|
 |
|
|
|
The greatest gift is the gift of the teachings
|
|
|
|
Dharma Talks
2019-01-30
Dharma Practice and the Life and Work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Part 3
65:47
|
Donald Rothberg
|
|
We first review the three themes identified as the "shared heart" of Buddhist practice and the life and work of Dr. King: (1) non-reactivity (the end of dukkha) and nonviolence; (2) love, metta, and compassion; and (3) the integrity and coherence of one's life, such that this "shared heart" appears increasingly in all parts of one's life. Then we imagine a kind of dialogue between Western Buddhists and Dr. King, identifying both the great jewels and some of the blind spots or underdeveloped areas of each. This points toward the aspiration to bring together the best of both approaches, to bring together deep inner and outer transformative practice; we make use of a number of resources, including the figure of the bodhisattva, in clarifying this aspiration.
|
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
:
Monday and Wednesday Talks
|
|
2019-01-23
Dharma Practice and the Life and Work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Part 2
64:30
|
Donald Rothberg
|
|
We review and deepen the exploration of three core themes that are the shared heart of the approaches of the Buddha and Dr. King: (1) the wisdom and understanding of the nature of dukkha and the aim of ending of dukkha - understood in this context as reactivity and violence in their different forms; (2) the centrality of the wise heart- understood as love, metta, compassion, etc and the importance of acting from this wise heart; and (3) integrity - the coherence, consistency, and authenticity of one's life, especially in relationship to the first two themes. We then begin an imagined "dialogue" between the Buddha and Dr. King that might point to an integration of deep inner and outer practice based on these principles.
|
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
:
Monday and Wednesday Talks
|
|
2019-01-20
Dukkha and the End of Dukkha 1: An Overview of the Teachings and Practices
45:28
|
Donald Rothberg
|
|
The Buddha famously said, “I have taught one thing and one thing only, dukkha [suffering or reactivity or a sense of unsatisfactoriness] and the cessation of dukkha.” In this daylong, we explore this core teaching as it is expressed in the Four Noble Truths and the teaching of the Two Arrows. We suggest ways to study and implement this teaching both in formal meditation and in everyday life, through practices and reflections that bring together the wisdom of seeing the roots of dukkha, the compassion and kindness that can hold our difficulties, and skillful action to transform dukkha.This talk give an orientation for the daylong.
|
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
|
|
2019-01-11
The Art of Mindful Communication: Right Speech in a Post-Truth World
66:12
|
Oren Jay Sofer
|
|
Mindfulness practice provides a powerful support for clear, kind, and effective conversations. Join author and meditation teacher Oren Jay Sofer for this exploration of how our contemplative practice provides a foundation for bringing more compassion, clarity, and connection into our speech and relationships. In these polarized times, how can we speak and listen in a way that is aligned with our values? How can we hear others with divergent views?
Oren will be offering teachings from his new book, Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication.
|
New York Insight Meditation Center
:
NYI Regular Talks
|
|
2019-01-11
The Art of Mindful Communication: guided meditation
40:20
|
Oren Jay Sofer
|
|
Mindfulness practice provides a powerful support for clear, kind, and effective conversations. Join author and meditation teacher Oren Jay Sofer for this exploration of how our contemplative practice provides a foundation for bringing more compassion, clarity, and connection into our speech and relationships. In these polarized times, how can we speak and listen in a way that is aligned with our values? How can we hear others with divergent views?
Oren will be offering teachings from his new book, Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication.
|
New York Insight Meditation Center
:
NYI Regular Talks
|
|
2018-10-13
Delusion is Not the Way Out
32:50
|
Ayya Medhanandi
|
|
How can we have compassion for others without falling apart? The Buddha's path of awakening teaches us how to disarm our internal armour, to be harmless. This will be for us a true basis for following precepts and thereby developing enough inner quiet to investigate ill-will. We begin to clearly see and understand our mind-states. This full presence enables compassion that is tireless and unconditional.
|
Satipaññā Insight Meditation Toronto
|
|
2018-10-01
"Playground of the Mind: Exploring Bhikkhu Analayo's Brahma Vihara and Emptiness Practices"
54:29
|
James Baraz
|
|
"This is a talk given at James Baraz's Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley."
James recently sat with Ven. Bhikkhu Analayo, an extraordinary Buddhist scholar and meditation teacher. He shares some of the teachings and practices that he learned on the Brahma Viharas and how they can help lead to deeper perceptions of emptiness including infinite space and infinite consciousness.
The talk gives a glimpse of the value of experimenting and playing with the mind. With Ven. Analayo's permission, James' takes us on a quick journey through some rather profound terrain. So let whatever your experience or non-experience be okay. For a deeper dive into the material the listener is referred to Ven. Analayo's book: Compassion and Emptiness in Early Buddhist Meditation:
Compassion and Emptiness in Early Buddhist Meditation.
|
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
:
IMCB Regular Talks
|
|
2018-09-27
Metta is Empty of Self - Let It Go Everywhere
59:53
|
Nathan Glyde
|
|
Exploring how Metta is empty: How it transforms into compassion, joy, or equanimity depending on the contact. How the very expression depends on other factors: compassion is not one type of action. And how we can expand our sense of who we can radiate these infinite qualities to. And then how that also contributes to a clear view of the fabrication of not-self elements into a sense of self.
|
SanghaSeva
:
Metta and Emptiness
|
|
2018-09-26
Refuge
43:54
|
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
|
|
Thanissaro Bhikkhu speaks about the meaning of refuge in practice. As we strive for wisdom, purity and compassion; develop mindfulness in order to have a solid state of concentration; and strive to fit into the dharma rather than the other way around, we create a foundation that is conducive to attaining nibbana.
|
Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
|
|
2018-08-01
Six Ways of Practicing with Difficulties and Challenges
64:45
|
Donald Rothberg
|
|
One of the glories of our practice is the capacity to respond skillfully, with wisdom and compassion, to difficult, challenging, and/or painful experiences. In this talk and discussion, we explore six ways to practice skillfully with difficulties, focusing more in 1-5 on “inner" practices: (1) Stay connected with core teachings and perspectives, particularly about working with reactivity; (2) develop mindfulness in these situations, which helps us with non-reactivity and knowing what is happening; (3) have a few ways to come back to balance and non-reactivity after one is reactive, lost, stuck, or overwhelmed; (4) take the difficult situation as an opportunity to go more deeply, potentially uprooting some of the roots of reactivity and habitual tendencies; (5) continue to cultivate awakened qualities, helping us to shift our center of gravity from reactivity to responsiveness; and (6) cultivate ways of responding more skillfully in “outer” ways, including speech and interactions.
|
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
|
|
2018-06-27
Evolving Beyond “Unreal Othering”
52:19
|
Tara Brach
|
|
What motivates us – as individuals and as a society – to build walls and knowingly hurt others? This talk explores the evolutionary roots of “unreal othering” and how when we are hijacked by fear, it can take over and disconnect us from the very real suffering of others. We then look at how meditative strategies awaken us from othering, and reveal our intrinsic belonging. Finally, we apply this to our own lives in a reflection that helps us respond to someone we have turned into “unreal other” with compassion and wisdom.
|
Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
:
IMCW Wednesday Evening Talks
|
|
2018-06-14
The Joy Will Come
26:42
|
Ayya Medhanandi
|
|
Joy can come with wise reflection and a pepper of difference. I learned this standing in town with my alms bowl as a mendicant nun one morning. Living for the sake of what is highest within us, we can each know the beauty, brilliance, and brightness of that joy and see how to nurture loving kindness and presence of mind. We learn to understand our predicament and forgive the brokenness and estrangements we have endured. We stand compassionate inwardly and to all, trusting our noble Dhamma inheritance to awaken in this very life.
|
Canmore Theravada Buddhist Community
|
|
2018-05-17
"It's All in Your Mind"
63:43
|
James Baraz
|
|
In the opening line of the Dhammapada the Buddha teaches: "We are what we think with our thoughts we make the world." Although we have limited control over what happens to us, we can hold our experience with a wise perspective that makes all the difference. Famed Buddhist writer Christmas Humphreys put it this way: "The one miracle this path has to offer is a change of heart." We can change our relation to experience and make the shift from suffering to clear seeing, wisdom and compassion. In this talk James sings a song he wrote in his 20's entitled "It's All in Your Mind".
|
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
:
IMCB Regular Talks
|
|
2018-05-09
Eating Addiction: How Meditation Helps Free Us
54:01
|
Tara Brach
|
|
Buddhist psychology views clinging as the source of suffering, and one of the great domains of clinging is compulsive overeating. For most of us the causes and conditions for compulsive overeating existed before we were born, during our early childhood, and in our surrounding society. We begin to release shame and self-aversion by realizing we are not alone in this suffering; and eating addiction is not “our fault.” The talk includes an exploration of how, through RAIN, we can bring mindfulness and self-compassion to compulsive eating, giving us more choice in our behavior. Ultimately we discover that this deep prison of suffering can become a portal to realizing the freedom our true nature.
|
Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
:
IMCW Wednesday Evening Talks
|
|
2018-04-25
Responding to Change with a Wise Heart
54:48
|
Tara Brach
|
|
An intrinsic part of spiritual life is facing the truth of impermanence. When we open to the changing flow without resistance, we naturally cherish this passing life, and realize the timeless, changeless awareness that is our true home. Yet we are conditioned to grasp on to the passing pleasures (and all that we love) and resist the inevitable arising of stress and unpleasant experience. This talk includes teachings and guided reflections that help us identify the ways we are reacting to major changes in our life. We explore how to shift from reacting to meeting impermanence with an allowing presence, and then responding to our circumstances with wisdom and compassion.
|
Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
:
IMCW Wednesday Evening Talks
|
|
|
|
|