New year’s resolutions are often unrealistically ambitious and doomed to failure. In this first Sangha Live class of the year, our founding teacher Martin Aylward explores the art of wise commitment; how to refine what one is committing to in a way that is useful, precise, realistic and time-boundaried; elements that allow us to align our actions with our intentions in a way that is workable and empowering.
With Martin Aylward recorded on January 3, 2021.
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Discover more from the Dharma Library
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Warrior heart: transforming anger into strength, dynamism and creativity
Recorded :
October 8, 2017 Dharma teachings point to how dangerous and destructive anger is, and how words and actions can cause great suffering. This class looks at skilful means for meeting and exploring anger, and for understanding and transforming it. Martin leads a specially oriented meditation, and his talk explores the inner strength and confidence which can arise from…
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Living by Vow
Recorded :
November 1, 2020 If we start with the understanding that everyone is living by vow, how can we examine what vows we are following and change to follow the ones that lead to liberation?
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Nirmala Werner – Week of 22 September, 2025
We’re grateful to have Nirmala Werner guiding our Daily Meditation sessions this week. May they support and deepen your practice.
This week’s theme is: The Still Heart: Cultivating Equanimity in an Unsteady World
In a world marked by constant change, uncertainty, and emotional intensity, equanimity can seem like a distant ideal-or even a form of indifference. But in the Buddhist tradition, equanimity (upekkhā) is not cold or passive. It is the spacious, steady heart that knows how to stay open, grounded, and present with whatever life brings.
In this week we will explore equanimity as a deep source of inner freedom-neither detached nor reactive, but wise, loving, and awake.
Through daily reflection and embodied practice, we will ask:
What is true equanimity, and what is it not?
How can we meet change without losing our ground?
How do we love and let go-at the same time?
And how can we live with a still heart in a restless world?
Our Dharma Library thrives through collective generosity. Your donation helps sustain this offering for our entire community.
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Suffering and the end of suffering.
Recorded :
January 24, 2016 The ancient and radical teachings of the Buddha point to the possibility to be a free, loving and happy human being in the midst of our everyday lives. Oftentimes our stress, dissatisfaction or suffering come not necessarily from the actual things or events themselves, but from our relationship to them. A different way of looking…
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Relational Dharma
Recorded :
October 23, 2022 What does the Dharma have to say about how we relate: to ourselves, to each other and to the environment? How might we touch in to the energizing potential of waking up together? This session will draw from the inherently relational practices of both the Zen koan tradition and Insight Dialogue to consider ways that…
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The Body as a Vehicle of Awakening
Recorded :
June 20, 2021 One of our best teachers is very close at hand. The body offers continual opportunities for healing and insight, both simple and profound. But what is the body? As we look more carefully, we find a rich universe of sensation that is intimately connected to the mind. In this session, we explore the body as…
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Ayala Gill – Week of 13 April, 2026
This week’s theme is: Trusting the Path of Love
The path of love is a path of transformation, both personal and collective. It is not an easy journey: moments of doubt and overwhelm are part of its terrain, and can sometimes erode our faith. To sustain and deepen our trust, we’ll explore the nature of transformation itself, while cultivating practices that steady and sustain an open heart.
Our Dharma Library thrives through collective generosity. Your donation helps sustain this offering for our entire community.
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The Sacred No: Setting Conscious Boundaries Alongside Boundlessness
Recorded :
February 15, 2026 To truly embody our Yes to life, we must equally honor our No. Liberating our minds and hearts and taking responsibility for our contribution to collective consciousness requires setting loving boundaries around authentic being. Sometimes, through spiritual bypass; concepts/ideas about mindfulness; or lack of distinction between being nice and being kind, we devalue the sacred…