Archive of Talks

Absorption in a concentrated state may be a goal as we sit on the meditation cushion.  But it can in some degree be achieved, and utilized, in everyday life as well.  And the calm steadiness it offers can stabilize our lives and our thoughts, as can spending time in nature.   As Ajahn Sucitto points out, this cultivated… Read more

What is time? With our phones and watches, we live in a world that often feels constrained by time. But different cultures and traditions experience time differently.  In the Tibetan tradition, Kala, the god of time, represents change as a force that consumes all things—and eventually itself.          Here, today, we often… Read more

As we move through our lives, our experiences may seem widely various, or tediously repetitious – but at root they are all composed of the five dimensions – Kandhas (Pali) Skandhas (Sanskrit), Aggregates (Bad English Translation), Bundles, heaps, etc. In the end nothing lies outside the field of Form, or Attraction, Dislike or Neutrality of Feeling, Perception,… Read more

As the old koan goes… “Not Knowing is Most Intimate.”  A few months ago, Eric shared this talk from Matthew Brensilver on knowing and not knowing.  This Sunday, he brought a few reminders from that talk (Knowing and Not Knowing are not opposite ends of a spectrum… Not Knowing is not ignorance, but an “unwillingness to cover… Read more

Why do we habitually reach for our cell phones during any pause in the action in our lives?  How does the habit of consuming news and social media entrain our heart/mind (Chitta)?  Buddhism’s insight into the origins of human cravings and into specific practices which cultivate freedom can be applied directly to this social habit.… Read more

This week we had the distinct privilege of hosting Dharma Teacher Cara Lai to give her reflections on the topic of Emptiness. This talk explored emptiness as the heart of the Buddha’s teaching and a direct path to freedom. Rather than something bleak or nihilistic, emptiness is revealed through the three marks of existence—impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and… Read more