04/23/2020 “Sensory Awareness and Intuition” with Dennis Warren

The Foundational Role of “Sensory Awareness” and “Intuition” In Practice & Daily Life

To download this talk, right-click and select ‘save audio as’ or select the 3-dot menu to the right of the speaker icon.
Handout: The Nature of Insight by Joseph GoldsteinDownload

This evening will be devoted to exploring the meaning and indispensable roles of “Sensory Awareness” and “Intuition” in formal meditation practice and enriching our daily life.
For many, the practice of Mindfulness as described in beautiful detail in the teachings of the Historical Buddha seem rational, logical and linear. While having a clear intellectual understanding and framework for practice is essential, in actual application we open our experience to the vast and multi-dimensional world of direct experience through Sensory Awareness and Intuition. We go far beyond the limited potential of language, concept and thought when we move in the direction of becoming fully human through the cultivation and integration of these experiences in our practice and life.
The importance of this examination is focused by our reaction to, and relationship with, the current international health crisis. It must be clear to all of us that logical and rational problem solving, by itself, will not be enough for each of us to get through this situation with a sense of wholeness, healing and meaning.
If you have time, it might be helpful to listen to Dennis’ last talk on March 26. The discussion on this Thursday will be an extension of the themes in his prior talk.

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04/16/2020 “The End of the World” with Diane Wilde

To download this talk, right-click and select ‘save audio as’ or select the 3-dot menu to the right of the speaker icon.

Reading the title of this talk, “The End of the World” might bring up visual images such as a catastrophic asteroid strike, economic or religious conflicts that culminate into a devastating World War… or maybe a world wide pandemic. The Buddha in a few suttas addressed the ending of this world and what takes its place. The world as we knew it, is indeed ending. Nothing will be as it was, no matter how diligently some of us will try to make it “normal” again. It’s not just the exterior world we inhabit that is ending. As the Buddha taught, our internal mental world is continually ending and being reborn moment by moment. Actually being aware that this is taking place is an incredible opportunity to have a hand in how the new internal world will manifest. The internal world that emerges ultimately creates the external world. How we do that, and what we create is up to us.

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COVID-19 UPDATE

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We hope that you are finding stability through your practice at home during this unsettling time. Don’t forget this list of available resources SIM has collected to help you.

SIM Local Services for Our Community (.pdf)Download

It’s is also published at https://sactoinsight.org/essential-services-for-our-community/

And we continue to nurture our sangha with online meetings that we hope you can attend: https://sactoinsight.org/events/category/online-remote/list/

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(Remote) Intro to Zoom Session

SIM has shifted many events for remote participation and we’re using the ZOOM application. Are you just getting started with Zoom? Do you have Questions? Join us for an informal 30 minute drop in session to go over the nuts and bolts for participating in SIM events.

Join online meeting: https://zoom.us/j/724680777/
Passcode: SIM2020
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 724 680 777 )
For tips and instructions on how to use the access methods listed above, check this news blog.

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(Remote) *Sit & Dharma Talk – Heather Sundberg

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Body, Nervous System, and Energy Practices and Teachings for COVID-19 Times and For Anytime

Sit & Dharma Talk with Visiting Teacher Heather Sundberg

Join online meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84633038816
Passcode: 016782
Join by phone: 1-669-900-9128 ( Meeting ID: 846 3303 8816 )
For tips and instructions on how to join, check this news blog.

Thursday Night Talk Dana
“Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical Buddha
[give_form id=”4336″ show_title=”false” show_goal=”false” show_content=”none” display_style=”reveal”] For remote meetings, please use the form above to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and this donation will be shared 100% with Heather Sundberg.

Portions of this talk will not be recorded. If you would like an email notification when the audio recording for this event is posted, please subscribe to our blog.

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04/09/2020 “Now Spirit and World are One” with John Travis

To download this talk, right-click and select ‘save audio as’ or select the 3-dot menu to the right of the speaker icon.
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(Remote) Introduction to Meditation with SIM Founding Teacher Dennis Warren

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To join this remote meeting, note the following:
Join Online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/91367163182
Passcode: 098212
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 913 6716 3182 )
For instructions on how to use the access methods listed above, click here.

This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

DENNIS WARREN is SIM’s Founding Teacher and has been teaching mindfulness, meditation and contemplative practices since 1998. He recently completed his 11th year as a Volunteer Clinical Professor in Mindfulness in the Division of Pain Medicine at the UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center. He is certified as a Mindfulness Teacher, Professional Level (CMT-P), by the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. He is a graduate of the professional trainings in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression. He also is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Medication Center’s Dharma leaders training program. You can learn more about Dennis’ background and activities at https://www.denniswarren.net/ .
Dennis has been participating in residential meditation retreats, and has maintained a daily meditation practice, in the Theravadan Buddhist tradition for over 30 years. 2018 was his 20th year of teaching Insight Meditation and mindfulness practices in residential, retreat, educational, medical, corporate and community settings. In 2007 and 2014, Dennis led month long pilgrimages and moving retreats in Thailand, India and Nepal. A third is being planned for late 2021.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.

At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.
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COVID-19 UPDATE

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Dear SIM attendees,

First, a reminder that we’ve created this resources page listing some essential services for our community.

If you’d like support in your practice, we’re restarting the Practice Buddy Program, where you can be paired up with another practitioner to check in and share how your practice is going.  Email Demetra Ornofos if you are interested. 

If you’d like some additional physical, emotional or practice support, you can email Diane Wilde, who is a trained Buddhist Chaplain, to set up an appointment. Learn more about our Chaplaincy Council .

We’re continuing to meet using the Zoom application for Thursday evenings and classes. 

The SIM Board is aware of the current security concerns being raised about Zoom in the media and is looking at ways to reduce possible risks associated with using it. 

For this week:

  • Along with the link, there is a password for you to use for the Thursday night meeting if you are asked for one.
  • When you connect to the meeting, you will likely be sent to a “waiting room” before the host lets you into the meeting.
  • We recommend that you close other applications on your computer before you open Zoom.
  • After you leave the meeting, go to the top left corner of your screen to quit the Zoom program.

Note: Links for meetings will be also listed each week on SIM’s online calendar. Go to the event you are interested in and click on the event title to get the details and link to the meeting with the passcode if there is one.  A link for event dana will also be on the event page.

A word about dana:  Our Dharma teachers rely on the generosity of our attendees. We encourage you to give as generously as you can to support them.

Please take a moment to think of members of our SIM community who might not be comfortable going online and reach out to them directly or email sarad@sactoinsight.org or jerrys@sactoinsigt.org to let us know so we can follow up with them. We want to include as many as possible as we begin using this technology to meet!

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(Remote) Intro to Zoom Session

SIM has shifted many events for remote participation and we’re using the ZOOM application. Are you just getting started with Zoom? Do you have Questions? Join us for an informal 30 minute drop in session to go over the nuts and bolts for participating in SIM events.

Join online meeting: https://zoom.us/j/775178663
Passcode: Dharma2020
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 775 178 663 )
For tips and instructions on how to use the access methods listed above, check this news blog.

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04/02/2020 “Practicing the Heart Qualities Together” with Rich Howard

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To download this talk, right-click and select ‘save audio as’ or select the 3-dot menu to the right of the speaker icon.

In these challenging times, we need to cultivate both wisdom and the qualities of the heart. In this evening of practice and discussion, we will practice gratitude and the four brahmaviharas: metta (boundless friendliness, loving kindness), karuna (compassion), mudita (sympathetic joy), upekkha (equanimity). Between each of these short meditations, we will discuss what came up and how it felt. Join us for an evening of opening the heart and creating community.

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