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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.
2006-07-19 Happiness - part 4: Letting Go 58:25
The joy of letting go includes restraint expressed as sitting with integrity as well as letting go of stories, expectation & experiences. This letting go is not a sacrifice but rather releasing the burden of holding onto the things that cause us suffering.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2006-07-15 The Buddha's Prescription For Happiness: Seven Factors Of Enlightenment 57:34
The Seven Factors of Enlightenment are mindfulness, investigation, energy, joy, calm, concentration and equanimity. When brought to fruition they lead to the highest happiness we can experience. How can we cultivate these qualities consciously in our meditation practice and in our life?
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2006-03-27 Transforming Suffering Into Happiness 60:29
Cultivating an open heart through the Dharma.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2006-02-27 Happiness - part 4: Letting Go 61:52
The joy of letting go includes restraint expressed as sitting with integrity as well as letting go of stories, expectation & experiences. This letting go is not a sacrifice but rather releasing the burden of holding onto the things that cause us suffering.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2006-02-22 Happiness - part 3: Transforming Suffering Into Happiness 59:04
In every moment of mindfulness we defeat the forces of greed, hatred & delusion and develop a heart of generosity, kindness & wisdom--the three sources of karmic happiness.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2006-02-14 Happiness - part 2: Opening To Suffering As Well As To Joy 59:23
Opening to suffering is essential if we are to find true happiness. The Buddha's teaching on how suffering can lead to faith, gladness, joy and freedom is explored. Gratitude as a way to hold our suffering is also discussed.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2006-02-08 Happiness - part 1: Wise Effort And Wholesome States 55:40
Where does happiness lie? In this first of 4 talks we explore the intention to be happy particularly with regard to developing and increasing wholesome states. Wise effort in terms of Dharma practiced is explored.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2005-09-05 Aligning Our Life With The Dharma 1:12:39
This closing talk from a silent retreat points to the integration of our practice in daily life, with mindfulness as the golden thread that runs through all things.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2005-09-04 The Power Of Intention 52:02
Intention is the source of all karma. Accessing the sincerity of heart that fuels our practice and inclining it towards freedom is the basis for profound awakening.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
2005-07-11 Forgiveness: The Doorway To An Open Heart 61:33
In order for metta to flow unobstructed, we need to be able to forgive—ourselves for ways we don't measure up to our high standards or unskillful actions, others for past hurts and life for the disappointments we experience. This talk explores these different levels of forgiveness.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2005-05-25 Wise Effort 58:00
Wise Effort is a key issue in Dharma practice. Am I doing enough or too much. This talk explores how to develop balance with regard to effort as well as the classical Four Right Efforts pertaining to wholesome and unwholesome states.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
2005-04-24 Wise Intention (Sutta On The Two Kinds Of Thought) 45:52
Working consciously with intention is the key to creating wisdom and happiness in our lives.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2005-04-22 Five Spiritual Faculties: How Awakening Happens 64:46
How the process of awakening unfolds in meditation practice starting with faith and culminating in wisdom.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2005-02-21 Sudden Awakening, Gradual Cultivation: The Purification Process 60:34
Although freedom is found in the moment, there is a continual process of purifying the heart and mind. This process is discussed including facing our fears, deepening our commitment, learning to love ourselves while seeing through our sense of self, culminating in practice being our gift to the world.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2005-02-16 Trusting Your Buddha-Knowing 60:23
The source of our awakening is right inside us. As we learn to listen deeply to the wisdom and purity of heart that is connected to the truth we are following the Buddha's instructions to be "be a lamp unto yourself."
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2005-02-12 Gladness Of The Wholesome - Awakening Joy 60:21
The Buddha spoke of maintaining and increasing wholesome states as an integral part of Right Effort. In this talk we explore why this is important and how to incline the mind to experience what he called "gladness connected with the wholesome."
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2005-02-05 The Comparing Mind 58:44
Seeing through the judging mind awakening us to our true nature.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2004-12-27 Past, Present, Future: A Journey Through Time 57:36
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2004-11-20 Saturday Night Closing Session 35:00
The Saturday night session of the lawyers retreat. What's going on in mindfulness and law. Right livelihood.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2004-11-19 The Power Of Mindfulness 53:50
This talk was given at the Lawyer's Retreat. It focused on a description of four characteristics of mindfulness - seeing things clearly, permanence, being present and watching the judging mind.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2004-04-26 Practice As A Path To Happiness 54:28
We can often focus on suffering in our practice and forget that this path is about cultivating happiness.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2004-02-25 Awakening To Joy - part 2 61:07
This talk continues the exploration of how the practice cultivates happiness and joy. Topics include mindfulness as appreciation, wonder, gratitude, bliss of blamelessness, letting go, mudita, friendship and liberation.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2004-02-20 Awakening To Joy - part 1 61:46
The Buddha valued "gladness connected with wholesome states." This is the first of two talks on the importance of inclining the mind toward happiness and joy as well as how to do it.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2004-02-15 Inclining Our Mind Towards Freedom: The Power Of Intention 60:57
The power of intention helps us envision a fulfilled spiritual life, helps us see through our limiting beliefs, and helps us trust our deepest wisdom.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2003-08-31 Trusting Your Buddha-Knowing 60:07
The source of our awakening is right inside us. As we learn to listen deeply to the wisdom and purity of heart that is connected to the truth we are following the Buddha's instructions to be "be a lamp unto yourself."
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
2003-08-31 Trusting Your Buddha Knowing 59:36
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2003-08-28 What Is Mindfulness 56:45
Why be mindful? Different aspects of mindfulness including seeing clearly and non-judging as well as benefits of mindfulness practice.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2003-02-19 Passion For Practice 58:25
The place of passion in practice is expressed in the Iddhipadas (Bases of Power): zeal, effort, love of Dharma and preciousness of this opportunity to practice.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2003-02-10 Seven Factors Of Enlightenment 61:54
The seven factors of enlightenment are being cultivated as we practice. This talk explores how they can be consciously brought into balance and how they work together.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2002-10-02 Body of Fear Mind of Wisdom 66:02
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2002-03-20 Resting in Awareness 1:10:30
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2002-03-05 Faith: Bring The Heart To Practice 58:41
Developing faith as a quality of heart that is essential for our selves, our practice, and releasing the angst of doubt and the illusion of suffering. What is the place of faith in practice? How can we cultivate faith, trust and confidence? What is faith and how does it work?
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
2002-03-05 Faith: Bring The Heart To Practice 53:01
Developing faith as a quality of heart that is essential for our selves, our practice, and releasing the angst of doubt and the illusion of suffering. What is the place of faith in practice? How can we cultivate faith, trust and confidence? What is faith and how does it work?
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2002-03-05 Faith: Bring The Heart To Practice 59:22
Developing faith as a quality of heart that is essential for our selves, our practice, and releasing the angst of doubt and the illusion of suffering. What is the place of faith in practice? How can we cultivate faith, trust and confidence? What is faith and how does it work?
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2002-03-04 Comparing Mind 59:17
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2002-02-19 Opening To Experience: Forgiveness, Patience & Humor 1:33:53
Using forgiveness, patience, and humor as we open up to what is unpleasant without experiencing aversion, and to what is pleasant without experiencing grasping.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2002-02-19 Opening To Experience: Forgiveness, Patience & Humor 60:57
Using forgiveness, patience, and humor as we open up to what is unpleasant without experiencing aversion, and to what is pleasant without experiencing grasping.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2002-02-16 Clear Comprehension: The Context For Practice 57:35
Mindfulness as bare attention is supported and developed by bringing the content of clear comprehension, or full awareness, into practice. This includes clear comprehension of purpose, of suitability, of domain of meditation, and of reality.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2002-02-12 Reporting To The Mother Ship: Wonder, Awe, Interest, Investigation 61:00
While Dharma practice takes courage to open to suffering, one also can bring a spirit of wonder and awe to the quality of investigation. We can open to the moment with interest, discovering reality in a fresh, new way.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2001-11-28 Non-Greed, Hatred, Delusion 61:00
Exploring the different spiritual paths that use the fundamental themes of non-greed, hatred, delusion, love, service, and remembrance.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2001-11-28 Non-Greed, Non-Hatred, Non-Delusion 60:19
Connecting the Buddhist values of non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion with another spiritual axiom: "Love everyone, serve everyone, and remember God."
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2001-10-27 Letting Go Of Knowing 58:34
Most of us want to know the right answer to complex situations. This post-September 11th talk explores the value of letting go of prematurely trying to figure things out, and replace it with patiently listening inside to our wisest understandings and responses when they are ready to be heard.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
In collection: In Response to September 11
2001-10-24 Finding Refuge in Trust 59:13
2001-10-24 Finding Refuge in Trust 52:48
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2001-10-17 Working with Fear 26:09
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2001-10-12 Working with Fear 26:54
2001-09-19 In Response to September 11 7:25:54
with Gavin Harrison, Jack Kornfield, James Baraz, John Travis, Larry Rosenberg, Narayan Helen Liebenson, Robert K. Hall
2001-07-18 After the Honeymoon, the Marriage 1:17:32
2001-07-18 After The Honeymoon, The Marriage: Plateaus In Practice 65:46
After our initial and excitement encountering the Dharma, reality hits us and our practice may appear to stagnate. How can we renew our inspiration and reawaken our enthusiasm for practice?
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2001-05-26 Cultivating The Wholesome: The Brahma Viharas 64:27
Right Effort includes developing and increasing wholesome states by recognizing them or inclining the mind to their development. The four states of loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity can be consciously developed through practice. (Includes experiential exercises.)
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
2001-04-11 Refinements of Life 1 and 2 65:31
2001-04-11 The 2nd Refinements of Life 69:02
2001-03-29 Refinement Of Mind - part 2 60:08
The Buddha explained how concentration, energy and equanimity work together to help purify a practitioner's mind over time. How can we wisely develop and bring to balance these qualities essential to waking up?
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2001-03-22 Refinement Of Mind - part 1 63:45
The Buddha's discourse on refinement of mind from the Anguttara Nikaya describes the process a practitioner experiences in moving from grosser types of attachment to more subtle and refined ones. This talk focuses on how the practice affects our thoughts, words and actions as we continue our journey of awakening.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2001-03-08 The Retreat Experience: Why Intensive Practice? 58:42
Why do people go on intensive silent retreats? What is the process one goes through and how does it change us? This talk explores understanding how the retreat experience works?
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2001-02-24 Spiritual Passion: The Iddhipadas (Bases Of Power) 59:49
Passion is often considered to be an unspiritual quality, but if used wisely, actually is the basis of spiritual power. What are the four sources of passion that motivate our spiritual practice?
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2001-02-20 The Comparing Mind 56:23
Exploring how to work skillfully with the comparing and judging of ourselves and others.
2001-01-01 Learning To Love Yourself: A Bodhisattva Act 47:05
An essential part of liberation is including ourselves in the love we aspire to cultivate for all beings. This becomes a gift we can model for others. Why is this such a difficult task? How can we develop authentic self-love?
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2000-11-30 Closing Talk 61:22
2000-11-25 Wise Intention 60:59
2000-11-21 Angulimala Sutta 58:56
2000-09-02 The Five Faculties 63:29
2000-05-25 Unknown 58:43
2000-05-22 Intention 58:44
2000-03-23 Losing It: How Being Humbled Can Lead To True Humility 56:49
The experience of seeing the confusion in our minds as well as its unskillful expression in words and actions can be very humbling. How can we use our mistakes to deepen our practice and turn them into a noble humility that deepens our understanding and enriches our spiritual life?
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
2000-03-02 Trusting Your Buddha 59:59
2000-02-26 Questions And Answers 61:07
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2000-02-25 A Path With Heart 56:26
Cultivating a heart-felt motivation toward practice, and the different ways we can express this essential connection.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2000-02-20 The Composing Mind 35:21
2000-02-14 The Brahma Viharas 66:46
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
1999-12-15 Generosity As A Source Of Happiness 62:15
Why does generosity bring us joy? How can we consciously cultivate this wholesome habit that both acknowledges our interconnectedness and develops a heart that knows the power of letting go?
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
1999-11-27 Seeing Through Limiting Beliefs 60:12
Most of our confusion comes from believing the stories, such as personal history and self-image, that run through our mind. Seeing through these stories is the key to freeing the mind and opening the heart to the realization we are much greater than our limiting beliefs.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
1999-11-23 The Process Of Awakening: Five Spiritual Faculties 59:42
Faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom build on each other in a natural development. Understanding their relationship gives us a map for how the meditation process unfolds.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
1999-11-01 Appreciation As A Source Of Happiness 61:16
The practice of appreciation is an exercise in mindfulness, openness of heart and wisdom. Whether experience is pleasant or unpleasant, inclining our minds toward appreciation allows us to open to our joys and sorrows as valuable gifts that make each moment come alive.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
1999-09-09 The Buddha's Prescription For Happiness: Seven Factors Of Enlightenment 57:18
The Seven Factors of Enlightenment are mindfulness, investigation, energy, joy, calm, concentration and equanimity. When brought to fruition they lead to the highest happiness we can experience. How can we cultivate these qualities consciously in our meditation practice and in our life?
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
In collection: Foundations Of Practice
1999-09-05 The Process Of Awakening: Five Spiritual Faculties 60:37
Faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom build on each other in a natural development. Understanding their relationship gives us a map for how the meditation process unfolds.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
1999-09-02 How Suffering Can Lead To Faith 55:40
Although there is suffering - the First Noble Truth, the Buddha has taught that wisely processing our pain leads to greater faith, compassion and, eventually, the end of suffering.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
1999-08-26 Truthfulness 53:01
Truthfulness was the one quality the Bodhisattva possessed through all his previous lifetimes before his enlightenment. Telling the truth to oneself and others is a direct source of happiness and is the guiding principle for the spiritual journey.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
1999-05-22 Wise Reflection And Practice In Daily Life 58:35
Dharma practice is more than concentrated bare attention. The Buddha spoke often of the importance of reflection in developing wisdom. We can develop wise reflection on retreat and bring that attitude into daily life.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
1999-03-23 Transforming Suffering Into Happiness 61:21
1999-03-16 Seeing Through Our Stories 49:27
1999-03-12 The Comparring Mired 57:21
1999-03-09 Passion for Practice 52:55
1999-01-01 Learning To Ride The Roller Coaster: Dealing With The Unexpected 47:17
Life is a continual surprise. How can we hold unexpected challenges and ephemeral joys in a spirit of practice so that we meet experience with wisdom, equanimity and an open heart?
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
1999-01-01 Refuge In The Sangha: Importance Of Like-Minded Friendship 57:22
Why did the Buddha consider like-minded friendship "the whole of the holy life?" This talk focuses on the importance of developing a sense of community as a true support for our practice. Included are the Buddha's words on what constitutes a good friend.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
1998-11-29 Trusting Our Buddha Knowing 45:27
1998-11-25 Balance Of Effort 54:12
When whole-hearted commitment is balanced with a spacious lightness of heart, the practice flowers in a rich way. This talk explores how we can combine those two attitudes in our meditation and in our lives.
1998-11-21 Power of Intention 50:35
1998-10-15 Right Thought: Creating An Inspiring Vision 43:09
As we understand the power of thoughts to create our reality, we can empower those thoughts that inspire us and see the emptiness of those thoughts that don't serve. This is the key to manifesting our vision of awakening.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
1998-06-26 Intimate Relationship As Spiritual Practice 54:47
Intimate relationship can be a vehicle for cultivating authenticity, understanding our shadow, and true opening of the heart. The challenges and opportunities of using a primary relationship as part of our awakening process are explored.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
1998-06-19 Waves On The Oceans-Not Being Bothered By Thoughts 50:09
We can't control all the thoughts that pass through our minds. What we can do is learn how to work skillfully with troublesome thoughts and patterns in the mind so they lose their power to confuse us.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
1997-04-08 Five Hindrances 61:58
1996-12-06 Nourishing Healthy Seeds: Compassion, Mudita And Equanimity 65:30
Noticing and cultivating the wholesome states of compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity as they arise is a powerful training towards greater happiness.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
1996-11-14 Bothicitti 55:37
1996-11-07 Commitment In Practice 1:26:11
1996-04-18 Non-Greed, Hatred, Delusion 61:01
Exploring the different spiritual paths that use the fundamental themes of non-greed, hatred, delusion, love, service, and remembrance.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
1995-12-01 Non-Greed, Non-Hatred, Non-Delusion 61:09
Connecting the Buddhist values of non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion with another spiritual axiom: "Love everyone, serve everyone, and remember God."
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
1995-11-27 Working With Thought 51:27
thoughts are not the enemy
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
1995-04-22 Buddha's Advice On Working With Thoughts 51:08
working skillfully with the empty bubbles of thought
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
1995-04-16 Path Of Purification 56:27

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