The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
 
Dharma Talks given at Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2007-11-03 Awareness In The Body 52:48
Julie Wester
Body awareness as a doorway to resting in our true nature
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Insight Meditation Retreat

2007-10-31 Practicing With Thoughts And Emotions 61:22
Donald Rothberg
Mindfulness of thoughts and emotions gives us one of our great resources for applying our practice in daily life -- in the midst of work, relationships, and family. Here we explore some general qualities of mindfulness, then explore the guidelines of "RAIN" -- recognition, acceptance, inquiry and non-identification -- applying this approach to the experiencing of anger. Next week we explore skillful action with thoughts and emotions.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center

2007-10-29 Quiet The Mind, Open The Heart 69:27
Jack Kornfield
The essence of meditation is a shift of identity and awakening of compassion.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday and Wednesday Talks

2007-10-26 Supporting And Deepening Daily Life Practice 53:25
Donald Rothberg
Practicing mindfulness and metta in the United States is definitely challenging for a variety of reasons which are explored briefly. We outline a number of basic supports for practice (daily practice, community, study, etc. ) and then focus on four main ways of deepening daily life practice - (1) Finding regular ways to break habits, (2)Working with a mentor or teacher, (3) Grounding in the body, and (4) Learning to take obstacles and suffering as opportunities. (note: There is a 15 minute gap about 11 minutes into this talk and cuts out again at 53 minutes, due to technical difficulties.)
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Cultivating Clear Seeing, Opening the Heart

2007-10-26 #7 Self & Society 59:18
Stephen Batchelor
A consideration of the Buddhist understanding of self as a process, based on passages from the Pali Canon. A critique of "perfection" as the aim of the teachings, based on the understanding of "freedom" as found in the Padhana Sutta. Followed by a reflection on the Buddha's SOCIAL VISION. This leads to comments on the nature of Buddhism itself as a religious institution, and concludes with a call for a CULTURE OF AWAKENING in a secular world.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Meditation and Study Retreat

2007-10-26 The Tenderness Of Compassion 49:25
Sharda Rogell
What is compassion and how do we open to our compassionate heart? And as we let GO OF our self interest AND demands ON LIFE TO BE THE WAY WE WANT IT TO BE and turn toward our own pain and other's pain, compassion can awaken in our hearts.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Meditation and Study Retreat

2007-10-25 Invoking The Beautiful - The Divine Abodes Of Lovingkindness 66:19
Donald Rothberg
There are two main approaches in our practice - mindfulness and invoking beautiful and exalted states. They complement each other in important ways. After considering these two approaches, we explore the nature of each of the divine abodes, their near and far enemies, and their complementary nature - each requires the other three for its mature development.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Cultivating Clear Seeing, Opening the Heart

2007-10-25 #6 God & Buddhanature 57:15
Stephen Batchelor
A study of the Buddha's understanding of God (Brahma) as found in texts of the Pali Canon. The Buddha was an ironic ATHEIST, who did not take a fanatic position against God. This is followed by a reflection on the idea of BUDDHANATURE, starting with its origins in the Pali Canon and seeing how it evolves in later Buddhist thought in ways that both complement and contradict the early tradition.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Meditation and Study Retreat

2007-10-25 Awakening Or Enlightenment: Sudden Or Gradual 44:49
Martine Batchelor
Awakening as a process of degrasping instead of being the production of a state of enlightenment that cannot be eaten in salad. The suggestion that the path consists of sudden awakening followed by gradual practices
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Meditation and Study Retreat

2007-10-24 Life Is What Happens 59:43
Tony Bernhard
Eight fold path as the practice for becoming free
Spirit Rock Meditation Center

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