Working with awareness and change.

James and Eve are delighted to host the first in person meeting at the Berkeley Buddhist monastery since Covid changed our lives. In addition to a Dharma talk and exploration about Sangha, Eve brings her guitar and shares some music.

Circumstances and changing events both shape our worldly life and allow growing insight into the inability to control events. We can learn what lies beyond circumstances.

Last week, I began a two-part series inspired by Pema Chödron’s newest offering, How We Live is How We Die. It’s a powerful book that I highly recommend! One of our deepest inquiries is how to find happiness and peace in an inherently insecure world. In these talks, we’ll explore the ways we habitually try to control our lives, and the practices of presence that allow us to cherish this living world and find freedom in the midst of change and loss.

Morning Dharma Reflection

This week, I began a two-part series inspired by Pema Chödron’s newest offering, How We Live is How We Die. It’s a powerful book that I highly recommend! One of our deepest inquiries is how to find happiness and peace in an inherently insecure world. In these talks, we’ll explore the ways we habitually try to control our lives, and the practices of presence that allow us to cherish this living world and find freedom in the midst of change and loss.

Seeing how we can change our internal experience through the ways we attend and relate to them. Is this available in the whole of our life? A session in Gaia House's Online Dharma Hall: meditation, reflection, with answers to questions (questions not recorded, but referred to).

Learning to work skillfully with fear can change if from enemy to ally in our practice, since it is often a signal of moving from the familiar to new territory. As we learn to let go of the illusion of control we transform fear into genuine trust.

Looking into the insight of inconstancy (anicca). When we look for anicca we find everything is anicca, when we don't, most everything isn't seen that way. Anicca supports letting go: this way of looking is useful for freedom. Leading on from that, due to the importance of feeling free and knowing freedom, when we're honest, usefulness in our way of perceiving is more important than the truth or not of it. Letting go of truth claims (without losing our honest integrity) opens up even more creativity to apply even more liberating ways of looking. Includes: Guided Meditation (30 mins); Dharma Reflection (30 mins); Answers to Questions (questions not recorded).

Questions are précised - 00:24 Q1 In the enquiry we’ve are doing there are moments of recognition - let’s say, out of our usual conditioned responses, but then always a tendency to identify what that moment is. That attempt doesn’t go anywhere. Is it because that moment of recognition is not recognizable through the five sense? 9:32 Q2 If I summarize my enquiry for myself: “What am I at this present time?”, is this a good instruction to carry with me? 14:08 Q3 Working through the understanding of not me, not my body, etc there is still this feeling that “I know”. In terms of stream entry, is that “I know” still possible? 23:03 Q4 I would like to know more about what the Buddha said about the liberation of the heart as well as the process of liberation from passion. Can you say more about this process? What about the process between death and the next birth? 34:57 Q5 How does our investigation of non-self relate to such issues in conventional reality, such as the problem of climate change? 41:57 Q6 I meet a lot of Buddhists who seem to focus exclusively inwards. Is there a reason for that and is there something we should do to guard against it? 44:55 Q7 You wrote: “That which is threatening to the ego is liberating to the heart.” Can you elaborate on that? 54:23 Q8 Can fear be a catalyst for liberation?

Sometimes the heart feels trapped distracted, or passionately involved with experience. This too changes. Training the citta to know itself releases this.

Reflections around Dukkha and its cause, the two fundamental roots, and the importance of contemplating change. Guest/dust simile and noticing that which never changes.

Guided breath meditation on the ease of thoughts stopping. Dhamma talk on Right Speech in the context of Twitter collapsing, the rise and fall of authoritarians and fraudsters, current large positive changes taking place. How might we use social media with Right Speech.

While we can’t change our past, we have the capacity in this moment to remember our deepest intention and seed the future. Intention can become the compass of our heart, guiding and creating our life experience. In these two talks we explore how we awaken mindfulness of intention and how, when we are caught in habits that create suffering, we can find our way home to the deep intention that heals and frees us. The two talks include reflections and practices that can bring the power of intention alive in your life.

While we can’t change our past, we have the capacity in this moment to remember our deepest intention and seed the future. Intention can become the compass of our heart, guiding and creating our life experience. In these two talks we explore how we awaken mindfulness of intention and how, when we are caught in habits that create suffering, we can find our way home to the deep intention that heals and frees us. The two talks include reflections and practices that can bring the power of intention alive in your life.

Discovering ways to cultivate joy, and to discern what can and cannot change about your experience. Using Numbered Discourse 11.2 as a basis for developing the Path. Part of the Tuesday Tune In series of talks at Dassanāya Buddhist Community.

In the context of increased political polarization in the United States and many other places, we look at how, in so many settings, whether the larger political situation, or social change organizations, or spiritual communities, there is very often a lack of skill in working with differences and conflicts. We examine some of the roots of why being with differences and conflicts is hard, including widespread social conditioning to be either conflict-avoidant or conflict-indulgent, and several other core roots. We then suggest six basic practices which address these roots, including: (1) being willing to open to and explore differences and conflicts, (2) empathy, (3) working with views, (4) working with reactivity and difficult emotions, (5) wise speech, and (6) heart practices. The invitation to listeners is to practice these six (or some of the six) for the next period of time!

Following a reading on the passing of the Buddha, reflecting on the truth of impermanence and how none of us are immune to it; moving into a ritual to acknowledge recent losses, and strengthen inner qualities to be able to navigate change with more ease

date estimated - Forgot to say towards the end of this talk that since Neoliberalism is powered by greed, it is by nature insatiable. The investment in wealth and power will make it very difficult to change to a more socially based capitalism.