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Retreat Dharma Talks
at Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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| Regular weekly talks given at the lower Spirit Rock meditation hall |
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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2000-12-20
I Talk To My Friends
56:42
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Sylvia Boorstein
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A talk about faith. This journey is a feasible one despite it being difficult. Sylvia discusses the problem of wobbly mind and how bewilderment and fatigue can lead to doubt. Talking to our friends holds us up in difficult times.
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2001-02-07
Untying The Knots
60:18
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Sylvia Boorstein
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Referencing her own experiences, Sylvia explores the stories we make up for ourselves to substantiate or justify certain views (opinions) that we hold about things -- some to the point of making them into "truths." After considering the possible origins of these views, Sylvia exposes the profound suffering caused by holding these views and the stories around them. Taking it a step further, she wonders: What is the relationship between hope and opinion? Is it wrong to hope or is it part of the nature of the human organism? Perhaps, she concludes, it is the solidified view we hold around a hope that causes suffering.
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2001-04-18
Holding Hands
30:10
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Sylvia Boorstein
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In thinking about the path of awareness and the refining of the heart that is the purpose of Buddhist philosophy, Sylvia suggests that she would like to amend the Eightfold Path to be the "Ninefold Path," adding Right Relationship as the ninthfold. Right Relationship is the sense of connection we feel in the world that holds us up. Hand holding is the metaphor Sylvia uses to symbolize this connection. Hands take us from the womb, and they put us in the grave. In between, it is one big "hand holding."
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2002-04-08
Awakening Is Always Possible
62:31
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Jack Kornfield
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Seeking the sacred. The possibility of awakening exists in every moment. We all can sense our potential for bringing compassion to present world conflict. Stories of India and questions about the Middle East.
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2002-04-22
Gratitude And Trust
52:43
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Phillip Moffitt
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How to be in the moment in the face of life difficulties. How to live “into life” in the presence of loss and death. The power of gratitude and trust, and ways to cultivate them as mindfulness practice.
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2002-06-29
Inquiry
54:25
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Christopher Titmuss
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Christopher engages in individual inquiry at the frong of the hall with five yogis at a retreat at spirit rock.
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2002-07-26
Equanimity And Change
50:16
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Kamala Masters
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Through the practice of equanimity we are able to face the changing conditions of our lives with balance, spaciousness and great care.
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2004-05-03
Enjoying The Fruits Of Meditation
53:07
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Jack Kornfield
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How to recognize, embody and enjoy the fruits of spiritual life. How to allow joy, trust, steadiness, wisdom, well being and compassion to blossom in our body and heart. How to enjoy them and let them fill our life.
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2004-10-23
Faith
55:12
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Kamala Masters
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The Buddha likened faith to a seed, an intention, to grow in the direction of wisdom and compassion, to venture beyond what is known. The seed sends down roots which take in nourishment to grow the seed. The roots are likened to virtuous activity. From there, sprouts grow, blossom and bear the fruits of serenity and insight.
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2004-10-28
Equanimity
60:28
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Kamala Masters
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Equanimity is resting the mind before it falls into extremes of reactivity. The spacious, calm balance of equanimity can contain both the joys and sorrows of life— supporting mindfulness and the opening to deeper wisdom when we open to “how it is.” Moment to moment, equanimity leads to a great respect and to alignment with the truths that liberate.
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2007-01-03
What Comes Next In Our Wild, Precious Lives? - part 1
57:24
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Donald Rothberg
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In our lives we often ask: "What comes next?" in my practice, in my life. We may feel stuck, or energized but not know how to manifest concretely in our lives. We explore the nature of our wold unfolding and some practical ways to tune into "what wants to come next?"
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2007-01-17
The Dharma And Martin Luther King, Jr
52:39
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Donald Rothberg
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At this time of King’s birthday, we use the Vietnamese Buddhist recent understanding of three core areas of the Dharma- wisdom, compassion and courage with each we examine both the teachings of the Buddha and the life and work of King, playing several of his talks.
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2007-01-31
Mindfulness And Papanca - part 2
57:37
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Donald Rothberg
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We focus, in this record of two talks, on the nature of Papanca or “conceptual proliferation” its roots in compulsive craving and aversion, and a number of different ways to work skillfully with Papanca.
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2007-03-14
Transforming Judgment - part 1
53:55
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Donald Rothberg
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Working with judgments is a kind of “royal road” of transformation, taking us into our deep and often unconscious views, sense of self and pain. We look at the importance of this work, and the speaker tells personal stories illustrating four ways of working with judgments: 1. mindfulness 2. seeing core patterns of mind and heart 3. metta, compassion, joy – using heart practices, and 4. deep inquiry.
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2007-03-21
Transforming Judgment - part 2
47:28
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Donald Rothberg
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We review some of the main themes of transforming judgments – the nature of judgments and four main ways of working with judgments, using mindfulness, inquiry, and heart practices. We add some exploration of the cultural dimension of judgments and how to combine inner work on judgments with outer response and how to combine inner work on judgments with outer response.
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2007-03-26
The Ten Thousand Idiots
38:52
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Ed Brown
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The Ten Thousand Idiots are alive and well. Compassion flowers. Let your loneliness
cut more deep. And so forth.
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2007-03-28
Developing Energy In Our Practice: Wise Effort - part 1
46:42
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Donald Rothberg
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Developing energy and effort in our practice is crucial. In its mature form, effort becomes “effortless” but on the way, we need to support our practice’s energy both generally and moment-to-moment. We look at the traditional teaching of the four “wise efforts,” adding some contemporary metaphors, especially drawn from Kayakins.
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2007-04-16
Dharma God
47:52
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Kevin Griffin
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Exploring Buddhadasa's teaching on "God", using the Twelve Step connection.
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2007-04-23
Responding To Violence
56:21
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Nina Wise
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How do we respond to violence? What is the root of violence? How do we address our self-loathing? Metta, Karuna, Sangha.
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2007-05-02
Right Livelihood And Vocation
55:33
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Donald Rothberg
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Right livelihood, one of the factors of the Eightfold Path, is primarily focused on the ethical qualities of our work. We explore this factor, as well as the related sense of vocation or calling – to have one’s life and work express one’s gifts while contributing and providing a path to universal Dharma.
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2007-05-23
Attending To Beauty
58:34
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Donald Rothberg
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Beth Gendler, author of Notes On The Need For Beauty, reflects in dialogue with Donald Rothberg and the Sanga, on the nature of beauty, “cleansing the doors of perception, and the place of beauty in transformative practice.”
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2007-05-30
Inquiry And Investigation - part 1
59:16
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Donald Rothberg
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Because we live in such a mental culture, we sometimes interpret meditation as getting rid of all thinking. But inquiry and investigation, often aided by language are crucial to Buddhist practice. We look at three practical methods of inquiry, using (1) mindfulness (2) deep listening, and (3) the lens of particular teachings.
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2007-06-06
Inquiry And Investigation - part 2
36:22
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Donald Rothberg
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In this second talk on inquiry, we review some of the material from last time, including the Kalama Sutta, inquiry as a factor of awakening, and the inquiry methods of (1) mindfulness, (2) deep listening and (3) working with teachings to help inquiry. Then we explore (4) radical questions and (5) deconstruction of fixed beliefs.
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2007-06-13
Inquiry And Investigation - part 3
43:33
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Donald Rothberg
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We continue exploring the nature and methods of inquiry, the freshness, openness, interest and energy it can bring to practice. We explore (1) mindfulness – based inquiry, (2) deep listening, (3) working with teachings (here particularly the Four Noble Truths and Precepts), (4) radical questions and (5) deconstructing fixed beliefs, with more time on numbers 3 – 5.
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2007-06-20
Summer Solstice And The Factors Of Enlightenment - part 1
50:21
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Donald Rothberg
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The qualities of the summer solstice: stillness (between days with more or less light), light and clarity, openness and space, warmth, and abundant energy, parallel in many ways the factors of enlightenment in the teachings of the Buddha. We explore these qualities through teachings, poetry and suggestions of practice.
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2007-06-25
Interdependence Day
57:58
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Jack Kornfield
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The 4th of July celebration of American Independence met with the Buddhist teaching of interdependence brings a deeper understanding of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
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2007-06-27
The Seven Factors Of Awakening
50:39
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Donald Rothberg
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We explore in general the Seven Factors as a guide to our practice and as an experience of awakened being and presence. We examine each of the seven: mindfulness, investigation, effort, rapture or joy, stillness, concentration and equanimity, with suggestions of what to do to cultivate each quality.
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2007-07-04
The Dharma And Democracy
58:33
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Donald Rothberg
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Thich Nhat Hanh has written of how the encounter of Dharma and democracy will bring something new and exciting to the world. We explore 1. the beauty and dream of democracy and its resonance with the Dharma, 2. what currently needs attention in our would-be democracy and 3. a vision of how the connection of Dharma and democracy mature is vital for ourselves and our world.
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2007-07-18
The Path Of The Bodhisattva - part 2
53:16
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Donald Rothberg
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In this second session, we first review the path of the Bodhisattva, exploring both the Theravada and Mahayara roots and the qualities (paramis, paramites) developed. We focus on vow – intentions, patience, and meditation, looking at how to make the Bodhisattva training real in our daily lives.
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2007-07-25
The Path Of The Bodhisattva - part 3
56:33
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Donald Rothberg
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After an overview of the Bodhisattva path, and of the perfections of vow – intention, patience, and meditations, we look at the perfections of wisdom and skillful action. We end with an experiential exercise designed to a different situation.
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2007-08-01
The Path Of The Bodhisattva - part 4 and the Vow Ceremony
58:09
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Donald Rothberg
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We review the nature of the Bodhisattva, in its archetypal expression, its manifestation in extraordinary and ordinary human exemplars, and in ourselves. We focus on the qualities of wisdom and skillful action especially and end with a short ceremony in which the participants develop their own version of the Bodhisattva, and express some of them publicly.
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