Dhamma Talks
Paddling Upstream
Kitty shares some thoughts on how we can relate to difficult times in our lives. She talks about how meditation practice can give us the stability that we need to make important changes or weather tough times.
The Banyan Deer
Judy looks at various "lists" within Buddhism, particularly the 5 precepts and the 10 Paramitas, and examines them within the context of the Jataka tale "The Banyan Deer".
Cultivating Metta for Ourselves
Tim explores the cultivation of metta, loving-kindness, for ourselves. The practice of metta meditation can provide a greater resilience against self-afflicting emotions, a sense of ease and happiness, and a foundation for selflessly loving others. (We're aware that...
What Was I Thinking? Peter’s 3 Month Retreat
This is the last dhamma dialogue that Peter will deliver before his 3 month retreat at the Forest Refuge in Massachusetts begins on September 1. The talk reviews the history and significant teachers he sat retreats with over the last 30 years, and Peter speculates...
A tea party for all….
Last week, Robert Lockridge shared thoughts related to our "shadowy" sides and how our practice helps us learn to befriend these states. In this week's Dharma talk, Tommy Harrison continues along these lines by sharing thoughts on what it would be like if we invited...
Sympathy for the Devil
Robert Lockridge presents "Sympathy for the Devil." The shadow side comes with being born into the human realm. How does Dharma practice work with Shadow?And how can we USE that?
Empirical Ethics
Peter continues discussion on "evidence-based" precepts. The Kalama Sutta reminds us that in order for the precepts to have an impact on our life, they must be validated within our personal experience. Peter encourages us to look closer at the concept of "doing harm"...
Evidence Based Precepts
Beginning with a long excerpt from the Kalama Sutta, Peter emphasized the Buddha's teaching on personal validation of the concepts within Buddhism. The Kalamas were a tribe of critical thinkers who enjoyed challenging priests and philosophers regarding their...
Judy’s Jataka Tale number 72
The Jataka Tales are Buddhist teachings on ethics in the form of a story. They're quite numerous, and have been retold over the centuries in different cultures. Judy told the story of the Elephant King (except she renamed the main character "The Elephant Queen"). ...
Cultivating Generosity
During this dialogue, Tommy described the development of dana, which is the Pali word translated as generosity. He talked of the value the Buddha placed on generosity as a fundamental way to cultivate renunciation, the ongoing process of letting go of attachments. ...
