Archive of Talks

This Sunday’s talk built upon last week’s talk about letting go of our clinging to the stories that serve to define our present and future experiences. Buddhism helps us loosen the limitations and dissolve the solidity of who we think we are, what we think we have.  But is it ever healthy to have a… Read more

The classical teachings of the Buddha are from time to time presented in very compressed form. Quoted in last weeks sangha discussion, this exchange between the Buddha and Kappa, in the Sutta Nipata collection, caught Sam’s particular attention: “Having nothing, clinging to no thing: That is the ‘island’, there is no other. That is Unbinding,… Read more

Don Skidmore, drawing from a talk by Brian LeSage, guided our reflections this Sunday, exploring different ways in which we enrich our practice and our life when we connect with nature as family rather than as spectacle, perhaps even choosing nature as our preferred locale for meditation. . . . Or . . .How to… Read more

This Sunday Margaret guided our reflections on Wise Effort, drawing on a talk by Christina Feldman. In a path that is often interpreted to caution against striving, even in pursuit of awakening, it is remarkable how often the Pali words related to “Effort”, “Energy”, or “Diligence,”  appear in many places in Buddhist texts.  Right effort… Read more

“If no one asks me what the time is, I know perfectly well what it is. But if someone asks me to explain it… I haven’t a clue.” – St. Augustine This weekend Eric had something a little different to share, beginning with a talk excerpt by physicist Carlo Rovelli, who speaks about time in… Read more

Urgency is all around us. For some people at some times, it is ever-present in our minds and can be overwhelming. Other people at other times may find that it is merely a backdrop of life that rises and falls with our daily experience. Either way, a sense of urgency is typically a product of… Read more