Archive of Talks

  • Skillful speech in stressful times

    Skillful speech is an important part of the Path and a precept for many practitioners. Unfortunately, many of us have developed less skillful communications habits which deliver less desirable outcomes. This week, Jeff H built on a theme that Joey started last year, learning the skills of mindful speech as outlined by Oren Jay Sofer.… Read more

  • A Buddhist Perspective on the current situation

    This week, in our second all-remote Sangha, Mike B guided our reflections on how to bring a Buddhist perspective to the current world-wide pandemic situation. Here is a link to the Gil Fronsdal talk that Mike played: https://audiodharma.org/talks/audio_player/11031.html We also listened to an excerpt of an episode of the NY Times Daily podcast which you can… Read more

  • When letting go is the best strategy

    This week, out of concern for the COVID-19 situation, we opted to host our sangha online for the first time, rather than in-person. It went well! Appropriately to the times, Eveline took up the topic of letting go of expected outcomes, even as we take determined steps toward worthy goals.  James Baraz, in his talk… Read more

  • Living Heartfully

    Jack Kornfield’s A Path with Heart explores the path of living with ‘heartfulness,’ a tender and precise way of relating to our world.  This week, Jessica took up this theme through the personal story of Dipa Ma, known as the Patron Saint of Householders, and a primary teacher of Jack’s. During the discussion, Jessica referenced and read… Read more

  • The four noble truths

    This week Barry brought our attention to the Four Noble Truths. He read selections aloud from Ajahn Sumedo’s book of the same name, with the goal of inviting us to reflect on our practice in the context of this foundational teaching. In his book, Ajahn Sumedo contends that the teaching of and reflection upon the… Read more

  • Anatta: Entry into the Formless

    This past Sunday Bobby focused our Sangha’s thoughts on anatta, the concept of no self. Anatta is the doctrine that there is in humans no permanent, underlying substance, that the stories we tell about ourselves to construct an identity are empty and meaningless. We suffer when we perceive ourselves as separate, instead of embracing our… Read more