The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
 
Dharma Talks given at Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2025-04-02 Guided Meditation: Developing Samadhi (Concentration) 41:31
Donald Rothberg
We begin with a brief account of the nature of samadhi (usually translated as "concentration"), and then give instructions for developing samadhi in formal meditation. (We'll come back to discuss samadhi in more depth in the talk.) There are several reminders during the meditation to return to the focus on cultivating samadhi. In the last part of the meditation, we connect the greater stability that's developed in the practice of cultivating samadhi with cultivating mindfulness.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday and Wednesday Talks

2025-03-27 Spiritual Friendship (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 47:28
Tara Mulay
Spirit Rock Meditation Center March Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat

2025-03-27 Opening the Window of Doubt 62:29
Grace Fisher
Meditation & Dharma Talk
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Thursday Morning Women’s Group

2025-03-24 The Importance of Emptiness, Hiri and Ottappa 55:51
Tuere Sala
Spirit Rock Meditation Center March Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat

2025-03-23 The Lion’s Roar: Courage in These Times 37:14
Devin Berry
Rooted in the simile of the Lion Sutta (4.33), this talk explores how the power of the Lion’s roar—Buddha-Dharma—awakens the courage to face suffering with clarity, inner steadiness, and a heart aligned with truth and presence.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center March Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat

2025-03-22 Three kinds of Nibbana in our western Insight traditions 52:57
Tempel Smith
Within our blessed lineages of Venerables Ajahn Cha and Mahasi Sayadaw, and the teachings within the Pali Canon, we have found three kinds of nibbana. Nibbana is closely related to the full liberation from dukkha (suffering). To even talk about one kind of nibbana can be difficult as it is beyond language, yet there is another confusion within western Insight meditation. By practicing in Mahasi's Burmese meditaitons, in Cha's Thai Forest meditations, and here in North America, there are roughly three kinds of nibbana: a) an unperturbed background field of awareness, b) a perfect zero of cessation, and c) a stream of transient mind-body moments without greed, hatred or craving. Knowing of these three kinds of nibbana can clarify what our vipassana practices are aimed at.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center March Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat

2025-03-21 Dispassion as Pathway to the Peace of Letting Go (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 46:51
Kristina Bare
Seeing impermanence leads to dispassion and letting go into deepening peace.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center March Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat

2025-03-20 The Five Aggregates: Sankhara & Consciousness (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 51:44
Tara Mulay
Spirit Rock Meditation Center March Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat

2025-03-20 Equanimity Brahma-Vihara (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 43:18
Kristina Bare
Spirit Rock Meditation Center March Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat

2025-03-20 Crossing the Threshold of the Moment 58:19
Grace Fisher
Meditation & Dharma Talk
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Thursday Morning Women’s Group

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