Practicing mindfulness together with the four Divine Abidings (loving kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity), we develop our ability to bring relief to even the most challenging moments of our lives. We begin by strengthening our habit to increase our mindfulness as stress increases and then apply the Divine Abiding that is most appropriate for a particular situation. The result is a soothing balm and an increased ability to respond more wisely and effectively on any level from the personal to the global.
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Seeing Clearly in an Age of Confusion
Recorded :
May 1, 2022 The Buddha spoke of the three poisons of greed, hatred, and delusion. We see all three of these showing up in the realm of global events currently, and in particular, the phenomenon of ‘fake news’, intentional misinformation, and delusional thinking. How might the practice of Vipassana or ‘seeing clearly’ help us in this context? How…
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Nothing is my own, everything is my own.
Recorded :
February 12, 2017 It’s a pretty delicate task to find the right posture inside ourself in relation to the events that occur in our everyday life. Some are really desired and welcome; some are unexpected or disappointing. We gain things, we lose things and people, and good health comes and goes. On the one hand, everything we experience…
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The Roots of Discouragement
Recorded :
September 12, 2021 Progress in meditation may be slower than we anticipate. Discouragement develops when the comparing mind holds unrealistic expectations, demands perfection, and craves for measurable progress, predictable results, or signposts of success. This talk explores the obstacle of discouragement and its roots in conceit and the comparing mind. To prevent discouragement, we develop skillful ways to…
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Ulla Koenig – Week of October 23, 2023
This week’s theme is “Touched by Dukkha”. Living life involves being in touch with various experiences, some of which are challenging. These challenging experiences, referred to as ‘dukkha’ by the Buddha, inevitably stir the heart-mind. Our sensitive nature is touched by dukkha, manifesting in ripple effects like impulses, emotions, and thoughts. This week, we’ll explore together what the Buddha called the second noble truth, to understand how our reactions and responses to dukkha shape our lives.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Ulla Koenig – Week of June 13, 2022
This week’s topic is Healing Shame and Guilt. Psychologists describe shame as soul-eating emotion. Shame and guilt prevent us from developing trusting connections with others and a healthy sense of appreciation for ourselves. The Buddha taught that systems of self-reference such as shame and guilt can cause pain and stress. To find liberation is to find freedom from these deeply harmful emotions. We will look at practical ways to find such freedom in our own lives.
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The Relative is the Absolute: Touching Race, Injustice, and Love
Recorded :
October 7, 2018 When we engage in the distortion that the relative plane is separate from the absolute – that it is something to transcend or ‘just an illusion’ – we ignore the reality of the illusion. When we know ourselves as a whole which subsumes everything, we cease to diminish or dismiss the mystery of being human….
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Death and the dance of self.
Recorded :
November 8, 2015 The Buddhadharma is bursting with ways to find helpful perspectives on our troubles. With awareness and investigation we can unpack the nub of clinging which keeps us bound to old and unhelpful ways of seeing ourselves and the world. As we learn to work with self-centred clinging, we make ourselves available to a liberated perspective…
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Being gracious with suffering.
Recorded :
June 14, 2015 Worldwide Insight talk from Martin Aylward: “Being Gracious with Suffering”. Guided meditation, Dharma talk and Q&A.
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