We live in challenging times. Biologists speak of micro-systems where species sequester during times of crisis. They are called refugia. In times of uncertainty and fear, we too need refugia, places of spiritual safety where we can put down roots, grow and thrive. In this Sunday teaching, Willa invites us to explore the concept of refugia, and how it can help expand our conventional understanding of what “refuge” means in the Buddhist context. Refuge, an ancient Buddhist practice of finding sanctuary in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, is not a ritual or initiation. It involves a deep exploration of the role of safety in spiritual life. Refuge is an ongoing inquiry into what refugia looks like for each of us, into our crisis-sanctuaries and how they become a catalyst for our spiritual evolution.
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Developing the Power of Heart and Mind
Recorded :
September 25, 2022 Power matters when free from any corruption of mind, gross or subtle. We need to develop our power rather than feel powerless, indecisive or exploitive. Power emerges from unification of our whole being, focussing on a priority and sometimes engaging in a level of boldness. The Buddha referred to four areas to develop inner power…
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Jaya Rudgard – Week of 25 May, 2026
This week’s theme is: Staying Steady in the Flow – Supports for Everyday Practice
This week will consider different ways we can stay connected with and resourced by our practice in the midst of the ups and downs and unpredictability of everyday life.
Our Dharma Library thrives through collective generosity. Your donation helps sustain this offering for our entire community.
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Glimpses of Interbeing: An Introduction to Insight Dialogue
Recorded :
March 17, 2024 Based in the Buddhist tradition, Insight Dialogue harnesses the power of relationship to amplify, refine, and accelerate the development of mindfulness. Consisting of 6 meditative guidelines practiced in dyads or more, the practice supports the wisdom of dharma to enter the heart and mind in an embodied way that is immediately applicable in daily life. Join…
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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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Settling Into Your Body In Meditation
Recorded :
December 11, 2022 Finding a comfortable body posture when meditating is a crucial element in our practice. We can use our bodies as a way of experiencing change and impermanence. In this session, we will be looking at ways to make our bodies comfortable for meditation – both standing (if appropriate for your body) and sitting. We will examine various postures and do various techniques that can be helpful for meditating.
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The Art of Savoring
Recorded :
November 23, 2025 In the practice of meditation, we are often focused on the task of getting to the cushion and paying attention, but how much of this task are we actually enjoying? To really enjoy ourselves in meditation, we need a practice that goes beyond attention and mindfulness alone. We need to find joy in the micro…
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You are Not Alone: Healing the Myth of Separation
Recorded :
March 17, 2019 The dharma invites us to face ourselves fully. But through fear, we sometimes distract ourselves, over-fill ourselves, and hold onto external attachments, in order to avoid.…what? The illusion that we are separate and isolated manifests in ways conscious and unconscious, but over time practice reveals to us that it is simply the ego that fears…
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Saddha: Unshakeable Confidence
Recorded :
January 8, 2023 So many of us feel assailed by doubt, anxiety and insecurity. Unhelpful self-talk, along with the uncertainties of the world, heighten and reinforce thought tendencies. Dharma practice helps us recognize and uproot ingrained patterns, and also to establish trust, confidence and fearlessness. Our first Sunday Sangha of 2023 will inquire into what is deeply trustworthy, and point towards a confidence that is unshakeable — regardless of circumstance or preference, life or death.
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