Dhamma Talks
Right Action in the 21st Century
Continuing the exploration of how to increase the relevance of Buddhist wisdom in our era, this discussion explored the relationship between the concept of kamma (karma) and action. Emphasis was placed on using mindfulness to restrain impulsive action in order to...
Right Speech In The 21st Century
This discussion reviewed classic Buddhist Suttas to describe the qualities of Right Speech and some insights from modern psychology that support the development of virtue. This talk should be integrated with the previously recorded discussions on the value of virtue...
Right Listening
In reviewing the Virtue aggregate of the Eightfold Path, this week's focus is on effective listening. We live in a culture that doesn't support a long attention span, which leads to poor interpersonal communication. Using Right Speech as a guideline, ways of...
The Power Of Narrative
This dialogue further explores how modern cultural influences affect our sense of the Buddhist Dhamma in the 21st century. The fact that humans experience selfhood through the ability to string together various moments of awareness into a narrative creates the need...
The Value Of Virtue
This dhamma dialogue continues an ongoing exploration of the importance of using mindfulness practice to examine the classic Buddhist teachings so they can be adapted to a world experience that is much more complex than the time of the Buddha. Virtue is examined as...
Wisdom In The 21st Century Part 2
This is a continuation of a discussion last week about the importance of each generation diving deeply into subjective experience via meditation practice to revitalize the liberating qualities of the Buddha's teaching. Last week's discussion involved the importance...
Wisdom In The 21st Century Part 1
This is the first of two dialogues about the Wisdom aggregate of the Noble Eightfold Path, continuing to explore the relevance of traditional Buddhist psychology to modern scientific and psychological insights. Tonight's discussion emphasized Right Understanding as...
The Third Noble Truth on Retreat
This talk advances a developing theme for this year: How to cultivate a dhamma practice that is relevant to the core of the Buddha's teachings that is adaptive to our 21st century culture. As Buddhism has evolved through the ages, each time it enters a culture, the...
Wanting and Hating
In this talk, the neurological underpinnings of the Second Noble Truth, tanha (craving) and upadana (clinging) were explored to emphasize the importance of being clearly and immediately aware of the felt sense of urgency and the "enchantment" of internal narrative...
Brand Name Dukkha
This talk continues an integration of the Four Noble Truths and the cultural stresses that we face in the 21st century. Quotes from the Suttas were related to modern issues of consumerism and interpersonal alienation, with references to some of the comments of David...
