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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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2017-06-15 Benefactors: Part 2, Helping Others Shine. 64:51
Description: This is a follow-up to James' "Appreciating Our Benefactors" talk (5-25-17). Besides gratitude for those who've been our benefactors, we can see ourselves as passing on the kindness and caring we've received. We can and do have a significant effect on everyone around us. We can practice seeing the beautiful qualities in others, believing in them and bringing out the best in them. By doing so we help them shine, make a meaningful contribution to the world and experience great joy. This talk also includes some words about James' local basketball team the Golden State Warriors, who just became NBA champions. The coach, Steve Kerr, tries to instill four core qualities in his players--joy, mindfulness, compassion and competition. And the players' unselfish style, subjugating individual glory for the good of the team, is the key to their success. They embody the attitude of bringing out the best and enjoying seeing each other shine.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2017-06-03 Three Qualities of the Heart that Awaken Joy (Retreat at Spirit Rock 63:55
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2017-06-03 Day 4: Morning Sit with Instructions (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 60:14
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Awakening Joy
2017-06-02 Integrity and Letting Go as Supports for Joy (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 1:18:23
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Awakening Joy
2017-06-01 Practical Tips on Opening Up to Suffering and Exploring Generosity (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 1:15:37
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Awakening Joy
2017-06-01 Day 2: Morning Sit with Instructions (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 58:31
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Awakening Joy
2017-05-31 Intention and Mindfulness as the Basis for Awakening Joy (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 55:51
Developing true well-being begins with the heartfelt intention and commitment to do so. Mindfulness is the basic tool that will help manifest that intention by weakening unwholesome states, cultivating wholesome ones and amplifying the latter when they arise.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Awakening Joy
2017-05-25 "Appreciating our Benefactors" 47:38
It’s important to recognize and appreciate all the support we receive in our spiritual practice as well as in our lives. If practice sometimes seems like a solitary experience we’re not realizing all the ways that life has been supporting us. This can be an on-going rich source of inspiration in our spiritual development and growth. We’ll explore various practices and reflections to make this come alive.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2017-05-18 "Courage: An Essential Quality of Practice" 52:25
The Buddha spoke of waking up as going "against the stream" in order to see things with fresh eyes. One essential ingredient of the spiritual journey is courage required to grow and be willing to step outside of our comfort zones. Being a spiritual warrior means facing our deepest fears, dealing with loss, opening to the places inside we'd rather not see and trusting that your awareness can meet any moment that arises. We explore this topic in our dharma practice as it manifests on and off the cushion.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2017-05-04 Emptiness is Everything 65:46
with Guy Armstrong, James Baraz
James introduces Guy Armstrong's dharma talk at IMCB.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2017-04-20 Celebrating Earth Day: Calling All Eco-Sattvas 54:39
As Earth Day approaches we reflect on the preciousness and generosity of our wonderful planet, the current situation of climate change and how our Dharma practice can help us transform despair into meaningful and inspiring action.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2017-03-30 "The Problem With Being a Good Meditator" 53:57
At times our meditation practice is a powerful delicious experience. The factors of awakening like concentration, calm, joy or equanimity may be strong. As wonderful as that is, the mind can easily grasp as if that were the real goal of practice. But when we're attached or take ownership of those states they become a trap--sometimes referred to as the stink of enlightenment--and we miss the true freedom that practice can reveal.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2017-03-26 Inspired by Change: How to Cultivate a Resilient Heart while Caring about Our Changing World (Non-residential Retreat at Spirit Rock) 43:09
with Bob Doppelt, James Baraz
Today’s world is filled with challenging issues that often push us to our emotional boundaries. With complex issues that include environmental challenges like climate change, social injustices, racism, terrorism and other forms of moral distress, life can often feel overwhelming. Yet there’s hope as well as a proven path to help us cope with and face life’s challenges with renewed vigor and determination. Afternoon Session final day
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2017-03-26 Inspired by Change: How to Cultivate a Resilient Heart while Caring about Our Changing World (Non-residential Retreat at Spirit Rock) 1:41:53
with Bob Doppelt, James Baraz
Today’s world is filled with challenging issues that often push us to our emotional boundaries. With complex issues that include environmental challenges like climate change, social injustices, racism, terrorism and other forms of moral distress, life can often feel overwhelming. Yet there’s hope as well as a proven path to help us cope with and face life’s challenges with renewed vigor and determination. 3rd Day, morning session
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2017-03-25 Inspired by Change: How to Cultivate a Resilient Heart while Caring about Our Changing World (Non-residential Retreat at Spirit Rock) 1:41:23
with Bob Doppelt, James Baraz
Today’s world is filled with challenging issues that often push us to our emotional boundaries. With complex issues that include environmental challenges like climate change, social injustices, racism, terrorism and other forms of moral distress, life can often feel overwhelming. Yet there’s hope as well as a proven path to help us cope with and face life’s challenges with renewed vigor and determination. Second day, morning
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2017-03-24 Inspired by Changes: How to Cultivate a Resilient Heart while Caring about Our Changing World (Non-residential Retreat at Spirit Rock) 2:24:49
with Bob Doppelt, James Baraz
Today’s world is filled with challenging issues that often push us to our emotional boundaries. With complex issues that include environmental challenges like climate change, social injustices, racism, terrorism and other forms of moral distress, life can often feel overwhelming. Yet there’s hope as well as a proven path to help us cope with and face life’s challenges with renewed vigor and determination. Friday afternoon, first day
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2017-03-24 Inspired by Change: How to Cultivate a Resilient Heart while Caring about Our Changing World (Non-residential Retreat at Spirit Rock) 2:29:26
with Bob Doppelt, James Baraz
Today’s world is filled with challenging issues that often push us to our emotional boundaries. With complex issues that include environmental challenges like climate change, social injustices, racism, terrorism and other forms of moral distress, life can often feel overwhelming. Yet there’s hope as well as a proven path to help us cope with and face life’s challenges with renewed vigor and determination. Friday Morning, first session
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2017-03-16 Conscientious Compassion: An Engaged Dharmic Response to Forces of Greed and Hatred 60:14
with Bhikkhu Bodhi, James Baraz, Kate Munding
Bhikkhu Bodhi, premier translator of the Pali Canon and social activist (founder of Buddhist Global Relief) joins James and Kate Munding. They and the community discuss how to respond wisely and Dharmically when those in power create policies that increase fear and suffering.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2017-03-09 "This Fleeting World" 62:59
In the Diamond Sutra, we are encouraged to see our lives in the context of impermanence this way: "Thus shall you think of this fleeting world: a star at dawn, a bubble in a stream; A flash of lightning in a summer cloud; A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream." This talk explores practicing when someone we know dies unexpectedly as happened to James this week.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2017-03-02 "Connecting With the Enemy" 56:32
With James Baraz and Sheila Katz, Ph.D.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2017-02-22 Day 25: Brahma Vihara Instructions 58:04
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Month-long Retreat
2017-02-20 Ehipassiko: Come See For Yourself (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 60:58
With so many different meditation instructions and approaches to practice how do we know which is the right one for us? This talk includes the Buddha's different methods for dealing with distracting thoughts as well as learning how to listen and trust your own experience.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Month-long Retreat
2017-02-16 Equanimity: Bringing Balance to our Practice (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 62:41
Equanimity is the precursor to the awakened mind. It allows us to skillfully hold compassion, metta and joy in balance. It is the essential quality that allows us to go through life's ups and downs with wisdom and wise response.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Month-long Retreat
2017-02-10 Dharma Practice as a Path to Happiness (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 62:38
The Buddha said that cultivating wholesome states creates the conditions for awakening. He further said that when a wholesome state is here to maintain and increase that state. But how can we do that without it increasing attachment? This talk explores why the Buddha was called The Happy One and how to see this path not only as an end to suffering but as a deepening of true well-being on and off the cushion,
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Month-long Retreat
2017-02-05 Opening to Experience: How and When (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 61:03
One of the most profound gifts of retreat practice is learning to open to our experience. We develop confidence, courage, compassion and insight as we are willing to work with all the challenging and beautiful places the mind can take us to. And it's also good to know when it's more skillful to not open to those places if we need to have a stronger container to hold them. Qualities that support this opening such as forgiveness, patience, sense of humor, and self-compassion are explored.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center February Month-long Retreat

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