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Dharma Talks
2018-05-11 Day 6 Morning Instructions: Aspirations for living from the perspective of our deathbed. (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 45:02
Nikki Mirghafori
In this morning's guided meditation, first we settle in with the body, appreciating the intimacy and the impersonality of experience, holding both experiences equally valid. Then, we look at our lives from the vantage point of our deathbed (far in the future, only for the purpose of this thought exercise) and reflect on aspirations that arise for living our life in this precious human birth, however long we have left.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Contemplating Death/Awakening to Life (Maranasati Retreat)

2018-05-10 Maranasati: "If My Life Is for Rent...Nothing I Have Is Truly Mine." 57:56
Nikki Mirghafori
Three fruits of maranasati practice are discussed: 1) Preparing for our moment of death with fearlessness and peace. Topics of Near Death Experiences (NDEs) and rebirth are presented with a don't know mind. 2) Living THIS limited, precious life fully, with gratitude, forgiveness, generosity and letting go. 3) Awakening, liberation, nibbana -- Maranasati is a practice towards liberation, arising insights into the three marks of existence (anicca, dukkha, anatta).
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Contemplating Death/Awakening to Life (Maranasati Retreat)

2018-05-09 Story of Anathapindika: Death and Letting go (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 51:42
Eugene Cash
Anathapindika was one of the foremost householder followers of the Buddha. As he is dying Sariputta and Ananda go to comfort him. Seeing his imminent death they offer teachings never before given to householders. He receives the radical teachings of not clinging, letting go of all experience and waking up.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Contemplating Death/Awakening to Life (Maranasati Retreat)

2018-05-08 Death contemplation awakens us to life (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 56:53
Nikki Mirghafori
In this talk, Nikki Mirghafori (first ~30 minutes) and Eugene Cash (the rest) discuss how death contemplation helps us awaken to living this life, with embracing letting go and not knowing.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Contemplating Death/Awakening to Life (Maranasati Retreat)

2018-05-07 Death: "This is Nature, This is Natural" (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 57:46
Nikki Mirghafori
The first part of the talk, the hindrances (Nivarana in Pali), also translated as veils, are discussed through the lens of Maranasati practice. The second part of the talk is devoted to sharing lessons from my mother's recent passing.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Contemplating Death/Awakening to Life (Maranasati Retreat)

2018-05-06 Maranasati Normalizing Death (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 52:43
Eugene Cash
Exploring the Buddhist teaching of Maranasati: Mindfulness of Death How it’s taught and how one personally works with, recognizes and manifests this practice.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Contemplating Death/Awakening to Life (Maranasati Retreat)

2018-04-10 Sense Of Urgency 43:29
Ayya Santacitta
Guided meditation on death.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center The Middle Way ~ Finding Our Natural Resting Place: Monastic Retreat

2018-03-11 As Silence Is To Sound 57:56
Kittisaro
Turn the mind to the deathless. The story of Anuruddha. No footprints in the sky. reflection on papanca, conceptual proliferation.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center Reclamation of the Sacred: A Journey of Healing and Reconnection Through Insight Meditation

2018-02-22 The 5 Daily Recollections (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 60:39
Erin Treat
This is a talk for yogis on long retreat, inviting practice of recollection of aging, sickness, death, separation and karma. The talk mostly covers the first 3 of the 5 recollections.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat

2018-02-05 Evening Q&A 51:42
Ajahn Sucitto
1. Can you please speak about dependent origination; 2.(37:20 What is a skilful way to deal with boredom at work?; 3. (35:47) Question on body meditation; 4. (44:53) Could you talk about death?
Bandar Utama Buddhist Society :  Meditation Retreat with Luang Por Sucitto

2018-01-05 Life Itself 1:12:31
Yanai Postelnik
Reflections on the implications of the teaching of not-self: human dignity, preciousness, connectedness and the deathless.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center Embodying the Heart of Wisdom: New Year’s Retreat

2017-12-22 Introduction: Orientation that takes us through birth, aging & death 21:09
Ajahn Sucitto
Finding true orientation often begins with disorientation from the known. We look for orientation that can take us through birth, aging and death when everything is always changing. It’s Dhamma, the unconditioned, no need to hold on. That’s the ultimate security.
Phu Tara Faa :  December 2017 Retreat

2017-11-12 How Do I Save That Moth? 20:06
Ayya Medhanandi
The Winter of the World is here… How do we bear it? What does the mind need in order to open to the teachings? Dana. Sila. Generosity and virtue. Cultivating generosity, starting with the material, can mature into acts of sharing one’s time, energy, abilities, kindness and compassion. Let us cherish these noble qualities and develop them in a boundless way, for all beings. The Buddha advises us how to be fearless and present with a loved one near death. A talk given at Sati Saraniya Hermitage in November, 2017.
Sati Saraniya Hermitage

2017-10-19 Moving Beyond Duality 39:50
Kittisaro
Form is not different from emptiness. Reflections on the Heart Sutra. Kuan Yin's method of contemplation. Turning the mind to the deathless.
Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge October 2017 at IMS - Forest Refuge

2017-10-10 Attending To The Immovable 62:00
Kittisaro
"Turn your mind to the deathless" Relationship of change to changeless. Putting down the burden.
Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge October 2017 at IMS - Forest Refuge
In collection: Developing Our Practice

2017-10-08 Maranasati: Grateful for Life and Death (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 43:20
Eugene Cash
How contemplating and practicing with our mortality brings forward human maturity and allows us to appreciate this precious human life.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Maranasati: Contemplating Death / Awakening to Life

2017-10-08 Day 6 Morning Instructions: Deathbed visualization (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 57:39
Nikki Mirghafori
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Maranasati: Contemplating Death / Awakening to Life

2017-10-07 Three Dimensions of Death Contemplation Practice (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 61:12
Nikki Mirghafori
The three dimensions of death contemplation are discussed: 1) preparing for death (ours and others) 2) awakening to our precious human life, and 3) awakening/liberation.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Maranasati: Contemplating Death / Awakening to Life

2017-10-06 Anathapindika: Letting Go into Death (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 49:22
Eugene Cash
The radical teachings of letting go are offered to Anathapindika before he dies. He advocated these teachings be offered to all householders. How we practice radical letting go.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Maranasati: Contemplating Death / Awakening to Life

2017-10-03 Maranasati Retreat Normalizing Death (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 49:44
Eugene Cash
Great is the matter of Birth-and-Death. Life passed swiftly and is quickly lost Awaken! Awaken! Do not waste your life... Exploring mindfulness of death in Theravada Practice. Looking at the reality of human death in the world today and at the time of the Buddha. The paradox and potential of opening to the reality of death as part of life and Buddhist practice.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Maranasati: Contemplating Death / Awakening to Life

2017-08-11 Turning to Dust: Death Contemplations 26:36
Ayya Medhanandi
The nine-cemetary contemplations presented in the Satipatthana Sutta work with elemental perspectives on the parts of the body by simulating their condition after death.  The clarity of mind realized in these special practices sheds light on how valuable death contemplations are for a wholesome and happy life.  Not only does the mind gain immense lucidity and peace, but we are able to access and develop special qualities of mental composure, joy and discernment.
Sati Saraniya Hermitage

2017-06-15 Death is Inevitable (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 44:33
Ayya Santacitta
Guided meditation on Death
Spirit Rock Meditation Center The Middle Way Monastic Retreat

2017-06-14 Death and Dying on the Noble Eightfold Path (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 53:59
Ayya Santussika
Spirit Rock Meditation Center The Middle Way Monastic Retreat

2017-06-13 Early Morning Reflections: The Trained Mind, The Untrained Mind and The Choice 17:12
Ajahn Sucitto
Remember the gift of mind. It can seem such a tangle at times. The untrained mind is difficult and can be deadly. The trained mind is a beauty, it can be liberated – deathless. This is choice. Attending to what’s worthy of attention; attending to what gives rise to beautiful states that lift and brighten. Withdrawing attention from states that become burdensome, confusing, useless. The gift of attention, use it wisely.
Meditationszentrum Beatenberg The Wisdom of Embodiment

2017-06-09 Maranasati: Dying and Awakening (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 60:23
Eugene Cash
Exploring what we think death is and it’s role and function as part of Buddhist meditation and realization. We examine the role of death in our conventional lives with the arising and passing of roles, worlds we’re involved with & times and stages of our life that pass. What happens as we normalize the dying process as part of the great letting go. How does letting go reveal the awakened heart?
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Aging, Dying and Awakening

2017-05-24 The Reality of Change: Embracing this Living Dying World 53:02
Tara Brach
“What is it that allows us to open our hearts to every moment of our life? It’s the remembrance that it’s passing and it’s precious.” Our true refuge is reality – only by opening to “things as they are” do we find true peace and freedom. This talk explores impermanence – a key feature of reality. We look at our habits of resisting change – including loss and death, the practices that awaken and open us, and the gifts of letting go into the ever-changing river of experience.
Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC IMCW Wednesday Evening Talks

2017-05-23 Funeral of the Ego & Chant on Impermanence 3:45
Ayya Medhanandi
We come on retreat from our busy lives where we can easily relapse into old unworthy mental habits, hoping that here, at last, we can put them to sleep. They too are impermanent. Reflect on their impermanence using these chants for the funeral of our ego and the death of our ignorance. Once their corpse is seen and placed in a coffin, it’s possible to sustain open compassionate awareness wherever we are.
Madison Insight Meditation Group :  When Truth Speaks Out

2017-05-22 As Still As the Earth 8:22
Ayya Medhanandi
Standing as still as we can like the earth, aware, embodying qualities of heart that we treasure, share the goodness with all who are dear to us, and with all beings. Live wisely from that kind of pure inner space. As we chant these essential five recollections, reflect: we are all subject to aging, sickness, and death; we shall all be separated from what is ours, it will fade and be lost; and we are the heirs of our karmic deeds – for good or for ill.
Madison Insight Meditation Group :  When Truth Speaks Out

2017-05-09 Four Noble Truths in the Light of Death (Class series at Spirit Rock) 48:49
Anna Douglas
Dharma talk from Year to Live series at Spirit Rock
Spirit Rock Meditation Center

2017-04-24 The Tender Heart of Life and Death (Drop-in at Spirit Rock) 2:07:13
Jack Kornfield
Monday Night Meditation and Dharma talk with Jack Kornfield and Frank Ostaseski
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday and Wednesday Talks

2017-04-13 Understanding Death 61:17
Ayya Medhanandi
The Buddha's advise to Ananda when venerable Sariputta died.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center Holistic Awareness: Monastic Retreat

2016-12-31 Maranasati ~ Contemplation of Death 38:40
Ayya Santacitta
Guided Meditation
Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery (Angela Center)

2016-12-28 Love - and Death 61:32
Tara Brach
To live our lives fully, we need to embrace the natural unfolding of birthing and dying. Yet we are deeply conditioned to resist loss, to pull away from fear and grief. Through a powerful Inuit story shared by Clarissa Estes, this talk explores how our practices of presence can open us to what we avoid, and free us to love without holding back.
Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC 2016 IMCW New Year Retreat: Awakening the Heart of Compassion

2016-12-11 More Suggestions for Practicing Tonglen 40:22
Zohar Lavie
These recordings are part of a ten month course entitled Living Fearlessly with Change - Exploring Ageing, Illness and Death Through Buddhist Practice and Service.
Gaia House (Bala Brook) Living Fearlessly with Change

2016-12-10 Guided Meditation on Spacious Compassionate Awareness 44:25
Zohar Lavie
These recordings are part of a ten month course entitled Living Fearlessly with Change - Exploring Ageing, Illness and Death Through Buddhist Practice and Service.
Gaia House (Bala Brook) Living Fearlessly with Change

2016-11-06 Maranasati: Mindfulness of Death 58:38
Eugene Cash
San Francisco Insight Meditation Community

2016-11-04 Dying practice: Letting go into the deathless 46:26
Nikki Mirghafori
1) Death contemplation can prepare us for the moment of death to be ultimate moment of freedom, of letting go into the unconditioned. 2) Holding the possibility of rebirth and reports of near death experiences with spaciousness of a "don't know" mind.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Maranasati: Contemplating Death

2016-11-03 Maranasati: Letting Go of Everything 47:50
Eugene Cash
Recognizing letting go as a natural part of our life and death. The story of Anathapindika death, how he received the highest teachings and changed Buddhist culture so that these teachings are offered to all of the 4 fold Sangha.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Maranasati: Contemplating Death

2016-11-01 Day 2: Dharma Talk - Reorienting our life in the light of death 51:07
Nikki Mirghafori
1) Death brings the scarcity of time to our consciousness. 2) The parable of the poisoned arrow and holding the imponderables with a "don't know" mind. 3) Grief, for ourselves and loved ones, as a natural response to death.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Maranasati: Contemplating Death

2016-10-31 Great is the Matter of Birth and Death 46:08
Eugene Cash
Exploring the celebration & relationship to death on Halloween and through the Zen practice of Segaki. We recognize the normalcy of death through Buddhist teachings, reflecting on our lives and in each moment of practice. Using reflection and meditation we discover how death leads to awakening and living our lives fully.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Maranasati: Contemplating Death

2016-08-14 Form and Emptiness, Perfectly Fused 59:41
Kittisaro
Recognition of the Deathless Element. Nibbana. Radical reflection. Two roots of the mind. Source of thought. What remains?
Gaia House From Separation to Seamless Reality

2016-07-18 The Gifts of Uncertainty 44:23
Zohar Lavie
These recordings are part of a ten month course entitled Living Fearlessly with Change - Exploring Ageing, Illness and Death Through Buddhist Practice and Service.
Gaia House (Bala Brook) Living Fearlessly with Change

2016-07-18 Intro to Equanimity and Guided Meditation 61:39
Zohar Lavie
These recordings are part of a ten month course entitled Living Fearlessly with Change - Exploring Ageing, Illness and Death Through Buddhist Practice and Service.
Gaia House (Bala Brook) Living Fearlessly with Change

2016-07-16 Generosity and Sila 57:10
Zohar Lavie
These recordings are part of a ten month course entitled Living Fearlessly with Change - Exploring Ageing, Illness and Death Through Buddhist Practice and Service. This recording also includes Zohar Lavie.
Gaia House (Bala Brook) Living Fearlessly with Change

2016-07-16 Across the River of Pain 28:03
Ayya Medhanandi
We long to be free from this wandering, to go beyond all suffering. The body is our raft to cross from one side of the river of pain to the other. And there we leave the raft. But we don’t leave it until we cross, until we realize the Deathless – when no one ‘dies’ but we know the death of greed, of anger, of delusion. As we cross, we end the pain, grief, rage, vulnerability, fear – every form of distress. And where we were once inflamed by these troubles, they give way to the infinitudes of love and compassion.
Canmore Theravada Buddhist Community

2016-07-12 Contemplating Death 56:04
Yanai Postelnik
Gaia House The Wise and Loving Heart

2016-07-09 Attitudes towards Death 48:30
Anna Douglas
Eastern and Western views of death.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Aging, Dying, and Awakening

2016-07-08 Dying and Awakening 55:44
Eugene Cash
Maranasati – Mindfulness of Death is called The Supreme Mindfulness Practice by the Buddha. It teaches us to let go and value the fullness of our impermanent lives. Contemplating death reveals the paradox of dharma and death which are experience and known both personally and impersonally.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Aging, Dying, and Awakening

2016-06-27 Evening Talk: What Can I Control/ What Can't I Control 29:51
JoAnna Hardy
A secular talk on the wisdom of letting go that which we can't control (aging, death, others, etc.) and which we can through our words, actions and thoughts.
Vallecitos Mountain Retreat Center Mindfulness for Educators

2016-06-20 The Ambiguity of Self and World 37:04
Martin Aylward
We rely on a sense of certainty and familiarity with how things are, yet when we look closely our experience is uncertain and always presenting anew. Martin looks at the big reference points for our experience; Life, Death, Self and World, pointing to a liberating way of understanding and relating to them that is free of the narrowness of certainty.
Gaia House Awakening in Stillness and Movement

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