The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
 
Dharma Talks given at Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2008-02-08 Papanca - Why I Can't Be Happy Now 66:52
Howard Cohn
Our thinking mind, when unnoticed, spreads out into imaginary worlds about an imaginary version of ourselves. How mindfulness helps us recognize the various trances our mind spins.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Insight Meditation 1-month Retreat

2008-02-07 Inspiration For Practice: The Four Heavenly Messengers 61:22
Heather Sundberg
The talk explores the story of Prince Siddartha's encounters with the Four Heavenly Messengers - old age, sickness, death and those who have 'gone forth' in search of the highest happiness. Woven with personal stories and the examples of contemporary masters, the talk also offers practical advice on how to use the experience of the Four Messengers as our teachers and inspiration in practice.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Insight Meditation 1-month Retreat

2008-02-06 Four Noble Truths 60:40
Carol Wilson
The Buddha said that our path of awakening is like swimming upstream - in relationship to the habits of society and the habits of our own minds. So our deep motivation needs to be supported by accurate information. The 4 Noble Truths is a basic context/description of life, suffering and freedom that serves to support and inform all our various methods of practice.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Insight Meditation 1-month Retreat

2008-02-04 Mindfulness Of The Body 65:43
Heather Martin
Why and how mindfulness of the body reveals so much so clearly as we untangle the knots.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Insight Meditation 1-month Retreat

2008-02-03 Looking For Happiness In All The Wrong Places 56:31
Sally Armstrong
Because we don't understand what brings us true happiness, we often find ourselves trying to control or resist our experience, in a futile attempt to find relief. Seeing more clearly and working skillfully with our difficulties brings us true peace and calm.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Insight Meditation 1-month Retreat

2008-02-02 An Attitude Of Mindfulness 52:18
Guy Armstrong
The right attitude for meditation is one that is free of greed, aversion and delusion. The talk also explores the functions of mindfulness, attention and wisdom.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Insight Meditation 1-month Retreat

2008-01-30 Three Ways Of Deepening Daily Life Practice 58:57
Donald Rothberg
It's very challenging for our daily lives to be places of deep transformation, yet many of us want this. After looking at one of the challenges, we explore three ways to meet the challenges: 1) knowing what is important 2) taking "our bodies as our monasteries" 3) learning to "break the mirror", get unstuck, over and over again. For each of the three ways, a dharma reading and a poem are given.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center

2008-01-30 Ways Of Deepening Daily Life Practice 58:57
Donald Rothberg
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday and Wednesday Talks

2008-01-28 The Discussion Of The Wisdom Dakini 1:14:52
Lama Palden
Dakinis are activity aspects of awakened mind. Outwardly the dakini can support, nurture and protect us. She also can show up to cut through conceptuality. Ultimately dakini is the wisdom aspect of our own minds; the openness aspect that is the space for and is inseparable with everything that is. When this aspect is realized all phenomena, all experience become workable, eventually blissful. True nature is wisdom, openness, compassion and love.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday and Wednesday Talks

2008-01-24 Finding A Reliable Refuge 67:12
Howard Cohn
Turning toward the Dharma by reflecting on the refuge of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and the possibility of a kind of happiness and well-being born of mindfulness that is free and open.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Insight Meditation 1-month Retreat

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