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Retreat Dharma Talks
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IMCB Regular Talks
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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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2019-09-12
A Lineage of Goodness: Ode to Benefactors
54:53
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James Baraz
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A talk about how our benefactors impact us, wisdom and love they pass on from their benefactors and how we transmit those beautiful qualities to others who pas it on as well. No one "owns" those qualities. Rather we are part of a lineage of goodness.
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2019-09-19
No Time to Play Small: Acting with Courage, Wisdom and Love
62:07
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James Baraz
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Greta Thunberg’s fearless willingness to speak the truth has inspired millions of youth to follow her lead resulting in the hugely successful September 20th Worldwide Climate Strike. Thunberg calls being on the autism spectrum her “superpower” because she doesn’t care what others think of her and only cares about telling the truth. Can we be like her, let go of our self-consciousness, not hold back and speak and act with honesty and courage?
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2019-10-03
Holding Grief Through Connection
56:18
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James Baraz
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Whether the climate crisis, some other social issue or personal loss, sharing our pain by connecting with another helps us hold and process our grief. By opening the heart we can transform our feeling of isolation into one of shared humanity. This talk ends with a guided experiential dyad exercise adapting Joanna Macy’s "Learning to See Each Other" meditation from Coming Back to Life.
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2019-11-21
Attitudes of the Mind
41:25
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Kate Munding
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In past weeks I've been pulling inspiration from the Satipatthana Sutta, the foundational teachings on mindfulness. I've been linking them to some of it's underpinning truths of change, impermanence, suffering, and freedom from it. I'd like to continue on this thread for tomorrow's talk and bring in the third foundation, the foundation of the mind.. We'll explore how, when we aren't lost in it, the mind is a fascinating subject for our attention. When we understand our mind more fully, we can more fully understand who we are. We'll use this theme to understand better the truth of self and not-self.
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2019-12-05
Just Another Ego Trip
46:16
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James Baraz
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Sometimes our shyness or concern about what others think keeps us from expressing our gifts and making as meaningful a contribution as we can. In seeing through the constructed sense of self—the understanding of Anatta—those thoughts lose their power and don’t get in the way of expressing our true nature.
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2019-12-12
Letting Go Of Busyness
54:01
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Kate Munding
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An appropriate topic for this time of year. Many subthemes fall under this theme, such as how to be mindful of abundance and scarcity, feeling connected with others, and the nourishment of renunciation.
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2019-12-19
Freedom of an "Open Heart"
61:33
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Kate Munding
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This talk explores some questions of an "open heart." Can we bring both into our awareness the question, "is it possible to open further?" Where it is a stretch to feel compassionate and unguarded, is forgiveness needed, is self-care and healing needed? Do we always recognize the easy-open freedom of a heart that is fully available and unhindered? Do we take those states and the people connected to those states for granted?
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2019-12-26
Honoring Ram Dass and End of Year Reflections
65:12
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James Baraz
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At the end of the year, we reflect on endings and new beginnings. James offers some reflections on Ram Dass, beloved teacher and mentor, who passed away on Sunday, December 22. Then the community shares an end of year ceremony for increasing wholesome states and weakening unwholesome states.
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2020-01-03
Reflections on the Buddha's Teaching on Intention
57:50
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James Baraz
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As we start the New Year we explore Wise Intention, the basis of all karma and the second link of the 8-Fold Path. Clarifying your Intention is different from making a New Year's Resolution or going for a goal. It's what gives energy and power to our vision for practice.
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2020-01-30
The Quarrel at Kosambi
44:16
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James Baraz
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Telling of the story of the quarrel at Kosambi as well as discussions around the importance of community and how to make community stronger
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2020-05-09
Loss, Grief and Death: Impermanence in Pandemic Times
56:25
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James Baraz
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The Buddha said to reflect each day on the facts of old age, sickness and death. He also said to to come to terms with the fact that everything and everyone near and dear to us will be separated from us. In these Covid-19 days our practice becomes letting go of what was and adjust to a new way of being. This practice of impermanence includes opening to loss, grief and death which is explored in this talk.
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2020-05-21
Creating a Life of Integrity: In Conversation with Joseph Goldstein
64:29
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James Baraz
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James invited Gail Stark to join him as his guest. Gail shares what it was like to spend 10 months practicing the 10 Paramis or Perfections under Joseph Goldstein’s guidance. Her new book, Creating a Life of Integrity: In Conversation with Joseph Goldstein, is a wonderful exploration of what it means to truly bring practice into your daily life guided by Joseph Goldstein, the ultimate Dharma coach.
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2020-06-04
Exploring Racial Injustice and White Privilege
64:09
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James Baraz
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In the aftermath of the George Floyd tragedy and the protests that followed the community explores Racial Injustice and White Privilege. Special guest Deb Kerr, who is a Core Teacher of East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland. DE, who is one of EMBC's founders and has served on the EBMC Board has led White Privilege groups there.
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2020-06-11
Racism and White Privilege with Special Guest Deb Kerr - Part 2
57:13
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James Baraz
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We will continue our exploration of Racial Justice and White Privilege with Deb Kerr. who led us in a rich discussion last week.
Deb is a core teacher at East Bay Meditation Center where she is a co-founder of EBMC and has served on the EBMC Board.
Deb will offer teachings on how educating ourselves about race relates to and is an extension of dharma practice and how it connects the dots to the larger picture of systemic change.
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2020-06-18
Racism and White Privilege - Part 3: Working with Guilt and Shame
52:18
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James Baraz
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The Buddha spoke of hiri and ottappa (Shame and Dread) as "The Guardians of the World." These are considered two wholesome states as they can prevent us from engaging in unskillful actions. But guilt and shame associated with internalized racism can paralyze us or put up walls of resistance. This is especially true if we take those feelings personally and blame ourselves for the cultural conditioning we're shaped by. How can we work skillfully with those natural and understandable reactions?
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2020-07-03
Applying Early Buddhist Perspective to Contemporary Issues
55:09
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James Baraz
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Ven. Bhikkhu Analayo has just written an essay exploring how the early Buddhist perspective shows that diversity work can become an integral part of the Buddhist path of practice. We will explore some of Ven. Analayo's ideas and see how we can apply them in our own practice. We'll also touch a recent article by Bhikkhu Bodhi, another esteemed Buddhist scholar, entitled "From Tragedy to Hope: Reflections on the Killing of George Floyd".
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2020-07-10
How Not to Be a Hot Mess
63:15
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James Baraz,
Craig Hase,
Devon Hase,
Eve Decker
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Devon and Craig Hase join James in sharing about their new book How Not to Be a Hot Mess: A Survival Guide for Modern Life. The book offers a playful exploration of living a life of Integrity based on the teachings of the Buddha.
Devon and Craig lead meditation retreats throughout North America and Europe. Devon teaches at the Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock. Craig spent six years in a Zen monastery and teaches mindfulness meditation, and dharma full time.
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