Archive of Talks

As we practice living our lives, we are beset with the constant need to wisely discern which actions to take, and which to refrain from. In the historical teachings of the Buddha, we find a number of examples of people asking for instruction on how to make the correct choice. Most of the time the… Read more

Most of us have experienced the frustration of the disconnect between our intentions, and the way our days and lives actually unfold. In our gathering this Sunday Margaret guided our exploration of the connections between intention and citta. Citta is the third foundation of mindfulness in the Satipatthana Sutta.  Citta is sometimes translated as “heart-mind”, or… Read more

Even when we seem to pay objective attention to the flow of our experiences, we often impose a scale of value upon them — pleasing or unpleasing, likable or not — as if this will usher us toward a more pleasant existence. The inconstancy and undependability of phenomena are not our focus. Yet giving our attention… Read more

What are the ways in which some Mindfulness trainings conflict with others?  How can confusion bring clarity, even as clear ideas can lead us so deep into tangles?  Many of us were taught to meditate in quiet environments by teachers whose teachers’ teachers were Forest Monks, practicing in the blooming buzzing confusion that wild nature… Read more

Ever since the publication of Ram Dass’s “Be Here Now” in 1971, most everyone with a spiritual inclination has assumed that here and now are where and when we want to be as fully as possible.  It’s also true that these terms can be quite nuanced, even surprising.  Sam guided our reflections on this terrain… Read more

This week Eveline focused our attention on ways to avoid being overwhelmed as we open our awareness to the wide and intricate webs of connection that unite us, finally, with the whole world.  Excerpts from Sebene Salassie and Nina Wise served as sources with which we can access the wisdom that can keep us grounded… Read more