Use code SUMMERPRACTICE for a 25% discount on all On Demand Courses through August 31.

Insight and practices for difficult times

With James Baraz recorded on February 4, 2018.

Found our teachings useful? Help us continue our work and support your teachers with a donation. Here’s how.

We are in a race between fear and consciousness. Never before have forces of greed hatred and ignorance enjoyed such a platform of populist divisiveness that instills fear and separation throughout society, endangering our very civilization. And never before has there been as much caring and worldwide commitment to making this a better world.

In these times we’re called upon to bring as much consciousness, love and skillful action as we can into the world. How can we use our practice to stay sane, positive and motivated while keeping our hearts open? How can we use Buddhist practices to not only help us through these challenging times but to give us the energy and aliveness that can help awaken all the goodness inside and in those around us?

Listen to the audio version below, or click here to download the mp3.

Discussion

Leave a Reply

Discover more from the Dharma Library

  • The Wisdom of Equanimity

    The dominant culture treats unpleasant feelings as problems, and pleasant feelings as if we should experience them all the time. This is neither possible nor wise. How can we fully feel the beautiful and painful aspects of our lives so that we are strengthened and enriched by the depth and breadth of this human experience?…

    Read More

  • Daily Meditation Recordings, with Caverly Morgan – Week of June 15

    We’re very grateful to have Caverly Morgan hosting our Daily Meditation Series for North America. To find out more about Caverly, and to view her past recordings and contributions to Sangha Live, click here. Monday, June 15 Clearing and grounding breath for anxiety and fear Wednesday, June 17 Chakra balancing breath practice Friday, June 19…

    Read More

  • Zohar Lavie

    Daily Meditation Recordings, with Zohar Lavie – Week of 09 June, 2025

    We’re delighted to have Zohar Lavie guiding our Daily Meditation sessions this week. May these sessions support and deepen your practice.

    This week’s theme is: Steadiness, Clarity and Care in Challenging Times

    During this week of practice, we will explore and practice the boundless qualities of compassion and equanimity. Compassion as the heart’s capacity to open and attend to suffering, and equanimity as the heart’s ability to face life in all its aspects with clarity and steadiness.
    These two beautiful qualities complement and nourish each other. They support us to meet experience and act within it in beneficial ways, even in difficult times.

    Our Dharma Library thrives through collective generosity. Your donation helps sustain this offering for our entire community.

    Read More

  • Wisdom and Heart Together

    The connection between wisdom (paññā) and the heart qualities, such as goodwill (mettā) and compassion (karunā), can be a delightful discovery in Buddhist practice. The clear, nonjudgmental awareness of wisdom can feel like warmth, inclusion, and safety when fully received. In turn, the truly open heart is free of the distortions of ill will and…

    Read More

  • photo of Martin Aylward smiling

    The nature of practice: from linear path to inclusive awareness.

    Today, Worldwide Insight founding and guiding teacher Martin Aylward explores the nature of practicing dharma, the way the path tends to unfold for us over time, and its developmental stages, from an initially linear sense of ‘self-improvement’ to an increasing capacity to be with ourselves however we are, and with whatever appears.

    Read More

  • Daily Meditation Recordings, with Leela Sarti – Week of March 7, 2022

    This week’s theme is “Nurturing a Long View and Living Now”. It takes a lot of heart and presence to live a satisfying and meaningful life. Our inner patterns of resistance and reactivity often make us short sighted and contracted, and yet we have the potential to live from a timeless presence and embody beautiful human qualities such as wisdom, care, passion and originality. How can you make your time on earth something beautiful to behold? How can you live now with zest, courage, and love? How can you be a good ancestor for the ones that will live 100,000 years from now?

    Read More