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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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2023-10-05 The Buddha's Teaching on Not getting Caught in Negative Tendencies 50:17
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The Sabbāsava Sutta "All the Taints" (Majjhima Nikaya #2). The Buddha teaches seven methods for restraining and abandoning the "taints", the fundamental defilements that keep us in suffering.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2023-09-04 Closing Session (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 1:40:58
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with Eve Decker, Howard Cohn, James Baraz, Terry Vandiver, Tuere Sala
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Labor Day Insight Retreat
2023-09-03 Transforming Suffering into Happiness (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 60:05
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The Buddha said our suffering is caused by three activities of mind: greed, hatred, and delusion. And he said that the source of all happiness is rooted in their opposites: non-greed, non-hatred, non-delusion. This talk explains how our practice transforms that suffering into the true happiness.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Labor Day Insight Retreat
2023-09-01 Morning Sit with Instructions (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 61:13
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Labor Day Insight Retreat
2023-08-31 Beyond the Comparing Mind (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 60:09
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We have a deeply ingrained tendency to compare ourselves with others or with an idealized standard that is bound to create suffering in the mind. The Buddha called this tendency mana "the conceit of I am." When we through see through our identification with experience we open to a freedom beyond the comparing mind.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Labor Day Insight Retreat
2023-08-31 Morning Sit with Instructions (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 1:14:53
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with Howard Cohn, James Baraz, Tuere Sala
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Labor Day Insight Retreat
2023-08-30 Opening Session (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 1:25:38
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with Eve Decker, Howard Cohn, James Baraz, Terry Vandiver, Tuere Sala
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Labor Day Insight Retreat
2023-08-24 Showing Up as a Joyful Responsibility 43:12
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This moment in time is calling us to contribute what we can to bring more consciousness into the world. But rather than acting from anger or despair I believe the key is to come from love and even joy. One of my teachers calls this our "joyful responsibility."
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2023-06-22 Unhooking Yourself from Suffering 44:49
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A practice to shift from being caught in a suffering state to remembering that freedom is just a moment away. This is a way to change the channel from being lost in an unwholesome state to opening to a wholesome state.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2023-05-25 Compassion - Why and How 50:37
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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2023-05-18 The Buddha's Teaching on "One Fortunate Attachment" 55:03
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This discourse by the Buddha' is called "One Fortunate Attachment" (Majjhima Nikaya Sutta #131). Although the Buddha spoke of attachment as being the cause of suffering, he did teach there is one attachment that is wholesome and leads to the highest happiness. We will explore this wholesome attachment and see how it can be applied to everyday life
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2023-05-15 The Secret Ingredients of Dharma Practice 1:24:51
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Monday and Wednesday Talks
2023-04-27 SANGHA! In Person and Online, Our First Hybrid Gathering! 50:43
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James and Eve are delighted to host the first in person meeting at the Berkeley Buddhist monastery since Covid changed our lives. In addition to a Dharma talk and exploration about Sangha, Eve brings her guitar and shares some music.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2023-04-06 The Secret to Bringing Out the Best in Others 49:43
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Here is a practice that is the secret to bring out the best in others. It's a simple yet powerful practice that puts people at ease and helps awaken a feeling of trust, safety, and loving kindness. And it feels good for the person practicing it as well.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2023-03-23 The Shift of Practice from “Doing” to “Being” 54:51
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While it’s true that it takes effort to come back to the present moment each time the mind wanders, the most profound practice is when we let go of all effort and simply rest in the awareness that’s always here. This shift from “doing” to the complete relaxation of “non-doing” or simply “Being” is what the Tibetans call the deep and subtle practice of “Non-Meditation”.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2023-03-02 The Cosmic Game of Hide and Seek 53:25
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A classical text from Kashmir Shaivism entitled "Realization of Our True Heart" or Pratyabijñāhṛdaya, describes in a few lines how we and everything in physical form is simply an expression of Divine Play of the universe –what in Hinduism is called the lila or dance of consciousness. This talk explores one perspective of the Mystery, that which cannot be named.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2023-02-23 Devotion in Practice 69:12
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Although devotion plays a significant role in Monastic Communities and Tibetan practices it is not something often discussed in lay communities. Yet devotion can be a major source of inspiration which can fuel our practice.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  February Insight Meditation One Month Retreat
2023-02-17 Mudita Practice 54:27
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Learning to delight in the happiness of others.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  February Insight Meditation One Month Retreat
2023-02-16 Fear as Practice (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 62:41
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Learning to work skillfully with fear can change if from enemy to ally in our practice, since it is often a signal of moving from the familiar to new territory. As we learn to let go of the illusion of control we transform fear into genuine trust.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  February Insight Meditation One Month Retreat
2023-02-13 Big Mind Meditation (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 58:31
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This guided meditation, originally created by Joseph Goldstein, shifts the subject of attention from objects to the awareness that knows.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  February Insight Meditation One Month Retreat
2023-02-09 Transforming suffering into happiness (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 58:51
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Every moment of mindfulness we are weakening the forces of greed, hatred & delusion (roots of suffering) and strengthening the forces of non-greed (letting go & generosity), non-hatred (loving-kindness) and non-delusion (wisdom). This talk explains how that works.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  February Insight Meditation One Month Retreat
2023-02-01 Wise Effort: Finding Balance and Inclining toward the Wholesome 60:23
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Two aspects of Wise Effort are explored: 1) how do we know if we're doing too little, too much or just enough with regard to effort in practice? and 2) the four aspects of wise efforts are discussed with particular emphasis on the importance of cultivating and increasing wholesome states.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  February Insight Meditation One Month Retreat
2023-01-26 Why Intensive Practice 54:25
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Going through the process of sitting in silence over a long period of time is a unique and profound experience. What happens on a month-long retreat and why do people do it? Though it is not possible for everyone to get away for that length of time or have the desire to do it, the principles shared can be applied to shorter retreats as well
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2023-01-12 Motivation from the Heart: The Place of Devotion in our Practice 53:50
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Devotion is not a topic often spoken of in our Buddhist community. Yet it plays a significant role in monastic communities and Tibetan practices. The Buddha spoke of Saddha, one's heartfelt connection to practice as one of the Five Spiritual Faculties and Powers. Devotion can be a major source of inspiration which can fuel our practice. How can we access it and have it moisten and bring juice to our practice - even for those not naturally inclined that way.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2022-12-29 Endings and Beginnings: A Ritual for the New Year 39:30
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An end of year reflection and ritual that includes letting go of the past--not the lessons but the baggage that may come with them--and visioning the future--what we want to create for ourselves moving forward.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2022-12-22 Celebrating Solstice: Honoring the Duality of Light in the Midst of Darkness 53:41
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We explore going through the dark as an essential element of coming into the light. How can we grow through our own journey of facing challenges while staying committed to facing in the direction of greater light.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2022-11-17 Confidence and Humility: It's Not about Me 51:07
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The Buddhist writer Wei Wu Wei wrote: "True humility is the absence of anyone to be proud." We are often humbled by life. How we handle it can either lead to defeat or profound growth. We explore how being humbled can deepen our capacity to open to all of our experience and strengthen our confidence and trust as we align ourselves with something greater than ourselves.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2022-10-20 Anything Can Happen at Anytime: Holding Loss with a Tender Heart 53:46
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Our Dharma community is processing sad news this week that has sent a shock wave through the sangha. One of our respected teachers who led movement at many Spirit Rock retreats and mentored many students in the practice took her life after a long bout with health issues that affected her mental well-being. A truism of the law of impermanence is that "anything can happen at any time." I want to use this event as an opportunity to explore how the practice can help support us when a sudden major loss happens.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2022-10-13 It's Never Too Late: Responding Wisely with Unskillful Habits 26:17
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Do you ever act on behaviors that you know don't support well-being but you choose to act on them anyway? I'm sure we all do. But how can we skillfully relate to that after the fact without self-judgment or self-recrimination? What are practices and teachings that help us to be patient as we go through this process of purification?
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2022-10-06 From Heartbreak to Compassionate Action 55:06
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Kaye Cleave is a sangha member and film producer of the award-winning movie Catherine's Kindergarten. Catherine’s Kindergarten is the story of Kaye's emotional journey to confront her grief after the death of her only child, juxtaposed with her physical journey to a Nepalese mountain village to open a school in memory of her daughter. It is a truly moving experience. I'm proud to be part of Kaye's journey and in the film. Kaye will share some of her story of how the practice helped her process her grief and transform it into compassionate action. We share a clip of the movie and discuss the process of how we can turn heartbreak into meaning.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2022-09-29 The Time is Now: Engagement as Practice 49:39
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Practice is more than stress reduction or finding calm within ourselves. A natural expression of a wise heart is the wish to relieve suffering not only in ourselves but in others and in our world. As Thich Nhat Hanh teaches: "Compassion is a verb."
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2022-09-22 You've Got a Friend: The Buddha's Advice on Good Friendship 55:07
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The Buddha said, "Good friends are the whole of the spiritual life." But what does it mean to be a good friend? In the Sigalovada Sutta the Buddha describes different kinds of friendship including what a true friend is, what it is not, and how a true friend supports you in your spiritual practice. We will explore being there with others in a way that helps you and them grow.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2022-09-08 Refuge in the Buddha Within 55:07
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This talk explores the deeper meaning of "Taking Refuge in the Buddha." This is not simply honoring or being inspired by the historical figure who lived 2,500 years ago. Until we see the Buddha right inside of us we are missing the point of what that teacher was trying to have us awaken to. We will look at various teachings that point to discovering the Buddha within.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2022-09-03 Metta Instructions (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 32:10
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Some aspects of metta practice along with metta for self, loved one, neutral and all beings
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Labor Day Insight Meditation Retreat
2022-09-02 Morning Sit with Instructions (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 63:15
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Opening the meditation filed to include breath, sensations and sounds
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Labor Day Insight Meditation Retreat
2022-09-01 Five Spiritual Faculties (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 61:06
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A description of how the meditation practice unfolds
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Labor Day Insight Meditation Retreat
2022-06-16 Amazing Grace: Why Do Some People Turn Their Suffering into Compassion While Others Become Embittered? 50:41
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In one discourse the Buddha taught that suffering can be a causative factor for faith to arise. However, that is not always the case. In fact, often suffering leads to bitterness, fear, and ill will. Why is it that, for some people, suffering is the catalyst to begin their spiritual journey and for others it's leads to negative patterns that contribute to a society filled with divisiveness, fear and "othering." We'll explore this mysterious process
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2022-06-12 The Five Daily Reflections 52:53
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A follow up to a recent talk that focused on death and dying. This talk explores the other four of the Five Daily Reflections (also known as the Five Remembrances): aging, illness, loss and karma. It includes practices and discussion on how we can include them regularly in our Dharma practice, which the Buddha highly recommended.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2022-06-09 5 Methods to Work with Troublesome Thoughts: MN #20: Vitakkasanthana Sutta 49:43
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The Buddha gave a teaching on five different methods he recommended to work with disturbing thoughts. When we are mindful of the thinking process it's possible to see thoughts simply as mental fabrications. However, when we get caught in them and the body gets activated, we spin out in the story and are caught in a negative emotional response. We become identified with those mental formations and can more easily get lost. When that happens, the Buddha offers these five strategies as skillful techniques to deal with the confused mind.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2022-05-30 Metta for Self (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 38:01
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Sometimes the hardest person to send metta to is oneself. This guided meditation invites us to see ourselves through a loved one's eyes to see who we really are.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Awakening Joy and Wellbeing
2022-05-29 Including body sensations and sounds in the field of awareness. (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 57:58
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After establishing our anchor or home base in the meditation we can expand the field beyond the breath to skillfully include other body sensations and sounds.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Awakening Joy and Wellbeing
2022-05-28 Awakening Joy as a Practice (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 58:17
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In his teaching on The Four Wise Efforts, the Buddha taught us to maintain and increase wholesome states (kusala) when they arise. This talk explains how to make that a central part of our practice.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Awakening Joy and Wellbeing
2022-05-19 The Problem with Resisting Reality: The Possibility of Real Freedom 52:21
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As much as we would like things to be a certain way, we have limited control over the way things are. Even though that may be apparent to all Dharma students who have some practice under their belt, the mind still gets caught in the habit of attachment to things being a certain way. This week we will explore what gets in the way, how we can open to the way things really are and the radical shift that can occur within us when we see through this self-created prison.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2022-04-29 The possibility of awakening and taking action 14:09
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London Insight Meditation :  James Baraz – The Dharma as Medicine for Our Planet
2022-04-29 Transforming anger and acting from love 14:09
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London Insight Meditation :  James Baraz – The Dharma as Medicine for Our Planet
2022-04-29 Five Dharma principles that are needed for our shift of consciousness 11:45
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London Insight Meditation :  James Baraz – The Dharma as Medicine for Our Planet
2022-04-29 Reflections on your practice not being just for you 22:13
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London Insight Meditation :  James Baraz – The Dharma as Medicine for Our Planet
2022-04-21 Gratitude for Our Home: Celebrating Earth Day 51:34
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This Earth Day week we share an evening of gratitude and celebration for our natural world. When we get in touch with our love for something we are more motivated to care for it. Rather than going into the dire situation that most of us are all too familiar with, we can get connected with the beauty of the world that is our home We share a clip on the natural world and the experience of gratitude, which starts with an adorable little girl talking about the wonder of exploring nature instead of watching a screen followed by Brother David Steindl-Rast on gratitude. Although it is audio only you can still here the magic in the words. To see the video here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpkEvBtyL7M
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2022-04-14 Maranasati: Practice with Death and Dying 50:31
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The Buddha suggested reflecting regularly on five aspects of life called the Five Reflections (also called the Five Remembrances). This talk focuses on what he called "the most supreme of all meditations": mindfulness of death or maranasati. Although contemplation of one's death might seem unsettling or scary, when undertaken as a conscious practice it can be extremely enlivening and even liberating.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2022-04-11 Your Practice is Not Just for You 50:54
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center

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