Archive of Talks

The experience of the present moment looms large in Buddhist thought and practice.   Is it the complete embodiment of change, disappearing almost before it begins? Or is it where eternity lodges in every instant of our living? Ethics, Perception, Metaphysics, Character; what is beyond the domain of the present moment? Sam guided our reflections Read more

Compassion is deeply rooted in feeling, but to be realized, it must also be grounded in skill.  Using an excerpt from a talk by Christina Feldman, Darryl guided our reflections this week on Karuna, the second Brahma Vihara, including a glance at Avalokiteshvara, the imaginative many-armed icon of complete compassion, whose multiple eyes guide various hands hold different tools, Read more

Equanimity (Upekkha) is often misunderstood as detachment. However, it can be seen as the ease that arises from “seeing the full picture” — the capacity to feel everything fully while remaining steady. Can we care deeply without needing to control or have things go our way? How do we hold our experiences with both tenderness and Read more

You might say that the modern world is built on grasping and clinging. We are conditioned from childhood to seek pleasure and distraction, and to avoid pain and discomfort. If there is anything we want, be it music or media, information or directions, it is at our fingertips. Certainly this availability has improved many aspects Read more

How do we turn the ship heading towards disaster?  Joanna Macy, who passed away recently, was one figure who popularized the idea of “The Great Turning,” in which we collectively turn away from our habitual self-centered way of being in the world to a connection based on awareness of our interdependence.   For decades, she led Read more

After his encounters with sickness, old age and death, Siddhartha Gautama’s sought answers to life’s suffering from the best-known spiritual teachers of his time.  His quest led him to pursue rigorous disciplines in ancient India’s tradition of ascetic “sramanas“, yogis who believed in a direct experience of realization through practices like breath retention and mastery Read more