The Wings of Awakening: Wisdom and Compassion

Wisdom and compassion are sometimes called the two wings of awakening — and a practice built on only one of them will eventually veer off course.

In this talk, Travis Hicks introduces the four heart practices — loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity — and makes the case for weaving them into a meditation practice that might otherwise lean heavily toward insight and awareness.

Travis walks through each of the four brahmaviharas, including both their far enemies (hatred, cruelty, envy, indifference) and their subtler near enemies (sentimental attachment, pity, forced cheerfulness, aloof detachment). He offers practical guidance on how to work with the phrases, when visualization helps, and why starting with someone easy — kindling the fire with small twigs before adding the wet log — matters more than people often realize. He closes with a reflection on how these practices off the cushion, noticing that genuine metta toward a difficult person isn't just an exercise — it's a retraining of the heart.

About Travis

Travis Hicks has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1995 and teaching since 2005. He completed a two-year teacher training program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center under the guidance of senior teachers in the Theravada tradition. Travis brings a warm, accessible style to the dharma, drawing on both classical Buddhist teachings and contemporary psychology. He leads weekly sittings, daylong retreats, and occasional residential retreats for the IMH community.