The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
 
Dharma Talks given at Spirit Rock Meditation Center
2025-01-12 Guided Meditation: Forgiveness Practice (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 47:04
Donald Rothberg
We begin with a short overview of the nature of forgiveness and forgiveness practice. Then there is a guided practice of forgiveness, followed by discussion.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Mettā Retreat: Teachings and Practices to Cultivate a Wise, Awakened, and Responsive Heart

2025-01-12 Everything I Know: Reflections on the Path and the Goal of Practice (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 62:30
Sylvia Boorstein
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Mettā Retreat: Teachings and Practices to Cultivate a Wise, Awakened, and Responsive Heart

2025-01-11 Evening Talk: The Nature and Potential of Metta Practice (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 58:47
Donald Rothberg
We start with a story and poem related to developing metta. Then there is an overview of the nature of metta and metta practice, and how the intention to manifest metta—good will, care, and a powerful friendliness—has many resonances with the core intentions of other spiritual traditions, often expressed in terms of manifesting love. We explore how we train in developing the intention to manifest metta and how we see what gets in the way. We look at several of the challenges of metta practice and how to work with them.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Mettā Retreat: Teachings and Practices to Cultivate a Wise, Awakened, and Responsive Heart

2025-01-11 Generosity Is the Answer 29:10
Devon Hase
A talk focused on Dana Parami and its role in recognizing Nibbana. The discussion highlighted the importance of removing obscurations to reveal awareness, wisdom, and love. Devon explained how Paramis helped clear the way and emphasized the interdependence of giving and receiving. Practical aspects of generosity were addressed, including maintaining healthy boundaries and understanding motivations. Personal stories and reflections were shared to illustrate different types of giving and the long-term benefits of a generous mindset. Devon encouraged participants to practice generosity in daily life and highlighted the profound impact of living with an open heart.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Spirit Rock - Rainbow Sangha

2025-01-11 First Metta Instructions: Benefactor & Self (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 50:39
Gullu Singh
The initial instruction in Mettā practice using the phrases and working with the primary categories of benefactor & Self
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Mettā Retreat: Teachings and Practices to Cultivate a Wise, Awakened, and Responsive Heart

2025-01-10 The First Noble Truth and Recovery 69:03
Kevin Griffin
Meditation followed by dharma talk
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Dharma and Recovery

2025-01-09 The Things We Carry 60:03
Grace Fisher
Begins with a 30m meditation & is followed by a Dharma talk, (Group discussion has been omitted).
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Thursday Morning Women’s Group

2025-01-08 The Nature of Awakening and the Path to Awakening 58:53
Donald Rothberg
As we begin a new year, it's helpful to remember the deep motivation of our practice--to awaken--and to ask how our intention to awaken manifests in our practice. In this talk, we explore the Buddha's metaphor of "awakening" (from sleep, from dreams) as a metaphor for spiritual practices, and how he also speaks of realizing Nirvana. We unpack how the Buddha understood Nirvana and awakening--both negatively, as the end of ignorance, and dukkha and reactivity--and more positively as going fully beyond the ordinary constructions of experience. We also look at how the Buddha understood the practical path of training to realize awakening and Nirvana, and how this was explicated through different teachings and practices. At the end, we briefly bring up the question of what a contemporary path of awakening looks like. The talk is followed by discussion.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday and Wednesday Talks

2025-01-08 Guided Meditation: Identifying Some of the Ways that We Construct Experience 37:10
Donald Rothberg
After some basic instructions in developing concentration and stability, as well as mindfulness, we practice in silence. After about another ten minutes, there are several periodic brief periods of guided practice, in which we are guided to notice our main patterns of thought and perception of objects. In the latter part of the period, we are guided to drop constructions of experience in two ways.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday and Wednesday Talks

2025-01-07 Faith / Confidnece (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 46:57
Victoria Cary
Personal reflections on Faith and Confidence.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Winter Insight Retreat

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