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The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
 
Thanissara's Dharma Talks
Thanissara
Thanissara, from London, was a monastic for 12 years in the tradition of Ajahn Chah and has taught internationally for over 35 years. She is co-founder of Dharmagiri Sacred Mountain Retreat, South Africa, Sacred Mountain Sangha, California, and Chattanooga Insight, Tennessee. She has an MA in Mindfulness Psychotherapy Practice from the Karuna Institute UK and is co-author of Listening to the Heart, A Contemplative Guide to Engaged Buddhism, author of Time To Stand Up, An Engaged Buddhist Manifesto for Our Earth, and several books of poetry.
2012-07-04 9. Contemplating Change & Worldly Winds 30:45
reflecting on change - the doorway into the changeless - maintaining well being in the face of change through wisdom
Cloud Mountain Retreat Center Embodied Dharma
2012-07-04 8. Balance of Calm & Insight 36:15
mindfulness & clear comprehension in tandem with insight & wise reflection - two kinds of peace
Cloud Mountain Retreat Center Embodied Dharma
2012-07-04 7. Hindrances & Stopping 39:49
stopping the momentum of the mind.. a serial killer stops and awakens
Cloud Mountain Retreat Center Embodied Dharma
2012-07-04 6. Jhana Factors & Balanced Effort 25:22
cultivating balance and depth of inner well being
Cloud Mountain Retreat Center Embodied Dharma
2012-07-04 5. Samadhi - Path into Here & Now 42:15
deepening presence here & now, 5 jhana factors, fruits of samadhi
Cloud Mountain Retreat Center Embodied Dharma
2012-07-04 4. Guided Meditation on the Body 41:28
Cloud Mountain Retreat Center Embodied Dharma
2012-07-04 3. Basic Sanity 43:51
sanity of mindfulness, mindfulness leading to insight into the nature of the body, simplicity, getting back on track
Cloud Mountain Retreat Center Embodied Dharma
2012-07-04 2. First Foundation of Mindfulness 39:25
training of 'mano-vinnana' attention - withdrawing the mind from its preoccupations, working with the breath, way to one.
Cloud Mountain Retreat Center Embodied Dharma
2012-07-04 1. Buddha's Essential Guidance 19:45
path as both gradual and immediate - succinct teaching of 'refrain from the unwholesome, lift up the good & purify the heart.'
Cloud Mountain Retreat Center Embodied Dharma
2012-05-10 3.9.68 - Icon of the Heart 32:05
Dharmagiri Sacred Mountain Study-Practice Program
2012-02-25 A Human Journey 51:32
Working with the material of our life. Withstanding and transforming intensity.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center An Integrated Awakening: Insight Meditation Retreat
2012-02-24 Morning meditation continued - Sky Like Mind 5:01
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center An Integrated Awakening: Insight Meditation Retreat
2012-02-24 Contemplation Of Mind 25:05
Vinnana, Manas, Citta. Mind reacts to its own projections. Fundamental nature of mind.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center An Integrated Awakening: Insight Meditation Retreat
2012-02-23 The Buddha's Core Teaching 49:03
The Buddha's Awakening. The four noble truths
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center An Integrated Awakening: Insight Meditation Retreat
2012-02-22 The Flood Stopper 29:36
Balance and samatha, samadhi and vipassana. Full development of mindfulness.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center An Integrated Awakening: Insight Meditation Retreat
2012-02-21 No Desire, No Path 50:11
One who knows the hindrances isn't hindered
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center An Integrated Awakening: Insight Meditation Retreat
2012-02-20 Samadhi - Healing Mind, Body, Heart 20:10
Path activity breaks up that which obstructs peace. Integrating energies of heart, mind, body within awareness
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center An Integrated Awakening: Insight Meditation Retreat
2012-02-19 Training of Attention 51:48
Practice of renunciation. Freeing the mind from obsessive patterns. Direct knowing
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center An Integrated Awakening: Insight Meditation Retreat
2012-02-18 Blessing Chants 15:53
Recollections of the triple jewel, Metta Sutta, Victories of the Buddha
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center An Integrated Awakening: Insight Meditation Retreat
2011-12-03 Nothing is Outside the Heart 57:15
The three motivations for practice, and reflections on compassion.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Being Dharma
2011-08-26 2.8.40 - The River of Self 45:01
Dharmagiri Sacred Mountain Study-Practice Program
2011-06-07 One Earth Sangha 40:24:32
with Ayya Anandabodhi, Ayya Santacitta, Ayya Santussika, Bob Doppelt, Catherine McGee, Chas DiCapua, David Loy, Donald Rothberg, Jack Kornfield, James Baraz, Joanna Macy, Malcolm Margolin, Margarita Loinaz, Mark Coleman, Nina Wise, Paul Hawken, Rob Burbea, Sayadaw Vivekananda, Tara Brach, Thanissara, Various, Wes Nisker
One Earth Sangha is oriented toward Buddhist and mindfulness practitioners seeking dharma, practices and community around care for the Earth. See their website here: One Earth Sangha
2011-04-04 Establishing Mindfulness 38:36
Sacred Mountain Sangha - Study-Practice Program
Dharmagiri
2011-03-12 A Mindful Way 53:03
Mindfulness as: training of attention container for transformation, wise discernment way to - the beyond and refuge.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center The Mysterious Way of the Heart: Where Wisdom and Compassion Meet
2011-03-12 Guided Loving Kindness Meditation 40:06
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center The Mysterious Way of the Heart: Where Wisdom and Compassion Meet
2011-03-10 Honoring Our Human Journey 51:33
Mindfulness as a healing container for meeting and transforming our deeper wounds.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center The Mysterious Way of the Heart: Where Wisdom and Compassion Meet
2011-03-10 Without Walls Of The Mind 39:27
Practice and dispassion leading to Nibbana. Methods for opening into the "deathless"
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center The Mysterious Way of the Heart: Where Wisdom and Compassion Meet
2011-03-08 Sujata's Gift 53:04
The Buddha's journey and the four truths. The unknowing of knowing.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center The Mysterious Way of the Heart: Where Wisdom and Compassion Meet
2011-03-08 The River Of The Self 45:01
Calm and insight as a base for exploration of the five khandas; replacing reactivity with mindfulness.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center The Mysterious Way of the Heart: Where Wisdom and Compassion Meet
2011-03-06 The Prisoner 44:43
The light awareness illuminates the dark. Working with hindrances.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center The Mysterious Way of the Heart: Where Wisdom and Compassion Meet
2011-03-06 Independent Abiding 41:31
Supports for the cultivation of samadhi; fruits of samadhi.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center The Mysterious Way of the Heart: Where Wisdom and Compassion Meet
2011-03-04 Heartwood 57:04
with Kittisaro, Thanissara
Entering the retreat vehicle; not stopping at the initial benefits of practice; journey to the innermost heart.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday and Wednesday Talks
2010-03-12 Noticing The Context. 59:25
Practice of the 3rd Noble Truth. Meeting patterns of self.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center The Mysterious Way of the Heart: Where Wisdom and Compassion Meet
2010-03-10 Handful Of Leaves 54:15
A teaching for humans, suffering or its end. Asking the world to give us more than it can. Letting be, a gateway to Nibbana.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center The Mysterious Way of the Heart: Where Wisdom and Compassion Meet
2010-03-10 Skill With Thought 32:54
Five skills to overcome obsessive and negative thought patterns. Skill in relationship with feelings. Working with "just this much".
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center The Mysterious Way of the Heart: Where Wisdom and Compassion Meet
2010-03-08 Discerning Mind and It's Activity 51:01
Bowing as inner attitude and as skillful means. A gathered heart and meeting obstruction. Compassion as capacity.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center The Mysterious Way of the Heart: Where Wisdom and Compassion Meet
2010-03-08 It Is Not As It Should Be. 40:55
Connecting with the actuality of body. Breath as a basis for samadhi. Cultivating support for stability here and now. Middle ground between pleasure and pain.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center The Mysterious Way of the Heart: Where Wisdom and Compassion Meet
2010-03-06 The Eight Streams of Blessings. 54:49
A gradual path. Practice as preparation. An alignment with refuge here and now. Sangha as the relational field. Beyond morality. The chanting of ethics.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center The Mysterious Way of the Heart: Where Wisdom and Compassion Meet
2010-03-06 How Is It Now? 41:49
Training in samadhi. Samadhi as healing. Gathering the three steams of energy, body, mental and heart into awareness. Gently training attention.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center The Mysterious Way of the Heart: Where Wisdom and Compassion Meet
2009-12-16 Closing Remarks and Q&A 56:28
Not being frightened of suffering, daily life, working in relationship and with sickness.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center Wings of Awakening: Cultivating the Five Spiritual Faculties
2009-12-16 Touching Earth 7:04
Centering in the midst of change.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center Wings of Awakening: Cultivating the Five Spiritual Faculties
2009-12-14 The Four Truths 54:33
The Buddha's journey of awakeningspeaks to our lives here and now. Meeting dukka, illuminating nature of desire, a non-grasping mind and cultivation of the way.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center Wings of Awakening: Cultivating the Five Spiritual Faculties
2009-12-14 Mindfulness; The Flood Stopper 42:07
Centrality of mindfulness in the contemplative process. Khandas as self structure. Transformation within the womb of awareness.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center Wings of Awakening: Cultivating the Five Spiritual Faculties
2009-12-13 If you understand one thing, you understand everything's journey 45:58
Meeting Ajahn Chah, All that arises passes. Patience and finding your own voice.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center Wings of Awakening: Cultivating the Five Spiritual Faculties
2009-12-12 The Map Of The Five Indriyas 57:21
The five indriyas in their four aspects. The balance of trudst and discernment. Path activity breaks up obstruction, the fruit arises according to its own nature.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center Wings of Awakening: Cultivating the Five Spiritual Faculties
2009-12-12 Guided Meditation 26:54
Working with the three steams of energy, being with breath
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center Wings of Awakening: Cultivating the Five Spiritual Faculties
2009-06-11 Questions & Answers 63:52
with Kittisaro, Thanissara
Gaia House The Wings of Awakening
2009-06-11 Chanting 39:40
Gaia House Wings of Awakening
2009-06-11 Question and Answer Session 63:52
Talk given with Kittisaro
Gaia House Wings of Awakening
2009-06-10 The Regal Tree 48:09
Gaia House The Wings of Awakening
2009-06-10 The Magic Show of the Mind 34:58
Gaia House The Wings of Awakening
2009-06-10 The Magic Show of the Mind 34:58
Gaia House Wings of Awakening
2009-06-10 The Regal Tree 48:09
Gaia House Wings of Awakening
2009-06-09 Desire & Aversion 25:40
Gaia House The Wings of Awakening
2009-06-08 Teaching of This Moment 50:15
Entering the Four Truths
Gaia House The Wings of Awakening
2009-06-08 Contemplation of Desire and Aversion 25:40
Gaia House Wings of Awakening
2009-06-08 Meeting Dukkha 50:15
Gaia House Wings of Awakening
2009-06-06 The Five Indriya's 52:40
Gaia House The Wings of Awakening
2009-06-06 Being present to body & breath 42:48
Gaia House The Wings of Awakening
2009-06-06 Being Present to Body Breath 42:48
Gaia House Wings of Awakening
2009-06-06 The Five Indriyas 52:40
Gaia House Wings of Awakening
2009-02-01 THe Naked Heart 40:22
The mind like a rabbit in the head lights of the Hua T’ou The swoon of the bardo’s and present time effects Not using meditation like a lawyer but understanding what gets us obstructed The story of Hui Neng & the world speaking the Diamond Sutra Jatukanni’s question to the Buddha
Dharmagiri Original Brightness Retreat
2009-01-30 Facets of the Diamond 41:28
Host & the guest and the fundamental confusion between the two Staying at home, the one that hears the sound and the sound merge Allow the world the come to the heart. Before knowledge Original nature & original split Self structure as defence against original pain of separation
Dharmagiri Original Brightness Retreat
2009-01-26 I Have Faith in Nights 21:22
Encouragement to ‘bear the reality’ of suffering, to listen beneath the splits The holding of splits within this one heart Empathy rather than judgement The difficult practice of compassion
Dharmagiri Original Brightness Retreat
2009-01-23 The Heroic Human Heart 31:55
An abandoned old lady Bearing reality of being human With patience obstruction drop away Like walking into the mist The more the suffering, the more the bliss Indestructible Heart
Dharmagiri Original Brightness Retreat
2009-01-20 Emptying the Boulders of the Mind 43:10
Using the breath to steady the mind, to reflect on impermanence and to see ‘non ownership’ The boulder is not heavy if you don’t pick it up This is ‘how it is’ – methods to access the third noble truth Replacing reactivity with mindfulness – the flood stopper
Dharmagiri Original Brightness Retreat
2009-01-18 Suffering as Opportunity 37:19
The Buddha’s reluctance to teach The first turning of the Dhamma wheel The Four Noble truths and accompanying practices Contemplating desire – resolving dukkha – the primary split.
Dharmagiri Original Brightness Retreat
2009-01-18 The Centrality of Minfulness 37:16
Replacing reactivity of mind with mindfulness Mindfulness as container & as that which reveals & discerns what is Citta conditioned by perception & sankhara Healing the citta through mindful awareness Finding balanced energy as a support for mindfulness
Dharmagiri Original Brightness Retreat
2009-01-13 Fruit Arises According to the Dharma 33:21
Path Activity breaks up obstructions Beginners mind, patience, kindness This is how it is Working with how it is rather than how it should be The three streams of karma / energy Samadhi as healing
Dharmagiri Original Brightness Retreat
2009-01-13 Mara - The Ultimate Teacher 30:21
The challenge of dukkha. Without Mara, no Buddha. Path Activity illuminates the hindrances Without hindrance there’s no path That which knows desire and aversion is not desire & aversion ‘I Know You Mara’
Dharmagiri Original Brightness Retreat
2009-01-11 Gathered Attention Here and Now 35:27
Three supports for present moment attention Withdrawing the mind from longing and disappointment for the world Using the breath to steady attention
Dharmagiri Original Brightness Retreat
2008-11-09 The Paradigm Shift 56:32
with Eugene Cash, Thanissara
San Francisco Insight Meditation Community
2008-08-09 Introduction to Meditation 3:36:24
with Jack Kornfield, Pascal Auclair, Steve Armstrong, Thanissara
2008-05-31 Exploring Mindfulness 60:01
Gaia House An Exploration Of Mindfulness
2008-05-31 Mindfulness and the Indriyas 1:13:03
This talk also includes Mahesi Caplan
Gaia House An Exploration Of Mindfulness
2008-05-30 An Exploration of Mindfulness 44:46
This talk also includes Mahesi Caplan
Gaia House An Exploration Of Mindfulness
2007-12-03 Prajna Paramita In The Dragon Mountains 61:01
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday and Wednesday Talks
2007-11-29 The Dharma Is Not The Dharma 60:04
Buddhism + the Dharma is the peel left behind. The immediacy of here and now Dharma. Disenchantment as a doorway is the transcendent. The irritation that rubs to the pearl. The immovable suchness of Being.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2007-11-25 Questions and Answers 56:01
with Eugene Cash, Thanissara
San Francisco Insight Meditation Community
2007-11-13 Awakening the Heart: The role of trust and devotion in meditation practice 48:30
Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
2007-08-17 Daily Life - the Ground of Paramita 58:07
this talk also includes Jitindriya
Gaia House Illuminating the Heart of Awareness
2007-08-15 Compassion, Emptiness and Kuan Yin 62:10
Gaia House Illuminating the Heart of Awareness
2007-08-13 The Floodstopper 47:57
Gaia House Illuminating the Heart of Awareness
2007-08-11 Archetypel Journey 50:19
Gaia House Illuminating the Heart of Awareness
2007-08-10 Opening Talk for Illuminating the Heart of Awareness 47:52
Gaia House Illuminating the Heart of Awareness
2007-01-20 Dawn of Contemplation 41:34
Gaia House Dawn of Contemplation
2007-01-19 Opening Talk from Dawn of Contemplation 41:34
Gaia House Dawn of Contemplation
2006-10-05 From Grasping to Gently Holding 41:25
This talk explores how entering the Third Noble Truth opens the mind beyond its habitual addiction to interpret life from a sense of being a personality, needing to 'sort things out'. Opening the mind implies an ability to tolerate the reality of uncertainty. This talk also explores compassion and loving kindness as fearlessness and includes a simple guided meditation on well-being.
Gaia House The Union of Wisdom and Compassion
2006-10-04 Let the Beauty You Love Be What you Do 45:22
Gaia House The Union of Wisdom and Compassion
2006-10-04 Stillness and Inquiry 41:46
Gaia House The Union of Wisdom and Compassion
2006-10-02 The Four Noble Truths 47:16
Gaia House The Union of Wisdom and Compassion
2006-10-02 Untitled Talk 44:51
Gaia House The Union of Wisdom and Compassion
2006-09-30 Cultivating the Unshakeable Heart 44:51
Gaia House The Union of Wisdom and Compassion
2004-09-17 Chi Gong 31:20
2004-09-17 Unfolding into the Awakened Heart 55:58
The journey from the second to third Noble Truth invokes an opening to the unknowing—knowingness. Transformation through awareness while meeting our immediate experience, allows us to "return to the market place with bliss bestowing hands."
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2004-01-01 Great Compassion Mantra 7:16
with Kittisaro, Thanissara
For the cultivation of the Bodhisattva path
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday and Wednesday Talks
In collection: Buddhist Heart Mantras
2004-01-01 Na Mwo Kuan Shr Yin Pu Sa 1:04
with Kittisaro, Thanissara
I pay homage to Kuan Yin Bodhisattva
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday and Wednesday Talks
In collection: Buddhist Heart Mantras
2004-01-01 Om Mani Padme Hum 2:34
with Kittisaro, Thanissara
Homage to the Jewel at the Heart and the Lotus
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday and Wednesday Talks
In collection: Buddhist Heart Mantras
2004-01-01 Buddhist Heart Mantras 28:50
with Kittisaro, Thanissara
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday and Wednesday Talks
2004-01-01 Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammasambuddhassa 1:42
with Kittisaro, Thanissara
Homage to the Blessed, Noble, and Perfectly Enlightened One. Buddham saranam gacchami. I go for refuge to the Buddha
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday and Wednesday Talks
In collection: Buddhist Heart Mantras

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