encouraging, true to her Pa Auk Sayadaw lineage yet mindful of the challenges we Westerners face in feeling our way into absorption practice. 

Martin, California

…the online courses enable me to read, discuss and ask questions of Dhamma teachers and fellow students while I am living my life outside retreat…  >>I’ve joined some of Shaila’s online courses, and found in them a rich environment for Dhamma study. While long silent retreats are indispensable to the gradual training, the online courses enable me to read, discuss and ask questions of Dhamma teachers and fellow students while I am living my life outside retreat. I enjoy the inspirational sutta readings, the lively forum discussions, and the audio conferences with Shaila. The “Try This!” suggestions surprise, delight, and challenge me, especially when Shaila suggests something I thought accessible only to advanced practitioners. The courses also provide practical Dhamma tips which work both in my meditation practice and in daily life situations. 

Shinta, Sweden

Shaila’s meditation instructions are very pure and embedded in a profound study of the Dhamma…  >>Shaila’s meditation instructions are very pure and embedded in a profound study of the Dhamma. She emphasizes the intertwining of meditation and daily life with humor and depth. 

Kristel, Belgium

…a real jewel which I cherish…  >>Shaila’s courses are a real jewel which I cherish as I work toward developing wisdom and compassion. 

Miguel, Argentina

…The live phone conferences with Shaila and other participants are most helpful for me…and she answers with her customary succinctness, depth, and breadth of experience…  >>I have taken several online Bodhi Courses with Shaila. The benefits to my home practice far exceed any awkwardness I originally had with the online format, and they act as wonderful touchstones between yearly retreats. The courses are comprehensively designed, with book and sutta readings, guided meditations and recorded talks by Shaila, exercises to practice on and off the cushion, discussion forums, and journaling. I can engage with these activities with as much time, energy, and dedication as I wish to give them. The live phone conferences with Shaila and other participants are most helpful for me. During these one– to two-hour sessions, participants can ask questions of Shaila about their practice and she answers with her customary succinctness, depth, and breadth of experience. If I am unable to attend the live session, recordings are available by the next day. The courses are in some ways like a modified home retreat but with access to Shaila and other participants, who form an international sangha. It is a wonderful way to keep the triple gem vibrant in daily life. 

Dorothy, North Carolina

…Shaila’s books and her online courses have become indispensable aids to my practice…  >>As an expat living in the Middle East, a local sangha is not available to me, so I have come to truly value Shaila’s Bodhi Courses. Since first attending a retreat with Shaila two summers ago, Shaila’s books and her online courses have become indispensable aids to my practice. It amazes me how important having a sense of community is on the Buddhist path, and for those of us who live in places where a local Buddhist community is not readily available, the support offered by an online community is invaluable. The talks, exercises, and readings have helped inspire me, and the discussion forums provide a virtual community of fellow practitioners that continues to support my practice and progress. 

Jon, Dubai, UAE

Shaila is a wonderful cultural translator, able to distinguish between the teachings themselves and the cultural aspects that all types of teachings have…  >>Shaila is a wonderful cultural translator, able to distinguish between the teachings themselves and the cultural aspects that all types of teachings have. In addition, she can teach in a way that Western minds can relate to so we can focus on the practice instead of on trying to understand its cultural aspects. For example, I have struggled with past teachers who advised me to try harder and push myself to get into absorption, causing tension in my body and mind. In contrast, Shaila’s instructions were to work on the conditions for absorption and on trusting and enjoying the path instead of striving to attain anything. With these simple instructions, I felt a lot of relief in my practice and I could focus more on just following the breath. Also, because she is a lay practitioner, she can relate to Western lay practitioners, giving examples that many people can understand. Finally, her course is very encouraging for your daily life practice – you have access to her dhamma talks, interviews, meditation advice and suttas for study. I strongly recommend her courses for Western practitioners who want to receive the teachings in a way that is suitable for Western minds. 

Sandra, Mexico City, Mexico

…Shaila and her committed team have created an accessible and profound online classroom experience, rich in relevant course materials…  >>Despite reservations about online courses, I found to my delight that my first Bodhi course was so illuminating, inspiring and supportive of my practice that I immediately signed up for the next course, and I recommend these courses to all my friends in the dharma community. I have a deep respect for Shaila’s personal practice and teachings of compassion and wisdom in daily life. Shaila and her committed team have created an accessible and profound online classroom experience, rich in relevant course materials. The conference calls are invaluable: through them, Shaila establishes a personal connection with students and guides each of us according to our level, always listening deeply and providing support, care and wisdom. In the written discussion forums, committed practitioners and supportive moderators make the dharma inquiry come alive. Since I can only attend retreats infrequently, these calls help me to maintain a continuity of practice with her guidance. The courses are almost like being on a retreat with her, in which she uses this online medium in new and creative ways to cast intimacy, joy, humour and a deep love of the dharma around the world. 

Debbie, Jerusalem, Israel

…Few Buddhist meditation courses offer more direct access to a highly regarded teacher…  >>Bodhi Courses provides a curated examination of Buddhist Suttas to guide meditation and daily life. Each course offers frequent conferences with Shaila, whose extensive knowledge and insight gives support and inspiration for practice. Few Buddhist meditation courses offer more direct access to a highly regarded teacher. 

Dan, Michigan

…Shaila’s guidance was gentle, precise, clear, and insightful. It was heart and mind opening in so many ways that I felt transformed by the course…  >>I’ve been taking the courses offered by Shaila since Bodhi Courses began. It’s been a real blessing in my life. I most recently took a course on Mettā: the deep and rich exploration of the teachings based on suttas and other materials, combined with powerful meditation practices, reflections, and forum discussions, truly brought out the liberating potential of the Mettā practice. Shaila’s guidance was gentle, precise, clear, and insightful. It was heart and mind opening in so many ways that I felt transformed by the course. May all beings benefit from these profound teachings offered by a wise and skillful teacher. 

Ying, California

…dynamic blend of instruction, meditation and dialogue…  >>Shaila provides a dynamic blend of instruction, meditation and dialogue. 

Neil, Texas

…Shaila’s depth of knowledge and her ability to translate this into clear and precise instructions is astounding…  >>Attending Shaila’s retreats and online courses has been invigorating for my practice. The depth of her knowledge and her ability to translate this into clear and precise instructions is astounding. Seeing her commitment to practice inspires a sense of spiritual urgency and supports the continuity of my practice. I am particularly grateful for her teachings on Metta as samadhi, which made Metta more accessible to me. 

Niranjana, Texas

…completely changed my practice by demystifying the practice of meditation…  >>Studying with Shaila has completely changed my practice by demystifying the practice of meditation. Shaila clearly articulates the early Buddhist teachings and provides practical applications. In particular, her teaching has opened up the potential and practice of metta meditation for me. 

Richard, Ontario, Canada

…Shaila is extremely knowledgeable and able to explain a subject with clarity, practical examples, patience, and deep wisdom based on her extensive personal experience….  >>Shaila is one of the rare instructors who is extremely knowledgeable and able to explain a subject with clarity, practical examples, patience, and deep wisdom based on her extensive personal experience. I highly recommend her books as well as her courses for anyone wishing to develop further in the Dhamma.

Paul, Iowa

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