Dhamma Talks

How To Work With R.A.I.N.

R.A.I.N. (Recognize Accept Investigate Non-Identification) is an acronym which has been useful for meditators, and during this talk, Lezlie Laws provides a review of how two meditators can work as a team with this to understand how the mind can get trapped in an...

Guided Rain Contemplation

R.A.I.N. is described as a useful approach to cultivating insight.  During this guided contemplation, Lezlie Laws provides suggestions for inner reflection that supports including  R.A.I.N. in one's meditation practice.  It is intended to support "Working With Rain",...

December 2025 Dharma Questions

During this talk, Peter responds to various questions regarding Buddhist concepts and coaching regarding meditation practice.  One topic frequently questioned about involves his current meditation practice and intentions regarding his annual self-retreat.

Joy To Gratitude And Generosity

During this talk on Thanksgiving Eve, Peter describes how the cultivation of mindfulness of breathing meditation frees energy from being bound up by the Hindrances, creating the buoyantly engaged interest characteristic of the Awakening Factor of Joy, which provides...

What Is RAIN?

During this talk, Lezlie Laws describes the acronym RAIN: Recognize, Accept, Investigate, Non-Self as a way to approach the challenges of everyday life.  She is a proponent of spiritual journaling, and shares an excerpt from her personal journal entry to demonstrate...

Cultivating Right Effort

During this talk, April continues her review of the Noble Eightfold Path, focusing on Right Effort, describing the Four Noble Efforts and how to develop them skillfully.  Her review includes questions and comments from those participating in the meeting. Here are the...

Perfecting Renunciation

This talk continues a series of reviews presented by Allie Vaknin focusing on the paramis, those wholesome conditions of the mind that, when cultivated to their greatest potential, create the conditions for Awakening, the direct realization of Nirvana.  Allie...

Contemporary Right Livelihood

Each generation must understand the principles found in the Noble Eightfold Path in the context of the culture of that time.  During this talk, April Koester continues to review the Virtue component of the path, specifically how current developments such as artificial...