Archive of Talks

If we look at the stories that make up most of our mental chatter, we come to see that even if they seem to range broadly, they are mostly in fact about ourselves, and actually help to create and the sense of self.   This phenomenon, called mana papanca (mental proliferation around the sense of self), and… Read more

We reflected this week on the instructions that the Buddha gave to Bahiya about what is sometimes called bare attention, or sometimes mindfulness:  “In the seen, let there be just the seen, in the heard let there be just the heard”, and so on.  These ostensibly simple instructions are at the heart of the practice,… Read more

When we study a natural phenomenon or a discipline, we usually seek to accumulate knowledge, hoping to find wisdom that will help us to grasp the situation clearly. With meditation, the approach may sometimes be reversed: we may seek to shed old ways of seeing, and genuinely attempt to not-know. Eric guided our reflections this… Read more

Darryl guided our reflections on the Surprise of Impermanence this Sunday, drawing on excerpts from a talk by Carol Wilson, and using a musical recording to explore our shifting response to impermanence itself. Carol’s talk can be found here: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/73270/ You can listen to the music that was shared from Plum Village at this link:… Read more

Surrounded by bad news, in media’s algorithmic echo chambers — how can we find and nurture the joy that is our birthright? The practice of Mudita gives us countless opportunities to savor happiness as we celebrate the good fortune of others.  And such cheering information is available if we seek it out.  Lorilee framed our discussion… Read more

Michael, drawing on the teaching of British dharma teacher Martin Aylward, centered the discussion this Sunday on the evolution of our relation to the dharma as our lives unfold. As we observe how our own practice has changed over time, we might come to see how it resonates with different phases of the life of… Read more