Archive of Talks

  • Being Peace

    In a world seething with chaos, rage, and suffering, what is our position in the world?  We have shared our feelings of grief, despair, frustration, helplessness, anger.  We have asked, what should we do?  What must we do?  How can we sit on our cushions in a world on fire?  The urge to fight back… Read more

  • Grief, moment by moment

    Ellen was struck a few months back by how many of us had lost parents and loved ones and were grieving. And then during last week’s gathering, one of the pervasive feelings in this political moment is grief. It is so important to make room for, to welcome and work with grief. During this week’s Sangha gathering,… Read more

  • Meeting the climate of fear

    For many Americans, the current political climate generates degrees of fear, ranging from a background level of worried concern to a constant state of dread.  And once they get a purchase on the psyche, these states can be self-perpetuating, like a chronic disease.   The Buddha often represented himself as a physician—for example, diagnosing the nearly universal… Read more

  • Knowing when to act on emotions

    Sitting with our thoughts and emotions is one of the first skills taught to beginners along our path. We learn how to be with difficult feelings without acting on the impulses that have controlled us our whole lives. However, the Buddha never said we should not act, only that we should act skillfully. How can… Read more

  • Getting Practical about Practice

    What is the difference between practicing music and practicing meditation?  According to Dharma Teacher Brian Lesage, they can be more similar than we might at first imagine.        We may become bored with repetition, but also repetition with the smallest variations can become sources of new insights and innovations. Using Lesage’s talk as a starting… Read more

  • Looking Within For Guidance

    This week, our Sangha considered a talk by Jack Kornfield on the Mahaparinibbana Sutta which is a collection of stories about the Buddha’s last year. A theme throughout the talk is looking within for guidance. Sam presented this talk for us all to explore. You can listen to the full talk here: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/73180/ Jack reads… Read more