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The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
 
Oren Jay Sofer's Dharma Talks
Oren Jay Sofer
Developing a clear understanding of the teachings and learning to fully inhabit the body have been core parts of my Dhamma practice. These areas, as well a strong emphasis on the heart, inform and shape my teaching. The few years I spent training as an Anagarika in the Thai Forest monasteries broadened my understanding of the Buddha's teachings and instilled a profound respect for the Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni Sangha. All along the way, I've been particularly interested in how other modalities like Nonviolent Communication and Somatics can support our growth in awakening.
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2019-05-21 Finding Balance In Life 46:04
Exploring the Brahma Viharas and equanimity as supports in life.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center Metta: Lovingkindness Retreat
2019-05-18 Meeting Adversity With Love 56:11
On the eve commemorating the Buddha's life and awakening, we explore how to meet the hinderances skillfully.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center Metta: Lovingkindness Retreat
2019-03-24 Renunciation: The Freedom of Non-Grasping (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 59:38
The entire path can be understood as a cultivation of the ability to let go. In this talk, we explore this core quality of renunciation in Buddhist practice: What it is and what it isn't, what we let go of and how, what supports the maturing of renunciation. We include some specific suggestions for ways to practice renunciation in lay life as well.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center March Insight Meditation 1-Month
2019-03-17 Right Understanding (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 60:57
For the practice to be effective we must integrate the proper understanding, known as "Right View." This talk explores right view in three ways: as a foundation for the practice through understanding our everyday life, as a view of all events as a natural unfolding of causes and conditions, and as the liberating understanding of the Four Noble Truths.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center March Insight Meditation 1-Month
2019-03-11 Confidence in the Path: Learning to Trust (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 53:31
Faith (Saddha) is an essential quality on the path to awakening. This talk explores how we can understand this factor, cultivate it, and make use of it in our practice.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center March Insight Meditation 1-Month
2019-03-06 Balanced Energy, Wise Effort (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 57:00
Meditation practice is a process of cultivating healthy, skillful qualities in the mind. This talk explores two essential factors for the practice: balanced energy, and wise effort through the lens of the “Four Great Efforts.” How we practice is often more important than what technique we use. What qualities are you bringing to bear on your experience as you practice?
Spirit Rock Meditation Center March Insight Meditation 1-Month
2019-02-14 Communication as Dharma practice 60:49
We communicate with ourselves and others all day long. By adopting a few principles we can use this activity to allow ourselves to grow.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley IMCB Regular Talks
2019-02-10 Communication as Daily Practice 50:24
Oren Jay Sofer presents the second talk in a speaker series on The Engaged Buddhist. Here he speaks on our practice off the cushion, pointing out that we spend the vast majority of our days communicating in one way or another. He describes three practices to improve our relationships with others: leading with presence, cultivating the intention to understand the other, and training our focus.
Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
In collection: Engaged Buddhism
2019-02-05 Engaged Buddhism 3:44:38
with Ayya Santussika, Bill Kostura and Phil Goodwin, Jennifer Dungan, Oren Jay Sofer
Meditation instructions are sometimes misinterpreted to imply that one should disengage from activity and suspend all judgment. Buddhist advice on “letting go” can be misunderstood to suggest that problems in the world can or should be ignored. Yet the Pali canon shows that the Buddha taught practical social and economic remedies, and urged monks to travel so they could benefit the largest number of people. Thích Nhất Hạnh coined the term “engaged Buddhism” to describe efforts to respond to the suffering in his country during the Vietnam war, work he saw as part of meditation and mindfulness practice rather than something apart from it. In this series, some local “engaged Buddhists” will share how they personally apply Buddhist wisdom to engage with the suffering around us, in areas such as social action, prison ministry, and environmentalism.
Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
2019-02-04 Sustaining the Heart: Energy on the Spiritual Path 57:30
(Part 2) This Monday Night Dharma Talk explores the role of energy on the path as well as in our daily lives. In what ways do we waste energy? How do we cultivate and sustain energy? And how we can learn how to steward energy more wisely?
Spirit Rock Meditation Center

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