Archive of Talks

  • Door to liberation

    This week Sam guided our discussion on liberation from suffering through non-clinging. This is, of course, a fundamental teaching of the Buddha, filled with many nuances, and can be the basis for a variety of approaches to practice, as excerpts from talks by several dharma teachers will make clear. MN37:  [The Buddha was asked, by Sakka, the… Read more

  • Touching the Earth 

    In our culture, we have “stand your ground” laws that cultivate fear and separation.  How do we stand our ground in the dharma?   One of the best-known stories in the Buddhist tradition is the story of the Buddha, at the moment of his enlightenment, repudiating Mara by touching the earth.  Surprisingly, the story is found nowhere in… Read more

  • Bringing Authentic Practice to Daily Life

    As much as we might be inspired by the four Brahma Viharas, it is very useful to have ways to bring qualities such as these into the tough spots in our daily lives.  Offering guidance on qualities that help us bring it all home, the Buddha spelled out the Five Spiritual Faculties: Confidence, Energy, Mindfulness, Collected… Read more

  • The engine creating our lives

    The Buddha named our Mental Formations (Pali: Sankhara) as one of the Five Aggregates that structure our lives. In the talk this Sunday, Dharma Teacher Andrea Fella showed how there can be great benefit in identifying the types of mental formations unique to each of us at any point in time, allowing for increased awareness,… Read more

  • Radical Acceptance

    Tara Brach’s deep and skillful combining of the Dharma with psychology has made her a go-to source of perspective and counsel for many serious practitioners.  In our sangha, Jackie was particularly struck and helped by a particular talk by Tara on her ‘signature theme’ – Radical Acceptance. A link to Tara’s talk is forthcoming. Read more

  • No Contemporary Buddhas? Really?

    Ron guided our reflections this Sunday, drawing on a talk by Andrew Olendski, who begins his talk with this question:  During the time of Buddha there were many experiencing enlightenment. Why not in our contemporary world? There are many, many dedicated practitioners and scholars yet we can point to no one that has reached nirvana. The answer may be… Read more