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Dharma Talks
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2020-10-29
A Time For Equanimity
60:45
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James Baraz
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We are in a unique moment in time for the United States and the world. How can we stay centered and even cultivate equanimity? Is it possible to hold a positive vision without getting caught in extra anxiety about the outcome? Can we allow for things to unfold as they will while having a clear focus of what we want to help create? Equanimity includes surrendering attachment while being inspired by gratitude, awe and possibility.
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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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2019-11-27
Cultivating Generosity and Gratitude
63:40
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Donald Rothberg
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A day before Thanksgiving, we explore the central importance of cultivating generosity (dāna) and gratitude (kataññutā), and their interrelationship. The Buddha teaches (AN 2.11): "These two people are hard to find in the world. Which two? The one who is first to do a kindness, and the one who is grateful and thankful for a kindness done.” We look at a number of ways to practice to cultivate generosity and gratitude, and some of the nuances and complexities of such practices, including the importance of gratitude as a practice in difficult circumstances. Ultimately, these two practices teach us to rest more and more with a sense of interdependence and what Thich Nhat Hanh calls “interbeing.”
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2019-11-27
Cultivating Generosity and Gratitude
66:24
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Donald Rothberg
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A day before Thanksgiving, we explore the central importance of cultivating generosity (dāna) and gratitude (kataññutā), and their interrelationship. The Buddha teaches (AN 2.11): "These two people are hard to find in the world. Which two? The one who is first to do a kindness, and the one who is grateful and thankful for a kindness done.” We look at a number of ways to practice to cultivate generosity and gratitude, and some of the nuances and complexities of such practices, including the importance of gratitude as a practice in difficult circumstances. Ultimately, these two practices teach us to rest more and more with a sense of interdependence and what Thich Nhat Hanh calls “interbeing.”
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2019-04-11
Opening to the abundance of the moment
50:38
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Kate Munding
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These sunny days, green hills, and the smell of spring are inspiring this week's talk on opening to the abundance of the moment. I'd like to explore with you how easy it is to get stuck in a rut of "not-enoughness". This could be a feeling of lack within your self or in your relationships with others. It might be how you view your life or society as a whole. How can we open our hearts and minds to see the fullness of life that is available and right in front of us? How can we use the practices of awareness and gratitude to come into a fuller acceptance of how things really are and find peace.
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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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IMCB Regular Talks
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2019-04-01
Appropriate Samatha-Vipassana
44:11
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Nathan Glyde
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How to practice in daily life, or whenever there is more going on than on the beneficial fabrication of a silent meditation retreat. Primarily we'll develop vibrant tranquility (samatha) via getting to know body-heart-mind, cultivating gratitude and mettā, and nourishing a spacious breath and body awareness. Once we've established attentional stability via this relaxed diligent attitude we can investigate and inquire into experience (vipassanā). The vipassanā techniques suggested in this meditation are more fully explored in other guided mediations on this retreat, and at DependentOrigination.org/resources
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SanghaSeva
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Dharmalaya Silent Meditation and Sustainable Living Work Retreat 2019
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2018-11-28
Practicing Generosity
62:03
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Donald Rothberg
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We review last week’s focus on developing gratitude, and continue with the related practice of developing generosity. We explore the importance of generosity across multiple spiritual traditions, including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and, in more depth, Buddhism, pointing to several practices of practicing generosity and some of the challenges of such practice.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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2018-10-14
Nothing But the Truth
28:05
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Ayya Medhanandi
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Instead of holding onto what burns and pains us, uphold the truth of present moment awareness and know that freedom is in our hands. We free ourselves from unwholesome qualities. In the midst of fear, we bring up fearlessness; in the midst of resentment, we discover gratitude. We vanquish ignorance and we see wisely. Forgiveness arises in the face of what feels unbearable. This is the miracle of the practice.
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Ottawa Buddhist Society
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2018-01-04
"Three Principles for Living a Good Life"
53:03
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James Baraz
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This talk was inspired by Frances Vaughan, a true woman of wisdom, who recently passed. Frances was a pioneer in the field of Transpersonal Psychology, served as President of both the Association for Transpersonal Psychology and the Association for Humanistic Psychology, authored many books including Awakening Intuition and The Inward Arc. At her recent memorial service we heard the three main principles that guided her life. The talk contained a moving short video of her life that can be accessed here:
https://vimeo.com/246379817 (password: GratitudeDec9).
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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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IMCB Regular Talks
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2017-12-24
Skilful Use of Puja
29:53
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Ajahn Sucitto
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Open the heart, connect to the field of practice started by the Buddha 2500 years ago. Tune in to the sense of lineage and connection. This gives rise to inspiration, faith, gratitude.
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Phu Tara Faa
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December 2017 Retreat
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2017-12-19
Feeling Emotions on the Meditative Path of Awakening
41:31
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Shaila Catherine
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Shaila Catherine discusses the importance of developing mindfulness of emotions and mental states. Human beings have the capacity to experience a wide range of emotions—they may be subtle or intense, unwholesome or wholesome. Working with emotions requires energy and courage to be willing to face the raw fact that this mental state is present. We can become aware of, and work skillfully with, any emotional state including anger, hate, gratitude, fear, sadness, calmness, insecurity, contentment, grief, tranquility, lust, compassion, loneliness, jealousy, envy, restlessness, peacefulness, faith, love. Emotions are changing mental states that arise in conjunction with every perception. When we are mindful of emotions we drop the conceptual narrative of the story line and investigate how the mind operates. What conditions nourish each mental state, and what conditions cause them to end? How do these mental states affect the clarity of our perception? We can observe the dynamic interaction of emotions and the body, and learn to work with emotions in conjunction with their somatic manifestations. We might gather ideas for investigation by reviewing the detailed Abhidhamma categories of mental states and the factors that constitute each state, or we might simply observe the arising and ceasing of mental states in activity and our meditation.
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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2017-11-22
A Grateful, Giving, Happy Heart
49:20
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Tara Brach
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Gratitude is like breathing in – letting ourselves be touched by the goodness in others and in our world. Generosity is like breathing out – sensing our mutual belonging and offering our care. When we are awake and whole, breathing in and out happens naturally. But these beautiful expressions of our heart become blocked when we are dominated by the fear and grasping of our survival brain. This talk explores how we can facilitate the evolution of consciousness with the deliberate cultivation of generosity, and ends with a guided meditation on gratitude and generosity.
For happiness, how little suffices for happiness! … the least thing precisely, the gentlest thing, the lightest thing, a lizard’s rustling, a breath, a whisper, an eye glance-little maketh up the best happiness. Be still.
~ Nietzche ~
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Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
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IMCW Wednesday Evening Talks
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2017-11-21
Gratitude
33:02
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Shaila Catherine
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In this Dharma talk given as Thanksgiving approaches, Shaila Catherine discusses the benefits of gratitude and a perspective of thankfulness. She notes that studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between gratitude and happiness, and awareness of well-being in life.
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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2017-06-15
Benefactors: Part 2, Helping Others Shine.
64:51
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James Baraz
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Description:
This is a follow-up to James' "Appreciating Our Benefactors" talk (5-25-17).
Besides gratitude for those who've been our benefactors, we can see ourselves as passing on the kindness and caring we've received. We can and do have a significant effect on everyone around us. We can practice seeing the beautiful qualities in others, believing in them and bringing out the best in them. By doing so we help them shine, make a meaningful contribution to the world and experience great joy.
This talk also includes some words about James' local basketball team the Golden State Warriors, who just became NBA champions. The coach, Steve Kerr, tries to instill four core qualities in his players--joy, mindfulness, compassion and competition. And the players' unselfish style, subjugating individual glory for the good of the team, is the key to their success. They embody the attitude of bringing out the best and enjoying seeing each other shine.
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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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IMCB Regular Talks
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2016-11-18
Change for the Good
33:51
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Ayya Medhanandi
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Are we ready to stop clinging, let go and trust? If we live with gratitude and change for the good; if we learn to really see, we will be able to listen from within and notice the true condition of the mind, going from a state of fear to non-fear, from suffering to non-suffering, from trauma to trust and the truth of the Unconditioned. Putting out the fires of greed, hatred and delusion, we forgive, set our burdens down and embrace kindness. We make wise choices and we live and die with joy, peace, and blessing.
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Satipaññā Insight Meditation Toronto
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2016-08-17
Love Wisdom More Than Life
8:08
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Ayya Medhanandi
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To bring the mind to peace, we must learn about all that makes it unpeaceful, unquiet. We learn how to guide ourselves to abide in wholesome states of mind, how to prevent dark and unskilfull states from arising and how to deal with them if they do. Follow virtue. Stay close to spiritual friends, and take refuge in the wisdom of the Buddha and our own potential to cultivate and develop this Noble Eightfold path. Practise gratitude, generosity, and kindness. Wake up. Love wisdom more than life.
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Satipanna Insight Meditation (SIMT)
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2015-11-28
The Skill of Gratitude
25:48
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Ayya Santacitta
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This talk is from - Giving Thanks - a daylong at Spirit Rock on Saturday, November 28th with Ayya Anandabodhi and Ayya Santacitta. On this Thanksgiving weekend, celebrating the great flow of gratitude and generosity that is sustaining life in every moment
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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2015-11-28
Living with Gratitude
22:13
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Ayya Anandabodhi
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This talk is from - Giving Thanks - a daylong at Spirit Rock on Saturday, November 28th with Ayya Anandabodhi and Ayya Santacitta. On this Thanksgiving weekend, celebrating the great flow of gratitude and generosity that is sustaining life in every moment
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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2015-04-21
Touching the Earth
1:11:07
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Amma Thanasanti
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A Buddhist Response to Climate Change
Using essential Buddhist teachings we can examine the suffering that is being caused by climate change. We feel for the beauty and life-enriching presence of animals, forests, oceans and our many different human relationships and, as we focus on gratitude, we gain a capacity for understanding our grief, sorrow and shock at the prospect of their demise. Understanding the causes of climate change and the interdependence of living systems, we can move into engaged action. When we see the importance of generating skillful effort to deal with climate change we can focus on specific and constructive actions and be the change we want to see in the world.
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New York Insight Meditation Center
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NYI Regular Talks
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2014-12-15
Closing Talk
19:33
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Ajahn Sucitto
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Listening to the unique but common struggles of others; Ajahn Sucitto on a 40 year retreat; some personal history of how Ajahn came to meditation and his early struggles; thank you to all participants; coming from a place of gratitude; being firm with all the reasons that we throw up not to practice; take a little time every day to sit and breathe; it's as important as eating or bathing every day; the citta goes one way - it does not go down, it goes up. “Thank you for your determination and your company and your honesty in the practice. May you all progress and develop and may your cittas rise to happiness and peace.”
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Young Buddhists Association of Thailand
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Ajahn Sucitto YBAT Silent Retreat
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