The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
 
Dharma Talks given at Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2022-01-13 Metta and Equanimity 55:23
Gullu Singh
Reflections on how the cultivation of Metta is a cornerstone of building equanimity in which the mind is impartial. When we cultivate a mind that can radiate metta to the Stranger and the Enemy with the same wholeheartedness as to the Benefactor and Friend that same quality of mind can meet any experience with ease of heart and balance of mind.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Metta Retreat: Cultivating the Wise, Awakened, and Responsive Heart

2022-01-13 Intention, Commitment & Determination: Balancing the 3 Legged Stool 1:31:00
Heidi Bourne
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday and Wednesday Talks

2022-01-13 Refuge, Awareness, and Ground 20:59
Grace Fisher
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Thursday Morning Women’s Group

2022-01-12 How to Meet Obstacles in Metta Meditation--(Retreat at Spirit Rock) 61:42
Kaira Jewel Lingo
We begin with metta as heart training, a practice of awakening and growing our heart and explore how our practice of metta can also support and help to transform others. Then we move into obstacles to metta meditation and how to practice with them, covering when metta feels mechanical, distractions, grief, doubt, anger, and struggling to offer metta to ourselves. We close looking at how metta can be a protection and also how the Earth can be a source and inspiration for metta.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Metta Retreat: Cultivating the Wise, Awakened, and Responsive Heart

2022-01-11 The Nature of Metta and Metta Practice 52:10
Donald Rothberg
Metta practice is one version of the ancient vocation to live from kindness and love, that is found across spiritual traditions. In Buddhist tradition, it is in the family of “heart practices” that are called the brahmavihara: Lovingkindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity. In this context, we explore how metta practice both opens us up to this deep kindness and warmth and to what is the way of metta. We also examine some of the challenges of metta practice.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Metta Retreat: Cultivating the Wise, Awakened, and Responsive Heart

2022-01-08 Evening Dharma Talk (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 57:12
Howard Cohn
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Waking Up In The Midst Of It All

2022-01-07 Waking up with the Five Spiritual Faculties 51:53
Susie Harrington
The five Spiritual Faculties of Faith, Energy, Mindfulness, Concentration, and Wisdom give us both a map for the natural unfolding of our practice and a guide for how to orient and encourage its development.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Waking Up In The Midst Of It All

2022-01-06 Extending the Mind 29:05
Grace Fisher
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Thursday Morning Women’s Group

2022-01-05 Inquiry as a Factor of Awakening in Formal Meditation and Daily Life 2 64:10
Donald Rothberg
In this second exploration of the nature of inquiry or investigation, we first review some of what was covered in the first talk. We situate inquiry or investigation within the teaching of the Seven Factors of Awakening, as one of the three "energizing" factors. After outlining five modes of inquiry and reviewing the first two--inquiring with mindfulness and deep listening--covered last time, we explore a third mode of inquiry--using a teaching to guide one's practice--pointing to using several possible teachings as examples. We then focus on a fourth mode--radical questioning--giving several examples. We end with a period of discussion and dialogue.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday and Wednesday Talks

2022-01-05 Guided Meditation Exploring Several Forms of Inquiry 2 35:53
Donald Rothberg
After a period of settling, we work with two main forms of inquiry or investigation (one of the Seven Factors of Awakening). The first is inquiry through mindfulness when an experience has some duration: Asking what's happening and exploring what's going in the body, the emotions, and the story-line or narrative. The second is inquiry through working with a teaching. Here we work with a simple teaching, coming from the Four Noble Truths: "If there's suffering (or struggle), where's the attachment (or fixed idea, etc.)?" We explore these in formal meditation; they can also be applied in the flow of daily life.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday and Wednesday Talks

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