The Pali Canon includes over 5,000 discourses that document conversations and encounters that occurred during forty years of the Buddha's ministry. Over the centuries, certain teachings have risen to the surface with popularity and come to characterize our impression of what the Buddha taught. However, the vast collection of source material reaches beyond these well known teachings. For this speaker series, IMSB has invited teachers to focus on teachings that have been largely neglected by contemporary Buddhist groups. Each talk will share a lesser-known teaching, event, or instruction that will enrich our comprehension of what the Buddha taught. We will discover whether broadening our source material reinforces the dominant view of Buddhist practice or paints a different picture of meditation and the path of liberation.

A talk given with Pamela Weiss at SFInsight after the 'Undoing Racism' training at Spirit Rock.

These seven qualities offer an effective framework for cultivating the mind, overcoming the hindrances, and balancing the energetic and calming forces that develop in meditation. When cultivated and balanced, the mind is ripe for awakening. This series will explore each factor to reveal its importance, function, and role in the process of awakening.

Audio recording of the Monday night class on April 18, 2016 with Matthew Brensilver.

Diana Clark gave the second talk in a seven-week series on lesser known Buddhist teachings titled "Thus Have I Heard." This talk emphasizes the importance of good spiritual friends in preparing our minds for liberation. Given this importance, there are four ways to sustain a good relationship: generosity, endearing speech, beneficial actions, and viewing others without bias or prejudice.

We examine the nature of the judgmental mind, its relationship to discernment, the importance of working with the judgmental mind, and some practical ways to begin transforming the judgmental mind.