Archive of Talks

  • Facing uncertainty and the “What if” mind

    Today Jeff H. led the Sangha as we listened to Brian Lesage from Election Day 2020 in a talk entitled “Facing Uncertainty: Allowing Love to to Return in a Different Way”. You can listen to the talk here:https://dharmaseed.org/teacher/484/talk/62918/ Jeff’s thoughts on this topic are written below. Some people say we are living in unprecedented times:… Read more

  • Reactivity

    News of great anger, tragedy, and destruction of life and environment comes into our awareness from all directions in our modern world. Although this immediacy of information is incredibly useful, a lot of it is triggering to our sensitive hearts, and our heart wants us to react. Sometimes a piece of news can merit a… Read more

  • Varieties of Concentration, Focus, and Steadiness of Mind

    Focusing attention on a single object is fundamental to meditation.  In fact the skill of focusing attention has two distinct applications in meditation practice.   One application is as the fundamental strategy of Samatha practice, which has as its aim the development of calm and tranquility, a “place to rest one’s mind”.   The other application is… Read more

  • Socially engaged Buddhism = Seeing the Interdependence of all life

    Ginny guided our session this Sunday, drawing on readings and teachings from Thich Nhat Hanh and others on the importance of Socially Engaged Buddhism. The hour is striking so close above me, so clear and sharp,that all my senses ring with it.I feel it now: there’s a power in meto grasp and give shape to… Read more

  • The space of presence

    A great gift of practice is the ability to cultivate presence, a space in which we can meet our experience with a real attention that brings deep connection and fulfillment. This Sunday, Andrea guided our reflections, drawing on Tara Brach’s exploration on this topic. Tara’s talk is available here: https://www.tarabrach.com/gift-to-the-soul-the-space-of-presence-4/ During the talk, Tara read a poem… Read more

  • Dharma in our wider world

    Matters like COVID, political uncertainty, police violence and the like often seem remote from the meditation cushion and the world view of the Buddha. And yet the connections between dharma, pain, grief, effective action, and social challenges can be clearly drawn, as they are in an end-of-retreat dharma talk by Michele MacDonald and Jesse Maceo Vega-Frey… Read more