Dharma Talks
given at Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2007-10-22
#3 Turning The Wheel Of Dhamma
59:54
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Stephen Batchelor
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A reflection on the COUNTER-INTUITIVE nature of the Buddha's teaching - how the Dhamma goes against deeply seated intuition, e.g., that there is something permanent in this impermanent world. This is followed by a reading of and reflection on the first discourse the Buddha gave, which outlines the middle way and the four ennobling truths. To be followed in talk #4 by a detailed reading of the four truths as four injunctions rather than four things to believe.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Meditation and Study Retreat
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2007-10-21
#2 Going Against The Stream
56:31
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Stephen Batchelor
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A continuation of the study of the Buddha's account of his awakening in the ARIYAPARIYESANA SUTTA (M.26). Mindfulness as the way to GROUND oneself in the GROUND of Conditional Arising. the subjective pole of this ground is the stopping of greed, hatred, delusion. The Buddha was reluctant to teach because what he had awoken to "WENT AGAINST THE STREAM". The talk concludes with several passages from the UPANISHADS to illustrate this.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Meditation and Study Retreat
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2007-10-20
#1 The Groundless Ground
59:27
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Stephen Batchelor
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What did the Buddha teach that was distinctively his own view? This talk attempts to answer this question. I start to define three cardinal tenets of the Buddhist teachings: the Principle of Conditionality; the Process of the Eightfold Path, and the Practice of Mindfulness. I then examine a passage from the Ariyapariyesana Sutta in which the Buddha describes his awakening as a shift from a Place to a Ground.
NOTE: The quality of the recording of this talk may be improved after 11/15
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Meditation and Study Retreat
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