Archive of Talks

  • The Dart: Understanding Vedana

    The basic disposition of human beings is to avoid unpleasant or painful feelings, and to seek more and more pleasant feelings, believing that doing so provides lasting happiness. Vedana, or feeling tone, arises in the moment of each sense contact and is experienced in one of three ways: as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. Each of… Read more

  • Stillness of the mind

    This week, Don guided our reflections on the relations (more complex that we might think) between meditative stillness and the way our mind usually operates: “Monkey Mind”, always looking for the next pleasure or trying to get away from the latest problem. We discussed the concept of samādhi as the Buddha meant it in his… Read more

  • The Illusion of Control

    It’s no mystery that life is filled with unpredictable things. From the mundane issues of household objects breaking to the complex and life-changing issues of ill-health and injustice, we are bombarded by problems that need fixing. Depending on our mindset, we may find ourselves drawn to fixing every problem we encounter (Craving!), running away or… Read more

  • Are we Called by the Dhamma, or Freed by it?

    Does the Dhamma call us and guide us to a kind of action, or does it free us to act more spontaneously with whatever arises?  Drawing on a talk in which Gil Fronsdal explores this distinction with subtlety and insight,  Ellen guided our reflections on this question and its implications for each of us, as we pass… Read more

  • Liberation and Interconnection

    Steve was this Sunday’s Topic and Presenter. He drew on a talk by Jack Kornfield, in which Jack fearlessly confronts some of the most difficult and divisive issues afflicting our society and reminds us: “The inner practice of liberation is not an individual matter. One of the deepest realizations that comes when we meditate, as… Read more

  • Stepping Free of Habitual Suffering

    Our habit energy, invested in trying to control the world, leads to our suffering. The Buddha instructs us to lay down the burdens of life and experience freedom. Following the Buddha’s path insulates us from external conditions. This week Jeff shared a talk given by Mark Nunberg entitled, “Mountains are only heavy if you try… Read more