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The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
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Dharma Talks
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2024-12-08
Wisdom Power
27:01
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Ayya Medhanandi
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Treasure the silence within and listen attentively. Where else can we find the spiritual heights but within our own heart? In one moment of pure presence, we discover the joy, patience, mindfulness and 'kindfulness' that open our eyes to the truth of what we are. And in the goodness of time, there’s an emptying out. It's almost by unlearning what we’ve learned that we can see the blank screen of nothingness in the mind and know pure consciousness itself. This transcendent awareness becomes our refuge. We no longer look for refuge in other people, nor in ideas, concepts, occupations, travels, wealth, information, anything of the world. The heart is overjoyed in simple homage to the breath we breathe right now. This is waking up through wisdom power – pure presence ever transcending.
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Sati Saraniya Hermitage
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2024-11-27
Two Ways That Our Practice Can Help with Understanding, and Developing Empathy with, Those with Different Views, after the US Election
63:28
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Donald Rothberg
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It's important for our teachings and practices to help orient us in relationship to all parts of our lives, including the larger social and political dimensions of our lives. In this session, we explore one core teaching and one central practice that together help us to respond skillfully to differences in political views. The teaching is that of dependent origination, particularly the sequence from contact to grasping. We see how the two forms of reactivity, grasping and pushing away (each potentially manifesting in many ways) result from pleasant and unpleasant feeling-tones, when there is a lack of mindfulness and background habitual tendencies. We can see how the underlying pain, for example, of many working-class people (economic pain; and the pain of feeling disregarded, left behind, and/or not respected), or the pain related to anxiety about changing gender roles, can, especially when manipulated by those in power who provide scapegoats, lead to reactivity. After presenting a model of empathy practice as crucial for bringing our practice to interacting with those with different views, we can also, through such practice, tune in with compassion to the underlying pain, and have a sense of the deep genuine needs, in our examples, for economic well-being, respect, and clarity around gender. We explore all of this in an exercise with the "empathy map," which is followed by discussion. (There were several files shared via screen sharing during the talk. These files can be accessed below and potentially downloaded, by clicking on the "Q" under "Documents," and looking for documents 229, 273, 274, and 275.)
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2024-11-27
Guided Meditation on Feeling-Tone, the Second Foundation of Mindfulness
40:14
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Donald Rothberg
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After setting the posture and tuning into intentions, we have a short period of settling, typically through the breath or some other anchor. Then there is guidance to tune into the feeling-tone, especially when there is a "moderate" level pleasant or unpleasant feeling-tone, noticing tendencies to move to wanting/not-wanting or grasping/pushing away--the two forms of reactivity. We can also, when there is reactivity, tune into the pleasant or unpleasant "beneath" the reactivity, finding, for example, some compassion when there is underlying pain. Near the end, we also explore being with all feeling-tones for a very short period of a few minutes.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2024-10-10
Guided Meditation Exploring Reactivity
33:46
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Donald Rothberg
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After guidance on the basics of our practice--developing stability and concentration, and cultivating mindfulness--and a period of silent practice, there is additional guidance, related to the later dharma talk, on noticing any experiences of reactivity and on exploring moderate or greater experiences of pleasant or unpleasant.
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Insight Meditation Tucson
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2024-09-20
Leave Your Shoes at the Door
18:04
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Ayya Medhanandi
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Let faith be our foundation for a mindfulness that never tires of examining how we are within us. We may eat well, dress well, and look good but what is the real state of the mind? Day by day, finding safety in virtue, aware of the right qualities that direct, protect, and teach us to root out unworthy habits, let us harvest the profound joy and goodness of this life. It’s not how much we work or gain but how well we honour the noble Dhamma as servants of selflessness and human kindness.
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Sati Saraniya Hermitage
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2024-09-05
Guided Meditation: Exploring Reactivity and the Feeling-Tones of Pleasant or Unpleasant
34:51
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Donald Rothberg
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After settling our attention through concentration and/or mindfulness, there are further instructions in noticing any reactivity (involving grasping or pushing away in a more automatic way at the levels of mind, body, or emotions), then in attending to the feeling-tone (especially a moderate or a little greater sense of pleasant or unpleasant), and lastly in recalling an experience of reactivity in the last few days and exploring it with mindfulness.
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Insight Meditation Tucson
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2024-08-07
A Noble Heart
28:24
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Ayya Medhanandi
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We can't think our way to awakening. How then can we ennoble the heart? Practising right resort will purify the mind with present moment awareness. We give truth a voice, a prevailing knowing reinforced by mindfulness and wisdom. Instead of allowing delusion to rob us of our chance to awaken, we burn it away in its many guises of selfishness, hatred, despair and a host of dark states of mind. Patiently, faithfully, and gently, we navigate the way to true peace, unconditional love, and compassion.
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Sati Saraniya Hermitage
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2024-07-29
Buddhism, Sex, and Mindfulness: The Don’ts and Do's
1:26:11
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Diana Winston
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Sex is an incredibly important topic for many people, but is rarely talked about in the insight meditation lineage. This talk first explores the Theravadin Buddhist teachings on sex as they relate to monastics and lay people and then offers tools for bringing our dharma practice to sexual activity. We start with the “don'ts”, looking back at the canonical teachings on sex, and investigate the third precept— refraining from sexual misconduct—as a foundational for integrity in sexual activity. We then move to the “do’s”: how in these times might the dharma teachings offer wisdom to the realm of sex? The key— mindfulness for embodiment, self-awareness, communication, and presence.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2024-07-17
From Head to Heart
61:59
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Tara Brach
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If we are suffering, we are believing an interpretation of reality that is limiting and untrue. At these times we are imprisoned in a painful looping of fear-driven thoughts and feelings. This talk explores the ways our practices of mindfulness, compassion and loving presence can guide us from addictive thinking to perceiving life with a wise heart.
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Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
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2024-07-10
Guided Meditation: Landing in the Breath and Soundscape
56:49
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Matthew Brensilver
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These recordings are available publicly from a retreat held in person at Big Bear Retreat Center. Learn more about the center and upcoming offerings for retreats in nature, gathered in community.
bigbearretreatcenter.org/upcoming-retreats/
Healing the Self, Loving the Self, Forgetting the Self
Matthew Brensilver
July 9 - 13, 2024
Co-sponsored by Insight Retreat Center (IRC) and Big Bear Retreat Center
In this silent retreat, we explore how mindfulness supports the healing of the self.
Many of the Buddhist teachings help us to tend to painful memory, old pains and the habits that compound suffering. As we become more gentle and loving towards experience, the self becomes less and less of a preoccupation. The more completely we accept ourselves, the easier it becomes to forget the self and rest in an awareness unencumbered by self-consciousness.
This retreat includes sitting and walking meditation instructions, and dharma talks.
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Big Bear Retreat Center
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Healing the Self, Loving the Self, Forgetting the Self
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2024-06-23
Understanding Dukkha (part 2) - Meditation
30:17
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Mark Nunberg
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The weekly practice groups are designed to be a cornerstone for one's practice by providing ongoing instruction and teachings that will help illuminate the simple but challenging practice of mindfulness. The Buddha taught that mindfulness is the way to go beyond habits of distraction and grasping. To walk this path of wisdom and compassion, we need the support of a community that shares this intention. Each session includes a guided meditation, dharma talk, and discussion. Both experienced and beginning meditators are welcome.
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Common Ground Meditation Center
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Weekly Dharma Series
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2024-06-23
Understanding Dukkha (part 2) - Talk
39:23
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Mark Nunberg
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The weekly practice groups are designed to be a cornerstone for one's practice by providing ongoing instruction and teachings that will help illuminate the simple but challenging practice of mindfulness. The Buddha taught that mindfulness is the way to go beyond habits of distraction and grasping. To walk this path of wisdom and compassion, we need the support of a community that shares this intention. Each session includes a guided meditation, dharma talk, and discussion. Both experienced and beginning meditators are welcome.
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Common Ground Meditation Center
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Weekly Dharma Series
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2024-06-19
Practicing with Views, Beliefs, and Positions 2
63:52
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Donald Rothberg
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We start with a brief reflection on today's holiday, Juneteenth. Then we review last week's initial exploration of practicing with views, including (1) identifying the main teachings on views given by the Buddha, and (2) three basic ways to practice with views, including developing mindfulness of views, inquiring when there is a charge related to another's view, and developing careful listening. This review is followed by bringing in several further ways to understand and practice with views, including working with a specific teaching and letting the "view [coming from the teaching] be the meditation," exploring how sometimes to rest in a kind of unknowing, and then how awakening lies beyond views and concepts. The talk is followed by discussion.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2024-06-18
Q&A
42:24
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Ajahn Sucitto
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02:00 Q1 Regarding the sankaras, is it possible for feelings to land on contact without being in the realm of sankaras? If so how would this perception manifest? 17:15 Q2 Could you please explain the distinction between mental formations and consciousness. 30:02 Q3 Some questions on mindfulness of breathing. Should we regulate the breath and use the length of the breath as the object of mindfulness? 38:24 Q4 Can you speak about the third tetrad of the anapanasati sutta.
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Satipanna Insight Meditation (SIMT)
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A Mindful Resonance
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2024-06-03
How to Meditate--The 4 Practices Rooted in Tradition and Confirmed by Neuroscience
56:20
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Tina Rasmussen
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How to Meditate--The 4 Practices Rooted in Tradition and Confirmed by Neuroscience.
In this talk, Tina gives concise overview instructions and guidance on how to begin meditating, suitable for beginners and experienced meditators alike. She talks about general guidelines that apply to every type of meditation. Then she gives an overview of the 4 practice categories being studied in neuroscience, which are also reflected in the Buddhist tradion. Then she gives instructions on how to practice each type of meditation, with a short period of practice. To go directly to those sections, please see the following time markers:
-Heart Practices--Bodhicitta and the Bramaviharas (lovingkindness, compassion, joy/gratitude, and equanimity): 15:45
-Focused Attention--Samatha (concentration and serenity), Anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing): 31:03
-Open Monitoring--Vipassana (insight meditation): 39:26
-Self-Transcending--Dzogchen (Rigpa): 49:37
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Luminous Mind Sangha
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2024-05-08
Living with a Courageous Heart in Times of Crisis: A Conversation with Tara Brach & Oren Jay Sofer
1:10:27
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Tara Brach,
Oren Jay Sofer
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The pace of change is speeding up and much of the news we receive is alarming. More than ever, we need the inner reflections and meditations that help us connect with our capacities for clarity, bravery and openheartedness. This is what Tara explores with Oren Jay Sofer, in his book entitled: Your Heart Was Made For This: Contemplative Practices to Meet a World in Crisis with Courage, Integrity, and Love (2023.)
Oren teaches mindfulness, meditation and non violent communication, and his prior book is bestselling Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication (2018.) Learn more about Oren Jay Sofer and order books at: https://www.orenjaysofer.com
Please Note: At timestamp 57:41, Oren mistakenly attributes an article to George Lakey. The author of this article is Robert Reich.
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Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
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