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The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
 
James Baraz's Dharma Talks
James Baraz
I try to convey that the wisdom and compassion we are looking for is already inside of us. I see practice as learning how to purify our mind and heart so we can hear the Buddha inside. In doing so, we naturally embody the dharma and help awaken that understanding and love in others we meet.
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2015-10-15 Bringing Your Practice into the World 61:33
How your practice can unfold as you leave retreat includes seeing it as a path of happiness; value of opening to suffering; learning to listen to the truth inside and expressing your caring as compassionate action.
Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC 2015 IMCW Fall Retreat - Intimacy with Life
2015-10-12 Practice as a Path of Happiness 68:49
Dharma practice is not only about learning to be with suffering. Cultivating wholesome states and noticing when they're here is an essential part of practice that leads to the highest happiness. This talk includes some teachings of the Buddha on how to develop happiness in our lives.
Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC 2015 IMCW Fall Retreat - Intimacy with Life
2015-10-04 Closing the Day 14:12
Naomi Newman and James Baraz close the day with a Kabbalist creation story, and guided meditation.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center A Day of Connection: Sustainable Practice for a Sustainable World
2015-10-04 Sustained by the Gladness of the Wholesome 28:28
Wise effort includes developing and maintaining and increasing wholesome states. When anger and outrage are the source of our action we’re headed towards burnout and despair. When we come from caring and love, our actions are not only energizing for us but magnetizing for others.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center A Day of Connection: Sustainable Practice for a Sustainable World
2015-10-04 Introduction to A Day of Connectoin 18:43
Spirit Rock Meditation Center A Day of Connection: Sustainable Practice for a Sustainable World
2015-10-01 "Loving the Earth" 50:44
This talk given during the 3rd Annual Earth Care Week is about doing our part to contribute to the healing of our planet from love not fear. It includes opening up to the reality of the dukkha while seeing the possibility of being part of growing consciousness that's increasingly gaining momentum.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2015-09-17 "Anchoring Our Wisdom: Embodied Awareness" 53:19
How the Body Can Help Us Remember. (Note: We had some trouble with the sound system for the first few minutes.)
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2015-09-06 Bringing Your Practice into the World 59:56
How your practice can unfold as you leave retreat includes seeing it as a path of happiness; value of opening to suffering; learning to listen to the truth inside and expressing your caring as compassionate action.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Labor Day Retreat
2015-09-03 How the Practice Unfolds: The Five Spiritual Faculties 58:06
One way to understand how the process of mindfulness meditation leads to awakening is seeing how these five qualities of mind work together.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Labor Day Retreat
2015-08-27 Refinement of Mind, Part II. 53:44
Last week we spoke of practice as a process of purification, refining impurities of mind like a goldsmith refines and purifies gold. This week we’ll explore how the mind is refined by understanding how to balance three qualities that all need to work together. With Metta, James
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2015-08-20 "Refinement of Mind, Part 1" 52:59
One way to think of dharma practice is as a path of purification. The talk uses a discourse by the Buddha's as a way to describe this process. We can see how, little by little, over time we are purifying the mind and heart. The key is to keep facing in the right direction as we develop increasingly wholesome thoughts, words and actions.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2015-06-25 "Seeing the Big Picture" 53:49
"The key to equanimity is a spaciousness that holds all of our dramas in widest perspective. This talk was inspired by the film Planetary."
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2015-06-18 "Nice Guys Sometimes Finish First: Barbara Weiss, Steve Kerr and Pope Francis" 54:06
We are inspired by the goodness of others. Even more, their example motivates us to do good ourselves. The term "Elevation Response" is used in psychology to describe this phenomenon. The talk describes three people whose lives are inspirations and whose examples can help us bring out the best in ourselves.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2015-06-04 Castles Made of Sand 50:09
We get very attached to things as if they were extremely important (e.g. your basketball team winning a championship or a conflict with a friend). However, in the bigger scheme of things all of these seemingly crucial things can be held in the wider, wiser perspective of impermanence. A parable from Buddhist teachings helps illustrate this essence of true equanimity and wisdom.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2015-05-28 Just Like Me 54:07
A discussion based on Thupten Jinpa's book A Fearless Heart with particular focus on the profound practice of understanding our shared humanity.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2015-05-21 Q & A on Daily Life Dharma Practice 58:46
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2015-03-26 "The Choice Is Ours" 59:17
The Buddha said that hatred never ceases by hatred, but only by love. How can we heal from interactions with others that have hurt us or closed our heart? Once we learn to hold what has happened in a wise way, the heart can open and transform the hurt into compassionate understanding.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2015-03-19 Berkeley Community's Own New Green Committee 57:02
James along with Kerry Nelson, who is with Spirit Rock's Green Group and Sean Munding, from our community, are the speakers. Sean will be enthusiastically heading our Berkeley Community's own new Green Committee. We will be exploring using our practice to meaningfully address the issue of climate change.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2015-03-14 Intro to Insight Meditation with James Baraz & Kate Janke 1:36:12
Closing talk, Meditation and Q&A
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2015-03-14 Intro to Insight Meditation with James Baraz & Kate Janke 65:33
Intro to Insight Meditation with James Baraz & Kate Janke Mid day Movement & Meditation Q&A
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2015-03-14 Intro to Insight Meditation with James Baraz & Kate Janke 0:00
(Recording not available) 
Introduction & Meditation
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2015-03-12 “What Lineage Will You Choose?” or "Choose Your Lineage" 57:17
Many influences shape the thoughts and perceptions of how we view ourselves and the world. Some result in a fear-based perspective that leads to suffering. Others create more clarity and love in our mind and heart. Can we consciously choose which ones will determine how we lead our lives and is it possible to not be run by deeply ingrained habits that no longer serve us?
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2015-03-05 "What Do They Really Think About Me" 55:57
Much of the time our actions are motivated more by concern about what others think about us than what our own truth is. What would it be like to not be ruled by those thoughts?
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2015-02-27 Deepening & Expressing Our Practice 60:26
After practicing for one month, what have we learned to apply in our life as we go home, or carry us through the next month as we continue our practice?
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation Retreat
2015-02-21 Trusting Your Buddha Knowing 60:21
With so many different approaches to practice how do we know if we're doing it "the right way?" And how can we decide which of the many voices in our mind to listen to? This talk includes the 5 strategies offered by the Buddha to work skillfully with distracting thoughts.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation Retreat
2015-02-20 Brahma Vihara Day 20 45:05
Mudita: Difficult Person
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation Retreat
2015-02-16 Working with the Comparing Mind 61:14
Comparing and judging is a deeply ingrained habit pattern that's present until full enlightenment. How can we hold it wisely and work with it skillfully?
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation Retreat
2015-02-15 Brahma Viharas Day 15 48:02
Karuna: Benefactor, Self, Dear Friend and Neutral
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation Retreat
2015-02-12 Morning Instructions #12 44:06
Remembering to Notice Wholesome States
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation Retreat
2015-02-11 Practice as a Path of Happiness 67:37
Dharma practice is not only about learning to be with suffering. Cultivating wholesome states and noticing when they're here is an essential part of practice that leads to the highest happiness. This talk includes some teachings of the Buddha on how to develop happiness in our lives.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation Retreat
2015-02-06 Brahma Vihara Day #6: Forgiveness 45:07
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation Retreat
2015-02-06 Morning Instructions Day #6 12:20
Working with thoughts
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation Retreat
2015-02-05 The Five Spiritual Faculties 64:54
The practice can be seen in terms of balance and an unfolding process. The Five Spiritual Faculties - Faith, Effort, Mindfulness, Concentration & Wisdom - describe both of these perspectives.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation Retreat
2015-02-01 Morning Instructions Day 1 44:07
Intro - finding an anchor, breath, body, sound
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation Retreat
2015-01-29 "The Payoff in Suffering" 57:08
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2015-01-15 Anything Can Happen At Any Time 52:53
The one thing that is certain in life is its unpredictability. Having an awareness that inner and outer circumstances could change in a moment can inform our lives in a profound way. Rather than living with vigilance and fear an on-going understanding of the fragility in life can lead us to more wakefulness, appreciation and freedom.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2014-12-18 Change Is Possible 53:22
A talk focusing on the possibility of changing the direction of our lives and the importance of giving people an opportunity to thrive. This talk includes excerpts from Sean Kyler, one of the graduates give his moving valedictorian speech through a program that supports prison inmates getting their college degree.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2014-12-09 Transforming Suffering into Happiness (Non-Greed, Non-Hatred and Non-Delusion) 68:09
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley (Casa Pallotti) Casa Pallotti Melbourne Retreat
2014-12-08 Trusting in Your Buddha-Knowing 1:11:07
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley (Casa Pallotti) Casa Pallotti Melbourne Retreat
2014-12-07 Chanting and close of evening 29:57
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley (Casa Pallotti) Casa Pallotti Melbourne Retreat
2014-12-06 The Four Noble Truths 66:57
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley (Casa Pallotti) Casa Pallotti Melbourne Retreat
2014-12-05 The Five Spiritual Faculties 66:31
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley (Casa Pallotti) Casa Pallotti Melbourne Retreat
2014-12-04 Working with the Comparing Mind 63:51
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley (Casa Pallotti) Casa Pallotti Melbourne Retreat
2014-12-03 Opening (with Jill) - Basic Attitudes for Intensive Retreat Practice 1:20:05
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley (Casa Pallotti) Casa Pallotti Melbourne Retreat
2014-11-20 "Grace Disguised as Obstacle" 50:46
It's one thing to remember and cultivate gratitude for the blessings in our life. But it's even more profound to experience the possibility of a grateful heart even in the midst of difficulties.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2014-10-23 "I Just Can't Decide!" - Wise Discernment in Daily Life 58:10
We are continuously faced with decisions in our lives. Some are minor while others are more significant. How can we skillfully choose between all the options?
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2014-10-19 Mindfulness and Climate Action : 3 68:37
with Catherine McGee, Chris Cullen, James Baraz, Thanissara
Thanissara with James Baraz, Catherine McGee and Chris Cullen.
In collection: Mindfulness and Climate Action
2014-10-18 No Doing 11:28
with Anam Thubten
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2014-10-18 Emaho! How amazing! Wonder and Awe 33:10
with Anam Thubten
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2014-10-18 The Magic of Awareness, Part 3 1:50:54
with Anam Thubten
Spirit Rock Meditation Center

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