Donate  |   Contact


The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
 
Dharma Talks
2025-06-18 The Big Picture 1 64:23
Donald Rothberg
The talk begins to give the "big picture" about the nature of our practice, and how we come, in a way suitable to our times and places, to manifest wisdom, love and compassion, and skillful responses in our lives, increasingly more of the time. We reflect first on some of the challenges of our times, and how Buddhism, as it has moved to different cultures, has always taken new forms. A main part of the big picture, which is our main focus today, is a model of how meditation develops. We articulate a model involving three main forms of practice (that we can find in multiple Buddhist traditions): Developing samadhi (concentration), opening to liberating insight, and opening to awakened awareness. We explore each of the three and their relationship to each other. The talk is followed by discussion.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday and Wednesday Talks

2025-06-08 Teachings 44:06
Gavin Milne
Boundaries and firm compassion - unfurling the heart in the world. Includes an inquiry exercise.
Gaia House Trusting the Strong and Tender Heart (online)

2025-06-08 Responding with compassion 12:56
Yanai Postelnik
London Insight Meditation Yanai Postelnik – Love in The Time of Crisis

2025-06-07 Instructions 22:17
Gavin Milne
Reflections around inquiry practice - including the 'view' of parts as a compassionate response for our times.
Gaia House Trusting the Strong and Tender Heart (online)

2025-06-04 Supportive touch and mindful self-compassion break 42:39
Christiane Wolf
How to use touch to self-regulate and for self-compassion
Big Bear Retreat Center Deep Belonging

2025-05-31 Mettā and Compassion 13:14
Laura Bridgman
Gaia House Truth Here and Now

2025-05-23 A Gift for Everyone 26:50
Ayyā Anuruddhā
Our practice is a unique opportunity to develop our deepest potential for happiness as human beings. We use the skills of interior investigation with patience and courage to study the intimate workings of the mind. Well-guided by the Buddha’s teachings, we gradually learn intuitively how to direct ourselves on this path of wholesomeness and devotion. By trusting our spiritual practice, we are strengthened, growing inwardly as we directly experience freedom from fear and the heart's true compassion.
Toronto Theravada Buddhist Community (TBC)

2025-05-20 The Heavenly Abode of Compassion 44:30
Nakawe Cuebas Berrios
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center Coming Home to Kind Awareness: Insight Meditation Retreat – 25BVM

2025-05-19 The Art of Meditation (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 62:59
Susie Harrington
Finding the balance of effort and letting go is the art of meditation practice. This applies both to times of ease in practice and in the greater challenges of meeting the hindrances. We have the opportunity to use every moment as a portal to wisdom and compassion.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center The Nature of Awareness: A Retreat for Experienced Students

2025-05-07 Guided Meditation: Exploring Emotions and Thoughts Connected to Contemporary Social and Political Events 2 40:16
Donald Rothberg
We begin with some guidance on developing samadhi (concentration) and stability, followed by practicing developing samadhi. After about 10 minutes developing samadhi, we move to mindfulness practice. After about another 10 minutes of practice, we then inquire into some of the emotions and thoughts that have been present recently, whether difficult or joyful, related to the current state of the society and world. We first relive a recent experience and then bring mindfulness to the somatic, emotional, and mental dimensions of experience. While staying silent, we also have a sense of being in community and sharing our experience. We then work with Kristen Neff's three-step self-compassion practice (shifting to a three-step joy or mudita practice if the experiences have been more positive).
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday and Wednesday Talks

Creative Commons License