9/19/2024 “Practice: A Path and Safety Net or Confusing Puzzle?” with Dennis Warren

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The Historical Buddha’s teaching, psychology and practice methods are frequently referred to as a Path or The Path. Sometimes, they are presented as a vast inter-connected net that provides us with safety and stability. For many, however, the elements of practice sometimes feel more like a confusing puzzle or a basket of seemingly contradictory principles and recommendations.

How do the elements of practice fit together in a cohesive system of meditation and life practices that are relevant, useful, helpful?

This evening will explore some of the fundamental principles that help us to shift from uncertainty and confusion about practice, to an understanding of how the elements fit together and support each other. It will examine a model of doing this where core principles help us move from a sense of separation to one of connectedness and inter-relationship.

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9/12/2024 “Revealing the City Within: A Journey to Insight and Freedom” with Adam Stonebraker

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In this talk, we’ll explore the metaphor of the ancient city as described in the City Sutta, reflecting on how our journey toward liberation unfolds step by step. By integrating teachings from the Dhammapada and the principles of Ehipassiko and Opaniyiko, we’ll examine how the path invites us to look within, dismantle delusion, and cultivate insight, ultimately revealing the freedom already present within us.

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9/5/2024 “The Refuges” with Tony Bernhard

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8/29/2024 “Concentration Is Really Composure of the Mind” with Walt Opie

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In daily life, we have a lot of distractions that can easily cause our minds to be quite scattered and distracted, and lacking in composure or serenity. One aspect of insight meditation practice that we are gently cultivating is what we call concentration, or samadhi in Pali. Buddhist scholar Bhikkhu Analayo says the term samadhi “carries nuances of a bringing together.” He writes that other translations for samadhi include “collectedness” and “composure of the mind.” In this talk, we will explore various aspects of developing greater concentration and how it can help transform our practice and our life. 

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8/22/2024 “Walking the Path”with Rich Howard

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Discursive, subtle states of mind are difficult to isolate which makes it difficult to utilize methods to lessen their negative impact on us. They just seem to be “us”, who we are. Even though they are almost always “invisible”, you can count on experiencing their results… anxiety and more anxiety! The Buddha describes these troubling subtle states of mind as the Ten Fetters. He offers an approach, a sort of “To-Do List” on how to mentally address the Fetters, and what happens when we undertake the process of recognizing them. Tonight we will do a brief overview of the Ten Fetters and their unique properties. We’ll spend additional time on the first fetter, which is the illusion we each have concerning our own personality, or “personality view”. We will explore this first fetter through a few brief mental exercises.

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8/15/2024 “The Buddha’s To-Do List for a Happier Life” with Diane Wilde

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Discursive, subtle states of mind are difficult to isolate which makes it difficult to utilize methods to lessen their negative impact on us. They just seem to be “us”, who we are. Even though they are almost always “invisible”, you can count on experiencing their results… anxiety and more anxiety! The Buddha describes these troubling subtle states of mind as the Ten Fetters. He offers an approach, a sort of “To-Do List” on how to mentally address the Fetters, and what happens when we undertake the process of recognizing them. Tonight we will do a brief overview of the Ten Fetters and their unique properties. We’ll spend additional time on the first fetter, which is the illusion we each have concerning our own personality, or “personality view”. We will explore this first fetter through a few brief mental exercises.

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8/8/2024 “Finding Freedom Amidst Difficulties” with Diana Clark

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In this talk we will explore a well-known Buddhist story, inquiring how we can apply the learnings in the story to our own lives.

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8/1/2024 “These Are A Few Of My Least Favorite Things” with Seth Castleman

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How can we find balance and acceptance in the face of suffering, loss, and injustice, in our lives and in the world? Through our practice we find the middle path between complacency and worry.

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7/25/2024 “Planting the Seeds of Forgiveness” with Greg Scharf

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7/18/2024 “Boredom: Door to Awakening?” with Rich Howard

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As the dog days of summer arrive, we may not be filling our days with as many activities. We may even be facing periods of boredom. Or we may have children who are BORED!! Dr. Katie Hurley (Happy Kid Handbook) says, “We have a tendency to treat boredom as a sign of distress, or a sort of call for help. It is uncomfortable, but it’s not necessarily negative.” Like any hindrance (restlessness, sleepiness, etc.), we can take up boredom as an object of awareness, and by learning about an apparently negative mind state, learn about ourselves and our suffering. On a meditation retreat, John Travis has recommended looking closely at boredom. What might we find? This talk will explore boredom and related mind states. 

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