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"The very entity of the mind, its nature of pure luminosity and knowing, is not polluted by impurities; they do not abide in the entity of the mind. Even when we generate impurities, the very entity or nature of the mind is still pure luminosity and knowing, and because of this, we are able to remove the impurities. If you agitate the water in a pond, it becomes cloudy with mud; yet the very nature of the water itself is not dirty. When you allow it to become still again, the mud will settle, leaving the water pure." Adam Coutts has formally taught meditation classes since 2002. He enjoys helping seekers to open and deepen their concentration and mindfulness practices. He brings a quick mind and a wide array of knowledge to his responses to student's questions. He also expresses a dry wit that helps keep learning lively, and a rapid insight that helps to powerfully get to the heart of student's questions and provide individualized practices. 
Adam has gained openness, depth, and self-awareness in his twenty-one years of daily meditative sitting practice, as well as a desire to
share those blessings with others. He has lived for years as a
residential monk in Zen monastaries, and he has sat hundreds of days of all-day meditation while on retreat in both the Zen and various
Vipassana Buddhist lineages. Adam has studied the art and science
of meditation in person with a number of Zen, Vipassana, and Tibetan teachers.
Adam has taught meditation formally in the San Francisco County Jail through the Prison Meditation Network (a joint program of the San Francisco Zen Center Outreach Program and the Buddhist Peace Fellowship), as well as many programs in Black Rock City. He is lay ordained in the Soto Zen Buddhist lineage. Adam has been on a path of general psycho-spiritual growth, since first discovering that such a thing was possible in the mid-eighties. Buddhist practice has been the main emphasis of his path, but his training has also engages other modes of development, such as two decades of regular hatha yoga practice (including informal teaching), activities with the Native American Church (sweat lodges, tipi meetings, and new moon rituals), and studying Taoist practices such as Tai Chi and Chi Gung. He has wide experience with Western secular forms of psychospiritual growth - scores of weekend workshops, individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, couples therapy, personal coaching, twelve step group meetings, men? circles, breathwork, bioenergetics, non-violent communication classes, honesty groups, encounter groups, and similar such activities. In 2008, Adam completing an one-year training program in personal coaching and transformational course leading (called the "Transformational Leadership & Coaching Training" program). This training was based on theory drawn from object-relations theory, transpersonal and somatic therapy, Rogerian active listening, NeuroLinguistic Programing, the Diamond Heart work of A.H. Almaas, and other sources. It provided Adam with more skills with facilitating the growth and unfolding of people. Adam also has a degree in psychology with honors from University of California at Santa Cruz. He worked for years in the field of clinical psychology research. Most of all, Adam loves to meditate, he loves to teach meditation, and he loves to share with others the gifts that he has received from the practice. Video And Audio Interviews Watch Adam interviewed on TV about Buddhist meditation: June 2006: Part 1 - The four foundations of mindfulness, breath and body sensation meditations Part 2 - Meditation on thoughts and feelings, transcending feelings of hunger Part 3 - Visual meditation, balancing effort and effortlessness in meditation January 2007: Part 1 - Breath meditation, meditating while exercising and in the workplace Part 2 - Existence as waves of energy, reminders of mindfulness in daily life Part 3 - Work as a meditation, the Eightfold Path Listen to Adam interviewed on Radio and Podcast about Buddhist meditation: 2008 - Interview On Money Mission & Meaning Podcast - Part 1 2008 - Interview On Money Mission & Meaning Podcast - Part 2 2005 - Interview On KPOO Radio 2003 - Interview On KFJC Radio |