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Dharma Talks
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2020-05-13
From the Ordinary Mind to the Buddha Mind 18: Transforming Reactivity 2
69:47
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Donald Rothberg
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We first review the main themes from last time: (1) the nature of reactivity, and dukkha as reactivity in the Buddha's teachings, (2) the nature of awakening and freedom as liberation from reactivity, and (3) four main ways to practice with reactivity. We then look more deeply, noticing that very commonly reactivity is mixed with insight, discernment, intelligence, or something important or valuable, as when I become reactive when someone doesn't keep an agreement, or at social injustice. We explore how to transform reactivity by separating out what is valuable from the reactivity, in a number of ways, so that we can keep the insight or intelligence, and use it as the basis for wise, compassionate action. We close the talk with Eve Decker singing, "Simple Truth," about skillful ways to work with reactive self-judgment, and then have a period of discussion, including questions.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2020-05-01
The Currency of Covid: Protection from Harm Through Spiritual Awakening
24:16
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Ayya Medhanandi
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Waking up to our spiritual wealth, we learn the true currency of Covid - it is not fear and frailty but courage, compassion, loving-kindness, community and connection. We see what is protection for ourselves and for each other, dwelling with the Dhamma, the Truth, as our safety - our island and refuge.
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Ottawa Buddhist Society
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2020-04-29
Sheltering In Love (Part 6): Loneliness as a Portal to Sacred Presence (Part 2)
51:05
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Tara Brach
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The root of suffering is the pain of separation, the fears and loneliness that arise when we have forgotten our intrinsic belonging to each other and to all of life. These two talks look at the epidemic of loneliness predating the pandemic, and how loneliness is exacerbated in our current global crisis for those living alone, and for those feeling disconnected to themselves and others. We then explore how a courageous practice of compassionate presence - with our inner life, and in relationships - can turn the energy of loneliness into a current of healing and freedom.
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Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
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2020-04-22
Sheltering in Love (Part 5): Loneliness as a Portal to Sacred Presence (Part 1)
44:51
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Tara Brach
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The root of suffering is the pain of separation, the fears and loneliness that arise when we have forgotten our intrinsic belonging to each other and to all of life. These next two talks look at the epidemic of loneliness predating the pandemic, and how loneliness is exacerbated in our current global crisis for those living alone, and for those feeling disconnected to themselves and others. We then explore how a courageous practice of compassionate presence - with our inner life, and in relationships - can turn the energy of loneliness into a current of healing and freedom.
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Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
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2020-04-15
Sheltering in Love (Part 4)
43:21
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Tara Brach
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During this time of pandemic, we need, more than ever, to feel our connectedness—true belonging with our own being, each other and all life. These talks explore the bodhisattva path - practices of an awakening being dedicated to living from love. The invitation is to let this season of close-in and global suffering deepen our collective commitment to creating a more compassionate world. Talk 4 explores how the difficult emotions we all face can become direct portals to an inner refuge of sacred space.
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Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
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2020-04-08
Sheltering in Love - Part 3
45:48
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Tara Brach
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During this time of pandemic, we need, more than ever, to feel our connectedness—true belonging with our own being, each other and all life.
These talks explore the bodhisattva path – practices of an awakening being dedicated to living from love. The invitation is to let this season of close-in and global suffering deepen our collective commitment to creating a more compassionate world.
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Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
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2020-04-01
Sheltering In Love (Part 2)
41:59
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Tara Brach
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During this time of pandemic, we need, more than ever, to feel our connectedness—true belonging with our own being, each other and all life.
These talks explore the bodhisattva path – practices of an awakening being dedicated to living from love. The invitation is to let this season of close-in and global suffering deepen our collective commitment to creating a more compassionate world.
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Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
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2020-03-25
Sheltering In Love (Part 1)
45:58
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Tara Brach
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During this time of pandemic, we need, more than ever, to feel our connectedness—true belonging with our own being, each other and all life. These talks explore the bodhisattva path – practices of an awakening being dedicated to living from love. The invitation is to let this season of close-in and global suffering deepen our collective commitment to creating a more compassionate world.
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Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
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2020-03-14
Coronavirus and the support of the Dharma - Part 1
31:38
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Zohar Lavie
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We are living through an unusual period. As coronavirus spreads, much of what we take for granted is being shaken.
There is uncertainty and fear around us, and also within us.
How can Dharma teachings and practices support us?
How can we deepen understanding and compassion in the midst of it all?
This talk offers reflections on possibilities that are available to us, including practices that we can engage with, lean into, and cultivate.
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SanghaSeva
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A Response to Coronavirus
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2020-03-02
Calm Clarity Compassion | Monday Night talk
1:10:51
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Jack Kornfield,
Paul Hawken
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How can we navigate through hard times? This is an excerpt of a talk Jack Kornfield gave with environmentalist Paul Hawken on March 2, 2020 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center on how to stay grounded and steady as we navigate the spread of the Coronavirus and other challenges.
The need for the Dharma is stronger than ever. We can choose to live in our fears, confusion, and worries, or to stay in the essence of our practice, center ourselves, and be the ones that demonstrate patience, compassion, mindfulness, and mutual care.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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2020-02-22
Puja: Brightening the Heart Tone
4:46
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Ajahn Sucitto
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Based on an upright, open posture, chanting adds vocal tone to breathing. Breath becomes sound through bodily resonators. The release of breathing out, combined with the resonance and the reference to images of purity and compassion is brightening.
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Emoyeni Retreat Centre
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Clearing and Renewal
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2020-02-07
Q&A
52:06
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Ajahn Sucitto
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Can non-monastics in the west reach enlightenment? Attachment in relationships; How to encourage care for the environment; Qualities that free us from world of senses; Freedom from rage resulting from abusive relationships; Compassionate response to racist remarks
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Dharmagiri
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Firm Center, Open Heart
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2019-12-22
It’s the Tone that Counts
62:25
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Ajahn Sucitto
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The habituated ways of the personality – craving to become good enough, burdened with self-criticism and fear – won’t bring about liberation. Citta, that which can be liberated, becomes available when the tone of our lives is warm, encouraging, compassionate. Relax the doing and tune into the receptive. The theme of practice is to feel comfortable.
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Uttama Bodhi Vihara
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Retreat with Ajahn Sucitto
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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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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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IMCB Regular Talks
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2019-12-17
Death and the Poignancy of Life
61:37
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Matthew Brensilver
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William James said that death was the ‘worm at the core’ of the human condition that turns us all into ‘melancholy metaphysicians.’ A century later, awareness of mortality is documented to affect our thinking and emotional lives in powerful ways. It figures prominently in Buddhist practice.
In what ways does consciousness of death distorts our view and lead us away from wisdom and compassion? Alternatively, how can we open to the truth of finitude such that our heart is softened? Can we intuit the freedom or love that might be released were we more deeply at peace with our mortality?
In this evening program, we’ll consider the way death can harden or soften our heart – and how dharma practice might lead us to a life that feels complete. All are welcome.
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New York Insight Meditation Center
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2019-11-16
We Are Here To Forgive
42:16
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Ayya Medhanandi
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Digging deep through life's trials and pains with unfaltering compassion, discover the way beyond harming, the way beyond anger. At last, can we forgive all the monsters of the mind, letting them go, setting them free? Living harmlessly, fearless in the good and devoted to this radical healing, the face of enlightenment appears in the trenches of our own suffering.
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Satipaññā Insight Meditation Toronto
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SIMT Fall Monastic Retreat
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2019-10-16
RAIN on Blame: A Guided Meditation
14:38
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Tara Brach
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When we are stuck in blame or resentment we are in a trance – the other person becomes an unreal bad other, and our own sense of being contracts into a victimized self, an angry self, a righteous self. Using the acronym RAIN, this practice guides us in bringing mindfulness and compassion to our inner experience, and then to viewing the other with a more open and clear heart. By awakening from the trance of blame, we are able to respond with intelligence and care to the unmet needs that underlie all conflict.
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Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
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IMCW Wednesday Evening Talks
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2019-10-11
Cultivating Awareness + Wisdom-Q+A
41:03
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Alexis Santos
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Awareness and wisdom are qualities of mind that together provide the ingredients for clear seeing and compassion to arise. These timeless qualities are essential for meeting the challenges of our current world and in helping us live a skillful life. This evening talk will start out with a guided meditation followed by a dharma talk on how to cultivate these essential qualities.
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New York Insight Meditation Center
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NYI Regular Talks
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2019-10-05
Walking in the Dark
47:48
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Ajahn Sucitto
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How can we turn from being an enemy to the planet? By turning off our “head-light” and turning on our “heart-light”. As humans we are uniquely positioned to produce morality, compassion and wisdom in this dark time of climate crisis. May we meet this opportunity heartfully, the way the Buddha described, trembling with compassion for the welfare of all living beings. May we open to the darkness, let it touch us deeply and wake us to a different way of seeing things.
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Extinction Rebellion Brighton
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2019-09-18
Practicing with Conflict 4
1:12:15
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Donald Rothberg
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In our fourth exploration of how to practice with conflict, we examine four practice resources, inviting listeners to keep in mind, as we explore the resources, a conflict (whether an inner conflict, an interpersonal conflict, or a larger social conflict); conflict is understood as a difference of, or tension between, positions or values or needs. The first resource is that of the tools of our inner practice: mindfulness practice, heart practices such as compassion, lovingkindness, and forgiveness, and ways to work with difficult emotions and thoughts such as anger, fear, sadness, frustration, the judgmental mind, etc. The second resource is that of the "win-win" or "both-and" model of conflict transformation, in which the aim is to move from an "either-or" or "win-lose" framework toward the "win-win" way of meeting the underlying values or needs of both sides; at times, we may need to move away from the "win-lose" framework through "avoidance" (time outs, cease-fires, etc.) or compromise, on the way, if possible, to "win-win." The third resource is that of empathy, taken as a practice central to working with conflicts of any kind. The fourth resource is that of working with attachments to fixed views that typically arise in conflict situations of any kind, especially through through mindfulness, inquiry, empathy, and heart practices.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2019-09-04
Befriending Irene
58:29
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Tara Brach
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While Tara is away, this talk is from 2011 after Hurricane Irene hit us with fury. Dorian is now leaving its destruction behind, just as we work with our stormy weather within.
Whether you face chronic anxiety or more violent storms of fear and anger, you can cultivate the wings of freedom–the mindfulness and compassion–that free you. This talk explores how the habit of being reactive causes us suffering and the ways these tools of meditation can be applied to the inner weather systems that most challenge us.
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Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
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IMCW Wednesday Evening Talks
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2019-08-25
07 talk: Befriending the Mind
51:57
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Jill Shepherd
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An exploration of ways that we commonly struggle with our mental activity, how wisdom and compassion can help release the struggle through practising with the Third Establishment of Mindfulness, Mindfulness of the Mind, and understanding the three characteristics of anicca-dukkha-anatta
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Te Moata Retreat Center
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Freedom Here and Now
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2019-08-14
Part 2 – The Answer is Love: Evolving out of “Bad Other”
45:37
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Tara Brach
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These two talks address the inquiry: How do we awaken from the contempt and hatred that causes so much suffering in our world? The first talk looks at how we can use the practices of mindfulness and compassion to decondition our habits of self-blame and self-hatred, as well as the importance of helping each other defuse the trance of unworthiness. The second talk extends the use of these practices to situations where we’ve locked into external “bad othering.” These times need our deepened dedication to love: By intentionally arousing compassion for ourselves and others, we directly contribute to the evolution of consciousness in our world.
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Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
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IMCW Wednesday Evening Talks
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2019-08-14
Right Intention
59:36
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Yuka Nakamura
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The Buddha emphasized intention as the key to happiness and peace. However, often we are not aware of the intentions behind our choices and actions. Based on the Dvedhāvitakka Sutta the talks discusses the unwholesome intentions of sensual desire, ill will and cruelty and the wholesome intentions of renunciation, lovingkindness and compassion. It also discusses central aspects of mental cultivation.
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Meditationszentrum Beatenberg
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14 day Karuna and Vipassana Meditation Retreat
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2019-08-14
Practicing with Conflict 1
67:15
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Donald Rothberg
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The world deeply needs a culture of skillful conflict transformation, informed by dharma practice. In such a culture, we would have individuals who combine inner capacities such as mindfulness, skill with difficult emotions, empathy and compassion, and equanimity, with perspectives on how to work with conflicts, whether inner, interpersonal, or social. In this talk, we look at some of the prevalent social conditioning around being with conflict, including tendencies to avoid conflict or act out when there are conflicts, and widespread tendencies to see conflicts dualistically and to project negative aspects onto “opponents.” In this context, Donald presents some images and reflections from his just-completed time of teaching and traveling for 3 1/2 weeks in Israel and the West Bank. He then focuses on some of the inner capacities important for being skillful with conflict, next time examining some of the perspectives on conflict that have come out of the fields of mediation, negotiation, and conflict transformation. There is also a time of discussion.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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Attached Files:
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Photos (from a PowerPoint presentation) connected with the talk, Practicing with Conflict 1
by Donald Rothberg
(PDF)
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2019-08-12
A Swallowtail Butterfly at the Hummingbird Feeder
30:58
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Ayya Medhanandi
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The quality of energy manifest as courage, commitment and compassion is the way forward. We have to be brave – like a lion. Brave warriors face the powerful maras, monsters of the mind, to overcome them. They train the mind to gain its freedom by developing heroic energy and superpower wisdom. These qualities are further ennobled with forgiveness and association with true spiritual friends.
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Satipanna Insight Meditation (SIMT)
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For Our Long Lasting Benefit
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2019-08-11
Beautiful Qualities - Five of the Ten Perfections
20:15
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Ayya Medhanandi
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The Buddha taught about ten perfections or beautiful qualities of mind that are needed to help us cross the flood of samsara, the cycles of existence. The first five of these are generosity, virtue, energy, wisdom and renunciation. When embodied, these qualities help to lead us out of the prison of impermanence. Overcoming ignorance and responding to life with greater joy, we live compassionate and harmless.
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Satipanna Insight Meditation (SIMT)
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For Our Long Lasting Benefit
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