Archive of Talks

  • Wholesome Desire

    Today Payton led our Sangha discussion on the topic of Desire and its role in our daily life and our practice. This is a season of classic desire, and while the Buddhist path suggests that we try to find a way to be without desire, that instruction isn’t meant to be applied all the time.… Read more

  • The Five Strengths

    Ginny led our reflections this past Sunday morning, focusing particularly on The Five Strengths outlined by the Buddha, which can support us in our practice.  Of particular interest are the ways in which these Strengths support healing, cultivating joy and connection. Probably thinking of the monkey mind, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche once said, “In the garden… Read more

  • Joy in the Rise & Fall of All Experience

    Sam led our reflections this past Sunday, focusing on the way in which the rise and fall of the Five Aggregates — the elements of all experience — can actually bring us joy.  Sam played the talk “Intoxicated with Reality” by Eugene Cash, given at Spirit Rock: https://dharmaseed.org/teacher/68/talk/32320/ Some quotes he read too: Whenever he… Read more

  • The mind and the self

    This week, Zac guided our sangha discussion. He played an excerpt from a dharma talk by Rob Burbea and read a very insightful chapter from the book “I Am That” by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, some of which is quoted below. The talk by Rob Burbea is here: https://dharmaseed.org/teacher/210/talk/51513/ Here is an excerpt from “I Am That”: Maharaj: You were glad… Read more

  • Awakening to Joy

    This past week Sojun guided our discussion, continuing on the topic of Joy, but focusing this time on practical advice for bringing appreciation to moments of happiness in our lives. Below are his notes on what was a very fruitful talk. Joy is fundamental to successful practice, but joy does not always come easily. Taking joy… Read more

  • The Heart’s Capacity

    Joey guided our reflections this Sunday, opening with a guided meditation on grounding — finding the support waiting for us in the Earth and the earth element in our own being.  Weaving together strands from teachings by Chris Cullen and Robin Kimmerer, with her own observations, we explored and cultivated the capacity of the heart as it… Read more