Archive of Talks

What does it mean to say that renunciation lies at the core of Buddhist practice in the quality of our relationship to living experience? How are peace, happiness and fulfillment to be found through renunciation, letting go, or non-grasping? This Sunday, Jane presented a talk given by Orin Jay Sofer at a month-long retreat held… Read more

Distraction – a fresh approach – was our topic this past Sunday as we met for our monthly in-person gathering. Michel guided our reflections, drawing upon on the Non-Dual tradition exemplified by John Astin’s teachings and guided meditations for a fresh and revealing perspective to the question of the meaning and value of distraction in meditation and ordinary living. Read more

Patience is one of the ten paramis, or perfections of character. Patience is also something lacking in our society. Symptoms of impatience include same day delivery on everything and the expectation that everybody will instantly reply to our messages. Patience is a powerful antidote to negative emotions, including anger. Jeff facilitated this week’s exploration of patience.… Read more

In the beauty and poignancy of spring we can become deeply aware of the beauty of the changes around us. Can we take in this beauty in a way that helps us accept the natural changes of our mind-body and the mind-bodies around us as another deeply beautiful process? One that could bring us to… Read more

In the Buddha’s opinion, the practice of gratitude and generosity, while not always easy, is “beautiful in the beginning, beautiful in the middle, and beautiful in the end.” The variety of forms that gratitude takes can be remarkable.  Giving to a charity or to a person on the street may be what first come to… Read more

Meditation offers us many benefits, and at the top of the list are Wisdom and Energy.  Wisdom may come in small increments or spectacular insights.  But in either case it requires sustained energy.  Wisdom may reveal to us that energy is finite and fluctuant, and needs to be shepherded carefully and cultivated with patience and… Read more