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Dharma Talks given at Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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2025-01-20 Attuning to the Moral Compass of the Heart 1:50:11
Amana Brembry Johnson
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A cross-cultural introduction to the concept of the crossroads in relation to the convergence of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday celebration and the inauguration of the 47th U.S. President on January 20, 2025.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Monday and Wednesday Talks

2025-01-16 Metta Practice and the Larger World (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 42:17
Donald Rothberg
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In this session, Donald gives about a 25-minute talk, followed by 15 minutes of discussion. How do we move from a week of metta practice into a time of turmoil and uncertainty in the U.S. and in the world? A number of guidelines and suggestions are given, including keeping the vision of practicing in all parts of one’s life, and keeping close the visions of awakening and of what Dr. King called the “beloved community.” In this time, staying connected with community is also crucial, as are, among many skillful intentions, practicing skillfully with difficult emotions, grounding in the body, cultivating cycles of engagement and withdrawal, and being careful about the amount of information one takes in. The talk ends by pointing to Joanna Macy’s model of three areas of transformation, and the invitation to respond to the call that each of us may hear. Discussion follows.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Mettā Retreat: Teachings and Practices to Cultivate a Wise, Awakened, and Responsive Heart

2025-01-16 The Spacious Coolness of Equanimity 61:50
Grace Fisher
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Thursday Morning Women’s Group

2025-01-15 Metta Practice and the Life and Work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 55:59
Donald Rothberg
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On the birthday of Dr. King, we explore some of the remarkable and powerful parallels between Metta practice and Buddhist teachings, on the one hand, and the life, teachings, and work of Dr. King, on the other. We explore in particular three areas: (1) the connection between Metta and the Christian tradition of acting from love that is central for King; (2) the wisdom perspective of seeing greed, hatred, and delusion, and developing understanding and manifesting non-reactivity through ethical grounding and nonviolence; and (3) the other qualities of the awakened heart--the Brahmavihara for the Buddha, and Dr. King’s way of manifesting qualities in addition to love, such as compassion, empathy, joy, and equanimity.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Mettā Retreat: Teachings and Practices to Cultivate a Wise, Awakened, and Responsive Heart

2025-01-14 Morning Instructions Day 4 - Introducing the Neutral Person (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 46:01
Gullu Singh
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In this guided meditation we expand the sphere of Mettā from Self, Benefactor and Friend to also include the neutral person. This is the person you do not know well or have any strong feeling for or against. The ancient texts describe this as the one that is neither loved nor unloved.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Mettā Retreat: Teachings and Practices to Cultivate a Wise, Awakened, and Responsive Heart

2025-01-13 Interconnection and Ancestors 1:29:56
Pawan Bareja
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Spirit Rock - Rainbow Sangha

2025-01-13 Guided Meditation: Radiating Metta (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 37:19
Donald Rothberg
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We start with naming two general contexts for metta practice: (1) metta is practiced along with the other three brahmavihara—compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity—and when mature integrates the other three; and (2) there are different ways of practicing metta. We then look at another main way of practicing, likely the way that the Buddha practiced—radiating metta. After a brief overview, we practice radiating metta first through a guided spatial expansion of radiating metta, from one’s own heart to the infinite expanse. Then we practice briefly a simple way of just letting metta radiate. After practice, there is discussion.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Mettā Retreat: Teachings and Practices to Cultivate a Wise, Awakened, and Responsive Heart

2025-01-12 Guided Meditation: Forgiveness Practice (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 47:04
Donald Rothberg
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We begin with a short overview of the nature of forgiveness and forgiveness practice. Then there is a guided practice of forgiveness, followed by discussion.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Mettā Retreat: Teachings and Practices to Cultivate a Wise, Awakened, and Responsive Heart

2025-01-12 Everything I Know: Reflections on the Path and the Goal of Practice (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 62:30
Sylvia Boorstein
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Mettā Retreat: Teachings and Practices to Cultivate a Wise, Awakened, and Responsive Heart

2025-01-11 Evening Talk: The Nature and Potential of Metta Practice (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 58:47
Donald Rothberg
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We start with a story and poem related to developing metta. Then there is an overview of the nature of metta and metta practice, and how the intention to manifest metta—good will, care, and a powerful friendliness—has many resonances with the core intentions of other spiritual traditions, often expressed in terms of manifesting love. We explore how we train in developing the intention to manifest metta and how we see what gets in the way. We look at several of the challenges of metta practice and how to work with them.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Mettā Retreat: Teachings and Practices to Cultivate a Wise, Awakened, and Responsive Heart

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