Dhamma Talks
Emptiness or Fullness?
This talk focuses on cultivating a deeper and more useful understanding of two important Buddhist concepts: Non-self and Emptiness. The concepts don't translate well into English from the original Pali teachings, so Peter uses various contemporary scientific and...
Working With The Four Elements Contemplations
Mindfully contemplating the subjective experience of the Four Elements: Earth, Wind,Fire, and Water is mentioned in the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse as part of the category "Mindfulness of the Body". During the talk, Peter describes the characteristics...
Guided Four Elements Contemplation
This guided meditation provides suggestions for contemplating what are called the Four Elements: Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water. These contemplations are embedded within the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse. Peter describes the subjective characteristics of...
Short Moments, Many Times A Day
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...
Right Mindfulness
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,...
Right Effort
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...
Right Livelihood As Right Lifestyle
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...
Reviewing Right Action
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...
Reviewing the Value of Virtue and Right Speech
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...
Reviewing Right Intention
This talk by Allie Vaknin continues an ongoing review of the Four Noble Truths, specifically focusing on a function of the Wisdom Aggregate of the Noble Eightfold Path, Right Intention. Allie describes different manifestations of Right Intention: Renunciation of...
