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The greatest gift is the gift of the teachings
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Dharma Talks
2021-05-19
Entering the Mystery
54:24
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Tara Brach
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John O’Donahue writes, “We are so busy managing our lives, we forget this great mystery we are involved in.” This talk looks at the ways we pull away from the mystery and the path of “beginners mind” that enables us to encounter this living world with freshness, courage and wonder (a special talk from the 2013 archives).
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Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
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2021-05-19
Concentration: Steady mind, clear mind
46:01
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Kate Munding
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Concentration: This dharma talk is the last in a series on the Eight Fold Path. It includes techniques for quieting the mind (shamata), the nature of concentration, and the necessary elements to reach concentrated states in a sustainable way. Also included is a description of the Jhanas (high states of concentration) and the value of experiencing these states to help strengthen faith. Brief Q & A at the end included.
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Assaya Sangha
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Assaya Sangha Dharma Talks
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2021-05-19
Guided Meditation - Realization of Anicca
45:40
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Ajahn Sucitto
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The realization of changeability can be transformational and liberating. When we deepen into presence, we can review the contents of the mind with spaciousness – without identifying with anything, without creating a self. With this quality of relinquishment, wonderful dhammas arise – spaciousness, clarity compassion – the ending of suffering.
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Cittaviveka
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2021-05-19
The Development of Faith, Confidence, and Trust 2
69:11
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Donald Rothberg
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We continue to explore the nature of faith (or confidence or trust), how it is developed, and the challenges that arise. We look at the traditional teachings on faith (or saddha) in several contexts, and examine how faith or confidence develops in our practice and in our lives We particularly look at some of the challenges that arise, both in the everyday experience of the Eight Worldly Winds, and in more protracted experiences of something like the "Dark Night of the Soul." The last part of the talk points to what mature faith, confidence, and trust look like, a kind of faith in our own depths and in our own deep resting in the nature of things. We then have a period of discussion and sharing.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2021-05-15
The Teacher is Present – Vesak Joy and Dhamma Refuge
54:25
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Ayya Medhanandi
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To celebrate the Buddha’s life is to be his disciple in enlightenment. Every day becomes a day of Vesak when we emulate the Buddha’s virtues and follow his gradual training in Dhamma-Vinaya and spiritual warriorship. We vow to purify the mind, realize the vision of Dhamma, and practice perfect compassion for all living beings. At last we find the teacher present within us.
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Indonesian Buddhist Fellowship of Canada
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Honouring Vesak
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2021-05-12
Bridging the Divide: Learning to Tend and Befriend
52:02
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Tara Brach
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One of the great sufferings facing us is the growing divide between humans with different views, different realities. This talk looks at several levels of divides—being at war with ourselves, creating separation in our personal relationships, and societal divides. We then reflect on how we can evolve consciousness from the trance of “Fight, Flight, Freeze” to the wholeness that arises with “Tend and Befriend.”
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Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
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2021-05-12
Remembering: The Practice of Sati
47:02
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Kate Munding
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Mindfulness (Sati): Part 7 of a series on the Eightfold Path, this talk discusses Sati, or mindfulness, as a state of mind and a way of being. The complexity of mindfulness is explored (vedanas, wholesome desire) as well as the ultimate simplicity of remembering our truest self through practice of paying attention, alertness and contact with experience. Q & A at the end is included.
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Assaya Sangha
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Assaya Sangha Dharma Talks
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2021-05-12
32 Parts of the Body—Urine, Oil of the Joints, Mucus, Saliva, Grease, Tears, Fat, Sweat, Blood, Pus, Phlegm, Bile, Brain Feces, Stomach, Small Intestines, Large Intestines, Lungs, Spleen, Diaphragm, Liver, Heart, Kidneys, Bone Marrow, Bones, Sinews, Flesh, Skin, Teeth, Nails, Body Hair, Head Hair
54:52
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Bob Stahl
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We are happy to announce a special opportunity to practice the 32 Parts of the Body meditation, which is rarely taught in the West. This practice deepens insight into impermanence and non-self by penetrating into the true nature and wonders of the body. We will also explore how the body interrelates with the four primary elements of earth (solidity), air (motion), fire (temperature), and water (liquidity).
This methodical practice of the 32 Parts of the Body Meditation can build immense levels of concentration, potentialities for healing, and experience the taste of deep freedom and peace.
This is the 15th year of offering this class at Insight Santa Cruz and it has been truly wonderful. People have frequently reported developing a whole new relationship to their bodies with greater wisdom and compassion. We will also be hopefully doing a tour of the Cabrillo Anatomy lab to get a deeper experience of the body.
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Insight Santa Cruz
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2021-05-11
Converting Difficulty into Skilful States
61:12
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Ajahn Sucitto
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Cultivation, bhavana, can be described as the desire to bring forth skilful qualities. It’s an eager, inspired willingness to receive every situation that arises, and know what is needed to turn it into a skilful state. The old historical person begins to fade out, transformed by the deepened and strengthened resolve of the heart.
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Cittaviveka
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2021-05-11
Practical Dharma
42:19
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Lila Kate Wheeler
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The Buddha’s teachings are often compared to a finger pointing to the moon. Without that finger, we might never lift our gaze and see for ourselves. Tonight’s talk offers encouragement to stay present and awake as a lived experience so that we can lead a more centered, caring, ethical life. As Dharma practitioners, we make efforts to be more present for the experiences in ourselves and others. As we do so we’ll surely hear and see things we didn’t expect or want. Here, the teaching of the five hindrances supports us to shift our gaze yet again, recognize more clearly and respond differently when wisdom and caring are weakened. With these skills, we will know for sure there is no bad habit or difficult situation that cannot be softened and worked with—even liberated.
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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Tuesday Talks
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2021-05-05
Attuned and in Balance: Wise Effort
47:21
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Kate Munding
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Wise Effort: Part 6 of a series on the Eightfold Path. Wise effort is explained as attuning to what is happening in the present moment, making adjustments based on conditions and balancing our energy so that it expresses the Middle Path - between striving and burnout - to create a sustainable practice. Reference is made to the teachings of Ajahn Chah and ways to develop a continuity of mindfulness in everyday living. Emphasis on softening and trust in the heart practices that balance the habits of the mind.
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Assaya Sangha
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Assaya Sangha Dharma Talks
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2021-05-04
Emptiness and Suchness
43:09
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Heather Sundberg
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When we understand that direct experience is not solid/not separate, we can embrace experience in its changing conditionality with the heart of compassion and inclusion born of non-clinging. This is the inter-weaving of the teachings of emptiness and suchness, and the talk will explore teachings and practices which support us to live from this wiser view.
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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2021-05-02
Noble Birth
14:11
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Ajahn Sucitto
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With the recognition of the ending of this session, consider birth: what we’ve been through is receding, nothing new yet has begun, and we’re not going back to the same old thing. Birth is arising into that which we’re not yet entirely clear about. Nourish the potency of arising with mental qualities of goodwill, compassion, celebration and equanimity.
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London Insight Meditation
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Clearing the Floods
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2021-05-02
Embodying Mettā: A Daylong Retreat
3:34:42
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Dawn Mauricio
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Those who are familiar with the practice of mettā, or lovingkindness, know that it is one of four divine abidings of the heart according to the Buddha’s teachings. One way that this quality can be cultivated—as traditionally and so frequently taught—is through the recitation of phrases. However, without a deeper understanding or familiarity with the subtle expressions of mettā, or the alternate doorways into cultivating this profound and limitless quality, lovingkindness meditation can mislead us to binary thinking, as in: "I am loving and kind” or “I am not loving and kind."
In our daylong together, we will explore the various doorways into cultivating mettā, as well as the spectrum in which it can come alive in our daily lives. All levels and experiences welcome.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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2021-05-02
Q&A2
45:41
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Ajahn Sucitto
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Where is the experience of bodily energies found in the suttas; what is the source of Ajahn’s ‘forensic precision’; how to us somatic presence with the 3rd and 4th foundations of mindfulness; please help with insomnia; experiencing resistance to standing meditation; grief and pain experienced with ‘Future and Past’ exercise; how to deepen into the ‘neither/nor’ space; is samādhi developed by sustaining sati; how to deal with overactive citta; how did you deal with the fear of death when being robbed in India?
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London Insight Meditation
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Clearing the Floods
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2021-05-01
Q&A1
47:28
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Ajahn Sucitto
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Help with hard-wired anger; how to think about ground, space and rhythm in a non-conceptual way; citta seems like a toddler; how to disengage from deep patterns of negativity; how to respond to boredom; is it recommended to thoroughly achieve samatha before moving on to vipassana; how to respond to deep pain in the heart; question about impermanence.
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London Insight Meditation
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Clearing the Floods
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