by April Koester | Apr 30, 2024 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Short Moments, Many Times a Day.
In this meeting of our sangha, we learn a variety of ways to incorporate moments of meditation throughout the day. This is not a substitute for our daily sitting practice, but a way to extend that practice throughout our daily activities. The format of the session will veer from our usual practice, as we practice a 4-5 short meditations. So make sure to join us at 7:00 for a brief commentary on mindfulness which will be followed by a variety of short-form practices. This session was facilitated by Lezlie Laws.
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by April Koester | Apr 30, 2024 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This week’s dharma talk explores the 7th step in the teaching of the Buddha called “The Noble Eightfold-Path.” This 7th step is Right Mindfulness. We will explore this key practice that has been described as the watch guard of the mind and an aid to recognize, prevent and release craving and clinging that causes suffering. We will also present an overview of the four foundations of mindfulness discussed in the Buddha’s teachings that are documented in the Satipatthana Sutta. Each of these foundations will be explored in further depth in the upcoming weeks. April Koester gave this talk.
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by April Koester | Apr 30, 2024 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This week’s dharma talk explores the 6th step in the teaching of the Buddha called “The Noble Eightfold-Path.” This 6th step takes us into the “discipline aggregate” of the eight steps. Here we learn how to cultivate beneficial qualities of mind and how to disarm unbeneficial qualities of mind. The talk this week was given by Lezlie Laws.
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by Peter Carlson | Apr 4, 2024 | Listen to Dharma Talks
The traditional rendering of samma ajiva in english is Right Livelihood; during this talk, Peter revises this part of the Noble Eightfold Path as Right Lifestyle, as life is more complex and more stressful psychologically in contemporary American culture. He describes the demands of work, finances, societal conflict, physical well-being, and environmental disruption through the way we live from waking to sleeping each day–our lifestyle patterns–and how the Four Noble Truth’s concepts and practices can be effectively applied to create a lifestyle that is more resilient, more serene, and more responsible. His presentation is followed by comments from those participating in the meeting.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk, which include several relevant quotes from Theravada Buddhist suttas that support the cultivation of Right Lifestyle: Creating Right Lifestyle
The topic reviewed next week by Lezlie Laws will be the first aspect of the Mental Discipline Aggregate of the Noble Eightfold Path, Right Effort.
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by Peter Carlson | Mar 28, 2024 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk continues a thorough review of the Four Noble Truths, focusing on the second attribute of the Fourth Truth, within the Virtue Aggregate of the Noble Eightfold Path–Right Action. During the talk, Lili describes the characteristics of the Precepts, which are the ethical guidelines to be understood and acted upon to further the path of Awakening. This recording also includes additional questions and comments from thos3 attending related to the topic.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: RIGHT ACTION
The topic for next week’s talk will continue to review the Virtue Aggregate, focusing on Right Livelihood. In and effort to apply the principles of the Virtue Aggregate to contemporary life, the topic will be represented by an alternative term, “Right Lifestyle”, focusing on how a virtuous lifestyle addresses the complexities and challenges presented by health and well-being, global warming, and the iniquities of cultural imbalances.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:20 — 52.5MB)
by Peter Carlson | Mar 21, 2024 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Peter provides an overview of Sila, the Buddhist Virtue Aggregate, which is found within the Noble Eightfold Path, with an emphasis on the importance of mindfully recognizing the non-virtuous elements of contemporary cultural conditioning, which create disharmony and dysfunction with significant negative consequences for social cohesion and the environment, renouncing them, and instead orienting one’s thoughts and actions through the filter of Virtue–harmlessness, compassion, generosity and equanimity. He then focuses on Right Speech in the context of a person’s internal self-talk, as well as interpersonal communications. He adds another consideration he calls Right Listening, the ability to bring skillful attention and discipline to bear on the cognitive distortions that prevail in contemporary media and counter their effect on one’s clarity, purpose and peace of mind.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: THE VIRTUE OF RIGHT SPEECH The contents of these notes are more expansive and descriptive than the verbal recording of the talk.
Next week’s talk will focus on another function of the Virtue Aggregate of the Noble Eightfold Path: Right Action.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:01:51 — 56.6MB)
