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Dharma Talk Access for Retreatants
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Meditation and Study Retreat
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2007-10-19 (8 days)
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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2007-10-26
#7 Self & Society
59:19
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Stephen Batchelor
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| 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. |
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2007-10-26
The Tenderness Of Compassion
49:37
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Sharda Rogell
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| 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.
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2007-10-25
#6 God & Buddhanature
57:15
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Stephen Batchelor
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| 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. |
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2007-10-24
#5 The Undeclared & The Declared
58:37
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Stephen Batchelor
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| A reflection on the nature of KAMMA in which the Buddha recognises that numerous conditions are responsible for our experience in this life. This is followed by an analysis of the ten UNDECLARED questions (is the world eternal, etc.) in terms of the Buddhist rejection of metaphysics in favour a pragmatic and therapeutic approach to living life in this world here and now. |
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2007-10-23
#4 Fully Knowing Dukkha
60:07
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Stephen Batchelor
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| An examination of the four ENNOBLING truths as a process of re9rienting one's perspective on life in a conditioned world. Fully knowing dukkha - in all its aspects - leads naturally to a falling away of craving, which culminates in moments of STOPPING, in which the path opens up, i.e., one enters the stream. |
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2007-10-22
#3 Turning The Wheel Of Dhamma
59:57
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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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2007-10-22
Creative Engagement
47:25
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Martine Batchelor
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| Grasping and non-grasping in connection to self, people, things, views - how grasping makes us exaggerate and proliferate and how creative engagement can help our creative potential manifest and develop. |
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2007-10-21
#2 Going Against The Stream
57:19
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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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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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