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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Nourishing Compassion
Recorded :
January 9, 2022 His Holiness the Dalai Lama has shared that compassion is not a luxury but a necessity for human beings to survive. There is no more important time to understand and strengthen compassion than right now.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Ulla Koenig – Week of 20 July, 2026
This week’s theme is: Taking Refuge in Sati: Resting in Intentional Awareness . In this session, we explore sati as a refuge: a gentle gathering of attention that protects our heart-minds both in meditation and in daily life. We will inquire into the dynamics of attention and learn to navigate the many impressions that touch our hearts, so we can use our attention in ways that support clarity, resilience, and fresh energy. Our Dharma Library thrives through collective generosity. Your donation helps sustain this offering for our entire community.
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Liberation through the Heart (Citta Vimmuti)
Recorded :
June 28, 2020 Most people associate Dharma practice with the concept of Wisdom. Here, the idea is that we need to “know” something that we don’t already know. For English thinking minds this can become very problematic and can turn our practice into a cognitive or intellectual endeavor. With the earliest teachings of the Dharma we see that…
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Impermanence
Recorded :
October 6, 2024 Anicca, usually translated as “Impermanence” or “Inconstancy,” is one of the three characteristics of all worldly experience. It’s the one of those characteristics we can usually get some understanding of right away. But the deeper implications of anicca are quite profound and that’s what we will explore together.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Martin Aylward – Week of 23 March, 2026
This week’s theme is: The Goodness of Your PracticeA week of listening to, trusting in, and following the sincerity of your heart and the goodness of your practice. Our Dharma Library thrives through collective generosity. Your donation helps sustain this offering for our entire community.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Martin Aylward – Week of Nov 29, 2021
Daily meditations with Martin Aylward.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Nirmala Werner – Week of Nov 27 – 1 Dec, 2023
This week’s topic is “Longing for Belonging; Becoming Intimate with Expansion and Contraction”. Although people are more connected than ever through technology, there seems to be a global trance of “not belonging”. In this week’s sessions we will explore how we separate from our own selves and from others, and above all how we can come home to all our parts and sink back into a sense of belonging.
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Angulimala: an ethical transformation
Recorded :
December 10, 2017 Shaila tells the life story of Angulimala and his transformation from notorious robber and murderer to a peaceful, compassionate, truthful, and awakened monk. It is an inspiring example of the power of restraint, and the potential for redemption. Habits and dispositions do not need to control our lives. We can stop unwholesome, unhealthy, and harmful…
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