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The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
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Dharma Talks
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2021-03-19
Continuing with Mudita Practice, Introducing Equanimity (Upekkha) Practice
62:42
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Donald Rothberg
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First, we consider further some of the qualities of mudita, how joy is central to the teachings of the Buddha, how the cultivation of joy is crucial for being able to address difficulties and painful situations, how joy can be understood as a deep expression of our fundamental nature, and how joy can be present even in the midst of difficulties. Then we explore the nature of equanimity, pointing to several of the qualities of equanimity, including balance, evenness, unshakability, undetstanding and wisdom, warmth, and responsiveness. We also examine some of the typical distortions of equanimity and importance of the interconnection of the four brahmavihara as one to avoid such distractions.
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InsightLA
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Cultivating the Wise Heart on the Cushion and in the World: Practicing Mindfulness and the “Divine Abodes” (Lovingkindness, Compassion, Joy, Equanimity)
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2021-03-18
Honeyball Sutta: The Buddha's Teaching on Papanća
56:36
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James Baraz
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Have you ever wondered how your mind can move from one thought to getting lost in a complex story without you knowing how you got there? The Buddha describes this process in his Honeyball Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya #19) where he explains the phenomenon of papanća or proliferation of thought. The more we understand this porcess and work with it as practice, the less we get caught up in the stories the mind creates.
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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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2021-03-17
Fear of Aging: Finding Freedom in this Impermanent World – Part 1
55:08
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Tara Brach
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While it’s natural to have fears of what’s ahead, when we learn to face the inevitability of change and loss without resistance, we discover true peace and freedom in the midst. In a very direct way, our awareness of impermanence awakens unconditional loving. These two talks explore the ways we habitually deny or resist reality, and the three interrelated pathways—refuge in the present moment, love and awareness—that liberate us.
NOTE: The quoted prayer "And all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well" is from 14th century mystic, Julian of Norwich, in her work “Revelations of Divine Love.”
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Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
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2021-03-17
Guided Meditation – Filtering the Flood
52:55
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Ajahn Sucitto
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In meditation we practice viewing the stream of circumstance from the place of acknowledgement. Let the stream flow past without getting into the details. Centering practices of body, presence, ethics and heart strengthen the possibility to shift attention from the outflows to here.
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Cittaviveka
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2021-03-17
Some Further Pointers in Cultivating Metta, and An Introduction to Compassion and Compassion Practice
60:11
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Donald Rothberg
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We first explore some further suggestions in the practice of metta, particularly related to working with distraction and an active mind, and then related to practicing when difficult states of mind, body, and emotion come up. We then begin to clarify the nature of compassion as the expression of the awakened heart in the presence of pain and difficulty. We link compassion to the understanding of the nature of how the conditioned mind reacts to what is painful, referring to the sequence from contact to grasping in the teaching on Dependent Origination, and the explication of the teaching of Dukkha (or "reactivity") and the end of Dukkha. We then explore further the receptive and active dimensions of compassion, some difficult distortions of compassion, and ways that compassion manifests toward self and others.
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InsightLA
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Cultivating the Wise Heart on the Cushion and in the World: Practicing Mindfulness and the “Divine Abodes” (Lovingkindness, Compassion, Joy, Equanimity)
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2021-03-13
Desperately Seeking Non-desperation
56:31
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Ajahn Sucitto
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The tendency to keep running out into concepts eventually results in overload, insecurity, anxiety, collapse. We’re desperately looking for sanity. The steadiness and fulfillment we seek is already here, in the non-conceptual intelligence of body and heart. Rather than going out, return to where body, mind and heart energy come together. In this presence our real home appears.
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Cittaviveka
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2021-03-10
32 Parts of the Body—Fat, Sweat, Blood, Pus, Phlegm, Bile
50:14
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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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2021-03-10
Doing and Not-Doing in Meditation and Daily Life 2
69:08
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Donald Rothberg
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We briefly review the main themes from last week, including the importance of "doing" and effort in the teachings and practices of the Buddha, the importance also of "not-doing" (through letting go and cultivating receptive mindfulness), and elements of our conditioning to be a "doer." We go in more detail into this conditioning, pointing to ways of practicing and inquiring. Then, finally, we explore how there is an advanced way of being in which doing comes, so to speak, out of non-doing; we look at this in terms of the teachings of Lao-Tzu, Chuang-Tzu, and Dzogchen. We close with a kind of developmental model of the stages of inquiry into the doer.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2021-03-09
Refraining from Sexual Misconduct
35:21
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Shaila Catherine
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This talk addresses the third ethical precept — refraining from sexual misconduct. Practicing with the precepts involves becoming mindful of our actions, recognizing the effects that our actions have on ourselves and others, learning to respond to our thoughts and feelings with wisdom, kindness, and restraint, and honoring our commitments. This precept provides opportunities to work with the movement of sexual desire and sensual lust. The views of sexuality that were prevalent in ancient India differ from contemporary norms, however, we can apply the underlying intention toward non-harming to contemplate and purify our own conduct. Shaila Catherine offers suggestions forgiving past unskillful actions, and strengthening our capacity for restraint.
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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In
collection:
Ethics, Action and the Five Precepts
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2021-03-07
Cultivating Equanimity
64:30
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Donald Rothberg
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Edited. We explore the nature of equanimity and how to cultivate, with Donald particularly inspired by the qualities of equanimity he found in his father Simon, with the day of the talk the 100th anniversary of Simon's birth! We look at the Pali terms for equanimity and the general qualities of equanimity: Evenness, balance, unshakability, wisdom, connection with the awakened heart, and responsiveness, linking these qualities with particular ways that we can develop equanimity. Following the talk, there is a sustained discussion of various themes and questions.
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Benicia Insight Meditation
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2021-03-06
Morning Practice
1:12:33
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Jaya Rudgard
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An exploration of our understanding of and relationship to kindness, and how to de-couple the up-welling of kindness in the heart from any result which may come from it.
Guided meditation - uisng the imagery of cradling ourselves as we would cradle a small vulnerable bird who needs our care.
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Gaia House
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Stillness Moving - The Play of Opposites
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2021-03-05
Dharma Talk
69:56
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Jaya Rudgard
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Reflections on how life is in constant motion, with everything arising and then falling again, and how we can find ourselves jamming things up with our grasping and aversion, rather than trusting that things can come back into balance without needing to control it all. Can we learn to flow with this natural waxing and waning of states of mind, pleasure and pain, loss and gain, and renounce the belief that there is a particular thing that will give us permanent happiness ?
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Gaia House
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Stillness Moving - The Play of Opposites
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