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Sunday Sangha – 8th November 2026

JD Doyle

This session is led by JD Doyle.

Start Time: 11 am PST (LA) / 2 pm EST (NY) / 7 pm GMT (London) / 8 pm CET (Paris). 90-minute live session.

This week’s theme: The Dharma of Trees

Dharma of Trees
In this talk we will explore the Dharma of Trees. The Buddha encourages us to meditate at the base of a tree and frequently uses trees to emphasize teachings, especially regarding the three characteristics: anatta(not-self), dukkha(stress), and anicca (impermanence). We will learn how the Buddha’s teachings on trees and forests supports us in orienting towards freedom for ourselves and all beings.

This session is freely-offered, but dana/donations are invited to help us meet our substantial running costs and to support our teachers. To donate, please click here. We appreciate your generosity 🙏

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JD Doyle

JD Doyle

JD Doyle (they/them) co-founded the East Bay Meditation Center’s LGBTQIA+ (Alphabet) Sangha over 15 years ago and co-lead the first Buddhist meditation residential retreats for transgender, nonbinary and gender expansive people. While JD is based in Oakland, CA they offer meditation retreats and classes for many Buddhist Centers. Their training includes: Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s retreat teacher training, Community Dharma Leader training and the Dedicated Practitioner program. They’ve practiced Buddhism since 1995 in the U.S., Thailand, and Burma. For over twenty years, they worked as a public school teacher. JD identifies as genderqueer. They are committed to celebrating the diversity of our human sangha, addressing the impact of racism on our communities, expanding concepts of gender, and living in ways that honor the sacredness of the Earth. Click here to learn more about JD Doyle.

View Recordings of Past Sunday Sangha Sessions

An Appropriate Response

With Pamela Weiss Recorded : July 9, 2017

What does it take to respond rather than react to the increasing complexity and divisiveness of our world? This talk will explore Buddhist teachings that illuminate the sources of our fundamental reactivity, and reveal...

Embodied Wisdom: The Self-Preservation of Activism

With Leslie Booker Recorded : July 8, 2017

Yes, the world is on fire. And, how do we respond to the rage, anger, and fear that can engulf us? How do we utilize these emotions as catalysts that can move us into...

Embodying cultural diversity: dancing with the basket of virtue

With Ralph Steele Recorded : July 2, 2017

Our Sangha has been predominately white since it branched off from the Asian countries. This Dharma talk offers a path for deeper inquiry and greater insight into how we can embody cultural diversity. The...

Love’s in Need of Love: The Practice of Love as Social Resistance

With Lama Rod Owens Recorded : July 1, 2017

The great Black American singer and songwriter Stevie Wonder once sang, “Love’s in need of love today.” His words couldn’t be more true as we face a global community struggling with war, poverty, illness,...

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Change the story, change your life

With Brian Dean Williams Recorded : June 25, 2017

We live our lives through stories – about the world, and about ourselves. You may have noticed these stories surfacing in awareness in your meditation practice. We often cling to these stories as being...

Frontline Dharma: Exploring how practice can support and nourish us in engaging with challenging times

With Zohar Lavie Recorded : June 24, 2017

For many of us these are times of deep questioning: How do we respond to the challenges we are facing in our societies and our planet? What can we do? How to engage in...

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With Kaira Jewel Lingo Recorded : June 18, 2017

In this class, we come home to ourselves to access our strength, wisdom, courage and joy, so needed for us to meet these difficult times with freedom and clarity. We explore ways to stay...

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With Stephen Fulder Recorded : June 11, 2017

Trust is like pouring oil on troubled waters; it smooths the way. We don’t need to take so much trouble to build our walls. We can let go and let life sweep through us....

Vimalasara Mason-John

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With Vimalasara Mason-John Recorded : June 4, 2017

We could say that the Buddha was teaching us to breath again. It’s said that the prince Siddhartha was sitting under a Bodhi tree, practicing the anapanasati (the mindfulness of breathing) when he gained...

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With Deborah Eden Tull Recorded : May 24, 2017

It is an extraordinary relief to encounter the perfection of ordinary self in a world that is screaming loudly, “There is something better out there! There is something you might be missing! There are...

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With Diana Winston Recorded : May 21, 2017

So many of us struggle with self-hatred and self-judgment. Self-compassion is so deeply needed in these times, and brings together mindfulness, loving kindness practices, and a recognition of our shared humanity. This session explores...

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With Dave Smith Recorded : May 14, 2017

In this talk Dave discusses the process of integrating heart practices within the four foundations of mindfulness. Mindfulness practice unites the steadiness of concentration with the immediacy of moment to moment experience. As we...