Archive of Talks

As the old koan goes… “Not Knowing is Most Intimate.”  A few months ago, Eric shared this talk from Matthew Brensilver on knowing and not knowing.  This Sunday, he brought a few reminders from that talk (Knowing and Not Knowing are not opposite ends of a spectrum… Not Knowing is not ignorance, but an “unwillingness to cover… Read more

Why do we habitually reach for our cell phones during any pause in the action in our lives?  How does the habit of consuming news and social media entrain our heart/mind (Chitta)?  Buddhism’s insight into the origins of human cravings and into specific practices which cultivate freedom can be applied directly to this social habit.… Read more

This week we had the distinct privilege of hosting Dharma Teacher Cara Lai to give her reflections on the topic of Emptiness. This talk explored emptiness as the heart of the Buddha’s teaching and a direct path to freedom. Rather than something bleak or nihilistic, emptiness is revealed through the three marks of existence—impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and… Read more

In Buddhist philosophy when we say things are “empty”, we mean they are empty of independent existence. All things are conditioned; they are products of thousands of separate conditions and only exist because those conditions have come together at that moment in time. Our slice of toast depends on the baker, the miller, the truckers,… Read more

Our sangha is in the midst of a series of explorations of Emptiness, which Sam began last Sunday.  This week, Michael guided an unpacking of the famous Heart Sutra, which brings a Mahayana perspective: Form is Emptiness, Emptiness is Form.   Payton and visiting Dharma Teacher Cara Lai will round out the series in the subsequent weeks.   Join us… Read more

Sam guided our sangha this Sunday.  Inspired by a quote from Shabkar Tsokdruk Rangdrol (1781–1851) — “The mind’s nature is vivid as a flawless piece of crystal – intrinsically empty, naturally radiant, ceaselessly responsive” — we considerd other writings and listen to excerpts of some relevant dharma talks. Here’s Sam’s notes: In a sangha run by Max or Don,… Read more