Donate  |   Contact


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.
     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ... 16 17 18 19
2018-07-17 Guided Meditation - Looking Through Different Lenses 27:25
Panoramic and Refinement on Breath
Nirodha Insight Meditation in Finland Silent retreat with James and Jane Baraz
2018-07-17 Morning Instructions 55:30
Opening to Emotions and Thoughts
Nirodha Insight Meditation in Finland Silent retreat with James and Jane Baraz
2018-07-16 Transforming Suffering Into Happiness 66:29
Nirodha Insight Meditation in Finland Silent retreat with James and Jane Baraz
2018-07-16 Morning Instructions 37:55
Breath, Body Sensations, and Hearing
Nirodha Insight Meditation in Finland Silent retreat with James and Jane Baraz
2018-07-15 Five Spiritual Faculties 66:46
Nirodha Insight Meditation in Finland Silent retreat with James and Jane Baraz
2018-07-15 Guided Metta Meditation 30:06
Metta for Self and Benefactor
Nirodha Insight Meditation in Finland Silent retreat with James and Jane Baraz
2018-07-15 Opening Instructions 56:18
Working with the Wandering Mind and Initial Instructions with Breath
Nirodha Insight Meditation in Finland Silent retreat with James and Jane Baraz
2018-06-28 “Letting Go, Cessation and the Third Noble Truth” (James was on retreat this day so he invited guest speaker Suzie Brown for the talk.) 59:28
Suzie Brown is from Melbourne, Australia. She’s co-founder of the Melbourne Insight Meditation Group and has taught Mindfulness to medical students at Monash University. Suzie has also been a facilitator, trainer and educator for over a decade in the areas of environmental sustainability and organizational strategy.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2018-06-14 Loving Goodness 53:37
After seeing the movie "Won't You Be My Neighbor" about Mr. (Fred) Rogers, James offers reflections about how deeply we can be touched and inspired by the good we see in others. That capacity to be touched by and love goodness is, in some sense, the heart of spiritual practice. Something in us loves the truth and is drawn to goodness around us. And it makes us yearn to activate the good inside.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2018-06-07 "The Teachings of Ajahn Chah" 54:45
This month marks the 100th Anniversary of the birth of Ajahn Chah, one of the most influential Theravadan masters of the 20th Century from the Thai Forest tradition. Ajahn Chah was the primary teacher of Jack Kornfield, Ajahn Sumedho, Ajahn Amaro and other influential teachers. Ajahn Chah's teaching is a major influence on the Dharma as presented at Spirit Rock. This talk offers some reflections his approach to practice at once deep, fierce, down to earth, humorous and wise.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2018-06-02 Transforming Suffering into Happiness (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 62:24
When you understand the law of karma you realize that each moment we are sowing the seeds for more suffering or more happiness depending on your response to experience. This talk explains how that works and how to choose wisely for a life of true happiness and inner peace.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Connecting Heart & Mind
2018-06-01 Day 3: Morning Instructional Sit (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 40:18
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Connecting Heart & Mind
2018-05-31 Working with the Judging Mind (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 66:14
Believing our judging thoughts is not only suffering it is a misunderstanding of reality. This talk explores how the mind gets caught in judgments and how to skillfully work with them.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Connecting Heart & Mind
2018-05-30 Day 1: Morning Instructional Sit (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 40:16
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Connecting Heart & Mind
2018-05-26 Compassion - Full Expression of a Joyful Heart (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 57:21
When we feel connected and alive our natural response to suffering is a caring heart. Different dimensions of compassion are explored.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Awakening Joy
2018-05-26 Day 5 Talk/Experiential Practice (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 48:35
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Awakening Joy
2018-05-25 Day 4: Talk/Experiential Practice (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 52:27
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Awakening Joy
2018-05-25 Day 4: Morning sit with Instructions (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 37:11
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Awakening Joy
2018-05-24 Learning to Love Ourselves (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 58:44
In order to awaken joy we have to learn to have a healthy relationship with ourselves - holding our pain and sorrows as well as learning to appreciate all of our beautiful qualities.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Awakening Joy
2018-05-22 Day 1 Talk/Experiential Practice (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 53:53
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Awakening Joy
2018-05-17 "It's All in Your Mind" 63:43
In the opening line of the Dhammapada the Buddha teaches: "We are what we think with our thoughts we make the world." Although we have limited control over what happens to us, we can hold our experience with a wise perspective that makes all the difference. Famed Buddhist writer Christmas Humphreys put it this way: "The one miracle this path has to offer is a change of heart." We can change our relation to experience and make the shift from suffering to clear seeing, wisdom and compassion. In this talk James sings a song he wrote in his 20's entitled "It's All in Your Mind".
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2018-05-10 "Clear Comprehension Part 2" 59:30
In the Satipatthana Sutta (MN#10), the Buddha's discourse on mindfulness, the Buddha instructs us to contemplate mindfully, ardent and clearly comprehending each of the four foundations. "Clear comprehension" also translated as "clearly knowing" includes four areas of context for our mindfulness practice. In Part 1 we explored the first two elements of Clear Comprehension: "Clear Comprehension of Purpose" and "Clear Comprehension of Suitability of Action". In this talk we discuss the second two aspects: "Clear Comprehension in the Domain of Meditation" and "Clear Comprehension of Reality". With metta, James
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2018-05-03 "A New Dawn for the Dharma" 63:46
James in a conversation with Dawn Mauricio, a fresh dharma presence based in Montreal. Dawn is in the current Spirit Rock Teacher Training and is also on the West Coast assisting some upcoming Spirit Rock retreats. James invited Dawn to share her perspective on how the Dharma might unfold in the coming years and her experience teaching as a young strong female voice and teacher of color.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2018-04-26 "Voter Registration as Engaged Dharma Practice" 58:17
James invited Barbara Gates, co-editor for 31 years of Inquiring Mind journal, to discuss how she brings her dharma practice to her voter registration work which is her service commitment for the Buddhist Chaplaincy Program. They discuss bridging the divide between you and those with a very different perspective including skillful listening, engaging with metta, curiosity, non-separation and commitment to making a difference in the world.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2018-04-19 "Clear Comprehension Part 1" 51:40
In the Satipatthana Sutta (MN#10), the Buddha's discourse on mindfulness, the Buddha instruct's us to contemplate mindfully, ardent and clearly comprehending each of the four foundations. "Clear comprehension" also translated as "clearly knowing" includes four areas of context for our mindfulness practice. In this talk the first two aspects of Clear Comprehension are explored: "Clear Comprehension of Purpose" and "Clear Comprehension of Suitability of Action."
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2018-04-12 "Remembering What We Know" 53:46
Often our meditation practice helps us understand or see for the first time something that’s never been clear before. That experience of insight where exclaim to ourselves “Aha!” It can have a profound impact that genuinely shifts our perspective. However, even after this powerful glimpse of seeing with new eyes, the old habits and thought patterns still have their influence and we can forget what we know to be true. This is particularly frustrating and can lead to great doubt. How can we both honor our familiar old friend, confusion, and remember to access the wisdom in our new understanding?
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2018-03-29 Dalits Buddhist in India (formerly Untouchable Caste) 54:51
Joining James to discuss his work is Gautham Prabu, co-founder of FSHM an NGO for social transformation whose work has primarily supported Dalits (formerly India's "Untouchable" caste) many of whom have become become Buddhist practitioners and the Tamil Buddhist Society based in Tamil Nadu, India. He is a member of International Network of En
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2018-03-22 "Personal and Collective Karma" 57:59
Karma, the unfolding situation of our individual lives, is often understood to be dependent on our actions. These are, in turn, based on the intention of our underlying mind state. But what about societal conditions—including prejudice and inequality—that affect people’s lives? Is there collective karma? If so, can we affect it?
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2018-03-10 Discovering the Buddha Within 6:38:18
with Carley Hauck, James Baraz
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2018-03-08 "The Buddha’s Words on How to Skillfully Give Feedback." 67:31
Do you ever find yourself needing to communicate something that will be hard for someone else to receive?
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2018-03-02 "Getting Perspective On Our Perspective" 59:20
The Buddha taught, "We are what we think with our thoughts we make the world." It important to understand how our thoughts create our reality. And it's also vital to realize that our reality is just the way we're seeing the world at a particular moment in time. Others may have different realities. And in time our own perspective might change. Seeing this is a key to genuine freedom and support for choosing wisely the thoughts we want to empower.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2018-02-23 Seeing Our Practice in a Wider Context (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 57:22
We’re not practicing for ourselves alone. The world needs more consciousness and our practice allows us to become an agent of consciousness that in a very profound way affects everyone around us and the planet itself.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat
2018-02-22 “Facing the Unacceptable Without Burning Out” (James was on retreat this day but invited guest speaker Suzie Brown for the talk. 56:25
"How the Dharma urges us to take wise action to try to change the wrongs that we see in our world." ------------ Suzie Brown has recently moved with her family from Melbourne, Australia. She is co-founder of the Melbourne Insight Meditation Group and has taught Mindfulness to medical students at Monash University. Suzie has also been a facilitator, trainer and educator for over a decade in the areas of environmental sustainability and organizational strategy, running her own consulting business for the last 8 years.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2018-02-19 Day 23: Sitting Meditation with Brahma Vihara Instructions (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 37:36
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat
2018-02-15 Day 19: Sitting Meditation with Brahma Vihara Instructions (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 38:22
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat
2018-02-11 Day 15: Sitting with Instructions (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 44:10
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat
2018-02-10 The Journey of Awakening- From Personal to the Universal (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 59:33
The journey of awakening often begins with learning to open up to all the hidden places inside. Facing our demons, learning to accept and eventually embrace the whole package of who we are. That's when the process gets truly interesting-when we move to the bigger perspective tuning into the awareness that can hold it all.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat
2018-02-09 Day 13: Sitting Meditation with Brahma Vihara Instructions (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 38:16
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat
2018-02-06 Day 10: Sitting Meditation with Brahma Vihara Instructions (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 36:52
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat
2018-02-05 Day 9: Sitting Meditation with Instructions (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 39:45
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat
2018-02-04 Transforming Suffering into Happiness (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 61:53
Every moment has flavor tone of experience: pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. Typically, we react without thinking and act from attachment, aversion or delusion-the seeds of suffering. When we bring mindfulness to the moment we have the choice to respond with non-greed, non-hatred and non-delusion. Those are the seed of true happiness.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat
2018-02-01 "Belonging" --- (James was on retreat this day but invited two guests speakers for the talk: Rene Rivera and Fresh! White.) 49:55
(James was on retreat this day but invited two guests speakers for the talk: Rene Rivera and Fresh! White.)
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2018-01-29 Day 2: Sitting Meditation with Instructions (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 41:11
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat
2018-01-28 5 Spiritual Faculties (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 63:44
The Five Spiritual Faculties explain the unfolding of practice as well as highlight major issues in practice: Faith leads to making the effort to be mindful leading deepening concentration and wisdom.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat
2018-01-25 "Struggling is Extra" 56:13
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2018-01-18 Special Guests: Harold Hedelman, Lee Ballance and Mary Selkirk from Citizens Climate Lobby, which is one of the most respected environmental organizations. 53:17
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2018-01-04 "Three Principles for Living a Good Life" 53:03
This talk was inspired by Frances Vaughan, a true woman of wisdom, who recently passed. Frances was a pioneer in the field of Transpersonal Psychology, served as President of both the Association for Transpersonal Psychology and the Association for Humanistic Psychology, authored many books including Awakening Intuition and The Inward Arc. At her recent memorial service we heard the three main principles that guided her life. The talk contained a moving short video of her life that can be accessed here: https://vimeo.com/246379817 (password: GratitudeDec9).
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2017-12-28 "Reflections of the Past ---- Facing the Future" 42:14
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2017-12-07 Looking At Your Life Through a Dharma Lens 46:27
with James Baraz, Kate Munding
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2017-12-01 Day 4: Morning Sit with Instructions (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 56:24
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Magic of Awareness

     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ... 16 17 18 19
Creative Commons License