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The greatest gift is the gift of the teachings
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Dharma Talks
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2025-10-30
Instructions from My Teachers
40:12
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James Baraz
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We all have teachers who've inspired us to see life in a new way. Who have been your inspirations?
What have you learned from them? I thought I'd share some ways that instructions from two of my
teachers--Ram Dass and HWL Poonja (Papaji)-- have shaped how I see the world and how I practice.
The talk includes a recording of a significant dialogue from 1990 with Poonjaji that reconnected me
with my joy.
Here is a link to the dialogue of the Poonjaji satsang where James asked the question
https://docs.google.com/document/d/16TnL2Zev-6r_mZPrgdSxSTaYLoyzdLOg3CnJ2U3D6C8/edit?tab=t.0
Here is a link to the video on Youtube that is over an hour long
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrjspK5fHiQ. James is at 23:38
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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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2025-10-25
Acceptance
1:27:32
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Ayya Santussika
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This guided meditation, dhamma talk, questions and responses was offered on October 25, 2025 for “How do I apply the Dhamma to THIS!?!”
00:00 - Guided Meditation
16:44 - DHAMMA TALK
28:20 - Q&R
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Karuna Buddhist Vihara
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2025-10-22
Bringing Our Practice to Challenging Conversations and Communications, Including with Those with Different Views and Perspectives 2
64:23
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Donald Rothberg
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We continue the exploration from last week, beginning with Donald sharing a few of his experiences of being able to learn and practice when there have been differences of views and even conflicts. Then there is a review of some what we explored last week, including the importance in a functioning democracy of navigating differences of views, some of the factors making that harder in current times, and some of the practice supports for conversations when there are different views—both inner and outer (especially related to wise speech practice). We go further into exploring inner practices helpful when there are differences, including working with reactivity and difficult emotions, exploring views and options, and then the integrated inner and outer practice of cultivating empathy as a practice. The talk is followed by discussion, including several people sharing their own explorations with challenging conversations in the last week.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2025-10-15
Embodying the Four Noble Truths
54:16
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Tim Geil
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The Four Noble Truths offer the fundamental roadmap for our practice. Our daily lives offer countless opportunities to integrate and embody our understanding of the Four Noble Truths. Bringing compassion to the dukkha of our lives helps them transform into wisdom and understanding. In this way, we learn to embody the Four Noble Truths.
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Cambridge Insight Meditation Center
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2025-10-15
Bringing Our Practice to Challenging Conversations and Communications, Including with Those with Different Views and Perspectives 1
62:35
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Donald Rothberg
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How do we bring our practice to challenging conversations and discussions, including there are major differences in views and positions, whether on spiritual or social-politlcal or daily life matters? This is both a perennial practice question and a particularly important one in the current times. We begin our first of two explorations inviting the participants to explore both their most successful and their most difficult or painful discussions across differences, asking about the qualities present with both.
We outline first some current social conditions that make discussions with differences more challenging, while acknowledging that such discussions are at the heart of a healthy democracy. Then we explore several supports for skillful conversations when there are differences, including shared agreements (among individuals or in a group or organization), wise speech practice, the vision of the "beloved community" or universal metta, and a commitment to align means and ends.
The talk is followed by discussion.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2025-10-11
Ordinary Love
40:20
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Devon Hase
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In this evening talk, devon hase reflects on metta as a simple act of caring — the willingness to stay close to our own experience, even when it feels plain or uncertain. Through stories of early practice, pilgrimage, and everyday kindness, she shows how love reveals itself in ordinary moments, asking nothing special of us beyond our presence.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Remembering Each Other Always (LB1C25)
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2025-10-09
Navigating the Truth of Suffering
44:34
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James Baraz
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Suffering is the Buddha's 1st Noble Truth. Sometimes it can feel like it's all too much, especially in these days of extreme unpredictability. Legitimate reactions of anger, confusion and discouragement can lead to feeling of hopelessness or resigned acceptance. How can we use the practice to not only skillfully hold those feelings, but to transform them into wholesome uplifting responses such as courage, trust and compassionate action?
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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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