Donate  |   Contact


The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
 
Retreat Dharma Talks

March 2026 at IMS Forest Refuge

2026-03-01 (31 days) Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge

  
2026-03-02 A Field of Care: Metta Through Every Dimension of the Path 42:40
Devon Hase
How does loving-kindness infuse every dimension of the path? Drawing from a sweat-drenched pilgrimage around Shikoku's 88 temples, Devon explores metta not as a single technique but as a way of life woven through the Eightfold Path — from wise intention and ethical attunement, through generosity and letting go, to the boundless radiance of the brahmaviharas. Along the way, we discover how metta practice can open into concentration, healing, and even emptiness itself, and how the original instructions invite us simply to fill our bodies and the whole world with a field of care.
2026-03-04 Opening the Retreat 17:21
Devon Hase
Deep Welcome, Reflections on Retreat and Metta Practice
2026-03-09 This Body, These Elements: Coming Home to What We Are 45:28
Devon Hase
The Buddha's contemplation of the four elements — earth, water, fire, and air — offers a gentle but radical path: from the conceit of "my body" to the felt sense of being nature itself. A guided exploration of elemental awareness, grounded in retreat experience, Satipatthana practice, and the luminous body-wisdom of beloved poets.
2026-03-10 Guided Meditation of the Elements in the Body 18:41
Devon Hase
Guided practice for directly experiencing the four elements in the body, followed by reading of Mary Oliver's "Humpbacks."
2026-03-11 Stories from Ajahn Brahm 10:45
Devon Hase
Stories and humor from beloved teacher Ajahn Brahm.
2026-03-12 The Embodied Heart 52:56
Rebecca Bradshaw
2026-03-13 Morning Reflection 15:06
Rebecca Bradshaw
Four Great Efforts: Connecting with emotions in an onward leading way.
2026-03-24 The Chain That Liberates: A Talk on Transcendent Dependent Origination 43:28
Devon Hase
The Buddha's Upanisā Sutta offers one of his most quietly radical teachings: that liberation doesn't begin with getting comfortable, but with honestly meeting what hurts. Drawing on this "proximate cause" discourse from SN 12.23, this talk traces the transcendent sequence of dependent origination — from dukkha through faith, joy, tranquility, and insight, all the way to freedom. We'll explore what it means to stop treating difficulty as an obstacle to practice and start recognizing it as the practice's first gate — on the cushion, in daily life, and in our closest relationships.
2026-03-24 Guided Reflection on Dukkha and Faith 9:41
Devon Hase
Short reflection and poem on how to recognize dukkha and its capacity to grow trust in the moment.
2026-03-26 This Precious Human Birth 24:28
Devon Hase
Guided meditation on gladdening the mind and seeing the good.
Creative Commons License