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The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
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Dharma Talks
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2008-12-19
Solstice Heart
34:24
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Ayya Medhanandi
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With the advent of the Winter Solstice - the shortest day of the year - comes the promise that the light will return. We can honour this principle in our practice by turning towards the light that is revealed in our own minds. The goodness and purity of this light can connect us to unconditional peace and love. A talk given at the Ottawa Buddhist Society in 2008.
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Ottawa Buddhist Society
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2008-12-05
The Fourth Foundation Of Mindfulness
59:09
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Sally Armstrong
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The Satipatthana Sutta (usually translated as the Foundations of Mindfulness) offers a complete description of the practice of mindfulness, beginning with the direct awareness of the breath and the body, progressing through mindfulness of vedana or feeling tone, to the more subtle object of the Third Foundation, mindfulness of mind states. The Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness represents the culmination of this series of practices, and can be seen as a direct pointing, again and again, to the possibility of freedom through direct awareness of where we get caught, and how to turn the mind towards liberation. This talk is an overview of the practices of the Fourth Foundation, which can be seen as both the last in the sequence of practices, and as a progression in itself. It also covers how the Fourth Foundation can actually be skillfully interwoven into our practice of the other foundations.
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Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
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Three-Month Retreat - Part 2
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2008-11-27
Practicing Gratitude And Joy
56:49
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Sally Armstrong
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On this day of thanksgiving, it is important to remember what we are actually celebrating: the generosity of Native Americans to the early settlers, and all that they have given us. It is also a day to be grateful for all the blessings in our lives, and to bring a sense of appreciation to the beauty and joy that is all around us. As we incline the mind towards noticing what we are grateful for, we find an increased sense of well-being and happiness in our lives.
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Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
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Three-Month Retreat - Part 2
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2008-11-21
Living in the Truth
66:18
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Rob Burbea
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A life dedicated to discovering the Truth of things is a life lived beautifully, and leading organically to freedom from suffering. Yet we frequently approach our seeking with hidden attachments to assumptions, preconceptions and views (often about Truth or the ways it is realised) that hinder a really complete, far-reaching, open and radical inquiry. On every level, from the personal to the mystical and ultimate, how can we give free reign to the heart's longing to live the truth?
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Gaia House
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Solitary Month Retreat
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2008-11-20
Dependent Origination: An Overview
57:49
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Sally Armstrong
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The Buddha considered Dependent Origination to be his most profound insight. This teaching shows us how we get caught in the cycle of suffering, and how it is possible to free ourselves. When we’re not aware of this process, we are blinded by our ignorance and get caught in craving again and again. We create different identities that we cling to, and that limit our ability to be free in the moment. When we’re aware of this process, we can make wiser choices about how to respond, and perhaps even break the cycles of becoming altogether. This talk gives a brief overview of the 12 links of Dependent Origination, and then describes how it works on a practical, moment-to-moment basis in our lives.
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Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
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Three-Month Retreat - Part 2
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2008-11-19
The Three Characteristics - part 3: No-Self
1:15:27
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Tara Brach
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At the center of the Buddhist teachings is the understanding that the passing phenomena of this world--sounds, sensations, thoughts, bodies and minds--have no self at the center, no self as owner, and are not happening to a self. In other words, our familiar sense of self is an illusion. When there is full presence, a presence not filtered by thoughts, this illusion dissolves, freeing us to realize our true nature. This talk exploring the teachings of no-self, or emptiness, includes several reflections and practices that guide us in awakening to this essential and liberating truth.
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Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
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IMCW Wednesday Evening Talks
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2008-11-14
Sense Desire
59:34
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Rob Burbea
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We exist and move in the world of sense contacts, and yet often we neglect to examine this relationship very deeply, or it becomes just another way to judge ourselves. Can we challenge our assumptions, habits and views and inquire caringly in this area in order to open to a more profound and unexpected freedom?
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Gaia House
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Solitary Month Retreat
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