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The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
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Dharma Talks
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2022-08-22
Concentration and Insight (Retreat at Spirit Rock)
2:10:17
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Tempel Smith
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In the detailed description of the 16 steps of anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing) the first 12 steps develop samadhi (concentration) as a basis for the last four steps (13-16) of insight practice. These are using in and out breathing to become sensitive to impermanence (anicca), and from impermanence to releasing the agitation (viraga) from trying to find security in a fluid and fluctuating world. The second to last step in relaxing into the completeness and thoroughness of endings (nirodha), as a support to the last step of fully letting go.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Cultivating Concentration
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2022-08-10
Four Foundations of Mindfulness - Part 2
24:12
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Ajahn Achalo
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00:44 Q1: I am interested to learn Sattipathana Sutta from Tan Ajahn, a perspective from a monk's. I'm following your talks for some time now and your talks inspire me. I have recently done Sattipathana course from Goenka tradition. Would you please teach us as Vassa is also just around the corner. Will be highly grateful. 42:51 Q2: Sila is generosity. In the retreat Q&A, it says sila is for the abandoning of the 3 fetters in order to gain wisdom. Please elaborate. I do not know what the 3 fetters are. I have not finished reading all the literatures of Buddhism. Thank you. 55:11 Q3 Dear Ajahn, currently I am facing some obstacles and fear because there is a violent Vajrayana fighter nun who cannot rejoice in my daily dana to Buddha and Bodhi tree. She is trying to harm me by kicking my bag when I am chanting, disturbing me...etc. How can I protect myself from these types of circumstances? With metta. See also this video: Four Foundations of Mindfulness - Part 2 - Aug 10, 2022
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Anandagiri Forest Monastery
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2022-07-27
A Guided Meditation Cultivating Equanimity and Compassion
37:48
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Donald Rothberg
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After basic instructions in (1) settling and stabilizing attention, and (2) practicing mindfulness, there is 5-minute period of settling and stabilizing. Then there are several practice suggestions for cultivating equanimity, especially by noticing and exploring reactivity and any appearances of the "Eight Worldly Winds." After another 10 minutes or so, there is also guidance in two main ways of developing compassion, through opening in mindfulness to what is difficult or painful, and through a three-step self-compassion practice from Kristin Neff.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2022-07-14
The Five Hindrances
62:19
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Mei Elliott
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This talk provides an overview of the Five Hindrances, afflictive mental states that obscure our inner wisdom. It covers how to practice with the hindrances by engaging mindfulness, curiosity and kindness, as well as how to apply antidotes. Mei Elliott is currently the director of San Francisco Zen Center’s City Center temple, where she lives and practices.
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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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2022-07-07
Working with Hindrances to Mettā Meditation (Retreat at Spirit Rock)
49:25
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Tempel Smith
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As we practice mettā meditation we will have waves where the practice feels easy, intuitive and validating; and we will all have waves where we struggle. There are five very common states which visit us in meditation practice called the "five hindrances". These are commonly named in English as craving, aversion, dullness, restlessness, and doubt. For steady mettā practice our first response to these challenges is to practice more carefully with patience determination. The second response is to offer ourselves kindness and compassion during challenging times. For mettā meditation and for the other three brahmaviharas, our third response to challenging times is to turn wakefully towards the qualities of the challenge and see them as only temporary conditions. We can greatly reduce the experience of suffering in the hindrances when we have mindful experience of them.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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July Lovingkindness Retreat
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2022-06-27
Mindful Respect | Monday Night Talk
54:10
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Jack Kornfield
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In India, when people greet one another they put their palms together and bow, saying namaste, “I honor the divine within you.” It is a way of acknowledging your Buddha nature, who you really are.
When I was training as a Buddhist monk, I witnessed an aura of straightforwardness, graciousness, and trust around my teacher Ajahn Chah. Here was a community dedicated to treating each person with respect and dignity. In the monastery, the walking paths were swept daily, the robes and bowls of the monks were tended with care. We learned to value ourselves and others equally.
Whether practiced in a forest monastery or anywhere else, mindfulness practice begins by deliberately cultivating respect, starting with ourselves. When we learn to rest in our own goodness, we can see the goodness more clearly in others.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2022-06-22
The Indriyas
66:06
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Ajahn Sucitto
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The five indriya are intimate allies that allow for a full and profound liberation - faith, persistence, mindfulness, concentration and discernment. They are conditioned but help us to cultivate the path towards the unconditioned. (Les cinq Indriya sont des alliés intimes qui permettent une libération pleine et profonde - foi, persévérance, pleine conscience, concentration et discernement. Ils sont conditionnés mais nous aident à cultiver le chemin vers l'inconditionné. )
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Terre d'Éveil Vipassana
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Energy as a means of liberation and well-being
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2022-06-09
5 Methods to Work with Troublesome Thoughts:
MN #20: Vitakkasanthana Sutta
49:43
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James Baraz
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The Buddha gave a teaching on five different methods he recommended to work with disturbing thoughts. When we are mindful of the thinking process it's possible to see thoughts simply as mental fabrications. However, when we get caught in them and the body gets activated, we spin out in the story and are caught in a negative emotional response. We become identified with those mental formations and can more easily get lost. When that happens, the Buddha offers these five strategies as skillful techniques to deal with the confused mind.
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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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2022-05-25
Practicing with Fear 3
66:03
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Donald Rothberg
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We start by acknowledging the mass shooting in Texas that occurred yesterday, in the context of our practicing with fear, following up an earlier guided meditation and sharing (not recorded) related to the shooting. We then look generally at the three core ways of practicing with fear, going into some depth on each: (1) cultivating mindfulness and clear seeing (wisdom), (2) working with the heart practices, and (3) acting skillfully. We then focus on how the process of awakening typically involves at each new stage an opening to fear, and also mention some of the dynamics of the "Dark Night of the Soul." Lastly, we look at how to explore and work with fear related to our social world, in terms of the three ways of practicing with fear. There follows a period of discussion.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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2022-05-18
Practicing with Fear 2
68:32
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Donald Rothberg
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We review briefly some of what we covered in the last session (April 27) on practicing with fear. We then explore the various types of fear reported in the group, what we find bringing mindfulness to hear, particularly what's experienced in the body and in the mind, and the importance of having antidotes to fear, when the level of fear is at a high level and our usual practices are not effective. We also point to the way that as we develop and move into new areas of learning, we also often open up to new fears that are part of the new territory. We close with a period of questions and sharing.
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Spirit Rock Meditation Center
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Monday and Wednesday Talks
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