Intense times of war and crisis can and does often lead to intense Dukkha. But a crisis can also serve as a bedrock to spiritual breakthrough, deepening of liberating insights and openness of the heart. The Upanisa Sutta talks about the possibility of stepping out of Samsara: that Dukkha can lead to Sadha, i.e faith and trust, that pave the way to more beautiful qualities of the mind-heart, until liberation. We will explore this topic together.
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Moving Beyond the Myth of Loneliness
Recorded :
June 23, 2019 What changes as we consciously turn toward our suffering, rather than away? We are conditioned to experience ourselves as separate from life, but in that outward gaze, we often overlook an experience of belonging that is inherent. How does our habit of seeking shift when we recognize that what we long for can never actually…
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Ulla Koenig – Week of Sept 12, 2022
This week’s topic is (Be)Come As You Are. Our driven-ness, our ruminating thoughts, and our feelings of shame, guilt, and anxiety never allow us to simply ‘be’. They evolve around a sense of identity , a process the Buddha called selfing (bhava), a form of suffering (dukkha). We are endlessly trapped in a narrative of who we think we ought to be, were in the past and should be in the future.
We will dedicate our shared time together to build an awareness of these processes and find alternative ways to relate to the many experiences of life.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Martin Aylward – Week of 16 December, 2024
We’re delighted to have Martin Aylward guiding our Daily Meditation sessions this week. May they bring peace and depth to your practice.
This week’s theme is: Peace and Love!
Our last week of daily meditation for 2024, led by Martin and exploring nuances of the spiritual heart, in our own lives and as we navigate the complexities of the world.
Our Dharma Library thrives through collective generosity. Your donation helps sustain this offering for our entire community.
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The Nonduality of Good and Evil? Buddhist Reflections on War
Recorded :
April 19, 2026 Ukraine…Gaza…Iran… Can Buddhist teachings help us understand and respond to these modern conflicts? Quotation: If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere, insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil…
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How to Recharge Your Practice with a Tried and True Inquiry
Recorded :
October 22, 2023 Even if you’ve been meditating for years, you probably encounter old patterns that seem impervious to your mindful awareness. Maybe at times these patterns are dormant, but during challenging moments they reappear and perhaps feel intractable. In this session we’ll explore inquiry practices that can help interrupt and disentangle the mind from its habitual “stuck”…
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The seven factors of awakening.
Recorded :
September 11, 2016 Jessica discusses the seven factors of awakening (mindfulness, tranquility/relaxation, piti/joy, concentration, investigation, viriya/courageous energy, equanimity) and how to work with them in meditation practice to balance the mind and support insight through specific meditative techniques.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Jaya Rudgard – Week of 11 May, 2026
This week’s theme is: Less Stuck Than We Think
When we find ourselves feeling stuck, it may be that we are less so than we think. Even in circumstances beyond our control, there is some possibility of agency and freedom. These daily sessions will support us to find the ground under our feet and investigate ways we stick to experiences and they to us, and what we can do to set ourselves free.
Our Dharma Library thrives through collective generosity. Your donation helps sustain this offering for our entire community.
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Cultivating Resilience: Heart-Mind Awareness in Challenging Times
Recorded :
May 11, 2025 This session focuses on finding freedom from suffering by validating our emotions and deepening our connection to the present moment. We will explore how non-judgmental awareness can help us release limiting beliefs and cultivate inner peace.
Discussion