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The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
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Dharma Talks
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2026-06-10
Buddhist Practice and Transforming Social Conditioning 2
62:17
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Donald Rothberg
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We begin by reviewing briefly last week's session, including how contemporary practice can expand the traditional focus on ignorance to include contemporary psychological and social perspectives on further dimensions of ignorance, including our initially unconscious social conditioning. We look again briefly at how the Buddha related both to caste and to women's roles in the sangha, and the basic of social conditioning, including how this is related to "in-groups," "out-groups," and "implicit bias." Most of the talk is devoted to suggesting the basic ways that we can explore and transform social conditioning. We focus on the main supports for such practice, including working with groups and guidelines, knowing the history of a particular form of conditoning (we give the examples of gender and race), using different forms of inquiry, mindfulness in meditation and daily life (including being mindful of the judgmental mind, anger, sadness, shame, etc.), the heart practices (including the importance of self-love, compassion, forgiveness, and joy), and other practices, such as involving ritual. 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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2026-06-07
The Joy of Goodness
42:01
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Ayya Santussika
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Finding joy in everything good: generosity, kindness, letting go, virtuous behavior. Seeing how the qualities of generosity lay the groundwork for awakening and show up in that process as well. Cultivating mudita, appreciative joy, for the good in ourselves, in others, and goodness wherever we find it.
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Cloud Mountain Retreat Center
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Nine Days of Joy
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2026-06-07
The Six Recollection
36:26
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Ayya Santussika
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These recollections from the Buddha help to lift up the heart, remind us of our goodness and give us encouragement on the path. The recollections are of the qualities of the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. And then, recollections on one's own moral conduct (sila), generosity, and the qualities of the devas that caused them to become devas that we ourselves also possess.
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Cloud Mountain Retreat Center
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Nine Days of Joy
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2026-06-07
Thoughts of Sanctuary and Seclusion
25:40
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Ayya Santussika
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In Itivuttaka 38, the Buddha talks about how the Tathāgata frequently has two thoughts: one about sanctuary and the other about seclusion. The thought about sanctuary, the safety and security for living beings, comes from his love of and delight in kindness. The thought comes from the Buddha's love of seclusion and his delight in it, so this thought often occurs to him: ‘What is unskillful has been given up.’
The Buddha encouraged his disciples to love kindness and delight in it, then this thought will often occur to them: ‘Through this behavior, I shall not hurt any creature firm or frail.’ He also encouraged them to love seclusion and delight in it, then this thought will often occur to them: ‘What is unskillful? What is not given up? What should I give up?’”
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Cloud Mountain Retreat Center
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Nine Days of Joy
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2026-06-05
The Joy of Entering the Sanctuary
1:15:50
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Ayya Santussika,
Ayya Cittananda
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The introduction to the retreat with introductions, descriptions, taking refuges and precepts, and calling the devas. The Dhamma talk starts at 34 minutes.
Tonight we are entering the sanctuary of this amazing forest and beautiful buildings where so many people have come to practice over these many years. We are also entering the sanctuary of physical safety and security to be here together with everyone keeping precepts and holding the intention to practice well. We can feel the presence of the devas. And, we are entering the internal sanctuary of the heart.
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Cloud Mountain Retreat Center
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Nine Days of Joy
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2026-06-03
Dharma As Nature
47:53
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Chas DiCapua
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Learning to understand that the Dharma path unfolds in an organic, natural way helps to lessen the tendency to make Dharma practice another self-help project. Seeing the conditioned nature of suffering and the conditioned nature of happiness allows the self to get out of the way and let wisdom and discernment guide us along the path.
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Cambridge Insight Meditation Center
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2026-06-03
Letting the Tree Grow, One Ring at a Time
39:45
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Oren Jay Sofer
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The deepest transformation unfolds over years, too gradually to see — yet the only unit we ever actually work with is a single moment, met with kindness and a willingness to let go. Like a tree growing ring by ring, a whole life takes shape one moment at a time, with far less to manage than we think.
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Online
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Online Insight Retreat
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2026-06-03
Buddhist Practice and Transforming Social Conditioning 1
60:25
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Donald Rothberg
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We begin by focusing on a fundamental perspective for our practice: How our practice moves from underlying ignorance to wisdom. We look at both the traditional understanding of such ignorance and how contemporary psychological and social perspectives help us to identify further dimensions of ignorance, including our initially unconscious social conditioning. We start by considering how the Buddha related both to caste and to women's roles in the sangha. We then look at the nature of social conditioning, including how this is related to "in-groups" and "out-groups," along with "implicit bias," and ways that our practice can help us see more clearly and ultimately transform our social conditioning.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2026-05-27
The Liberating Joy of Renunciation
59:34
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Mark Nunberg
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The Buddha taught, “Whoever is addicted to society and worldly bustle, they will not partake of the happiness of renunciation, dispassion, peace, and awakening.” Wisdom and awareness practice is an invitation to wholeness and intimacy. We practice opening and receiving the activities of the mind and body with a wisdom that discerns the futility and stressfulness of attachment. The renunciation of attachment is a natural result of seeing things as they are, that all experiences arise and pass lawfully following impersonal causes and conditions. Renunciation, letting go, or letting be, is a profound giving of the heart to the moment just as it is.
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Cambridge Insight Meditation Center
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2026-05-25
Memorial Day and Dharma Practice
65:27
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Donald Rothberg
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After some personal stories from Donald about his father, who was a veteran, and about Donald’s experiences growing up at the time of the Vietnam war and being introduced to nonviolence, we explore the three main dimensions of our practice (training in ethics, meditation, and wisdom) related to the holiday. We focus on the ethical teachings about killing and nonviolence, including the complexities of these teachings; the importance of bringing mindfulness to grief, loss, and sadness, and of grounding in kindness, compassion, and love; and the wisdom and insight teachings about seeing the roots of violence. 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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2026-05-24
Right View as an Organizational Principle for Life
1:25:10
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Gullu Singh
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Right View is seeing in a way that aligns with reality. It is not a static belief or fixed opinion, but an ongoing, dynamic, experiential alignment with what is true. Right View brings the mind and heart into harmony, like a wheel properly set on its axle. With Right View comes clarity. We begin to see the distortions caused by clinging, greed, hatred, and delusion, and that seeing empowers us to act in ways that reduce suffering.
One of the most important teachings on wise view, the Sammādiṭṭhi Sutta (MN 9), offers a simple organizing principle—a kind of Dhamma algorithm—that, when practiced, can lead to greater well-being, deeper wisdom, and ultimately freedom from grief, sorrow, lamentation, dukkha, and distress.
The slides referenced in the talk can be found at https://links.gullusingh.com/e005e6
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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BIPOC Voices - Series
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2026-05-21
Metta as a Way of Life: Refuge and Response in a Fractured World
21:42
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Oren Jay Sofer
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Drawing on the Mettā Sutta, this talk from Clear Dharma Sangha explores mettā as a way of life, a profound wish for the safety and happiness of all beings, and a way of seeing. Through the practice of the neutral person, we begin to extend goodwill beyond preference — and to cultivate a refuge that steadies us not to escape, but to turn toward the world with clarity, courage, and care.
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Online
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