How often do we heed the call of what our hearts are telling us? Most of us ignore them because the call isn’t loud, immediate, forceful. And yet there is much to learn here. There are answers in us reflecting deep wisdom which are hard to discern without effort. Here, we might find ourselves, our [...]
newDharma Talk | Your Practice Is Your Life
It happens time and again, we set out with the best intentions to redefine, reframe or change some aspect of our lives, and are waylaid on the path to freedom by what looks like a better route. In order to get anywhere Real practice has to lead you. You have to give it the reins [...]
newDharma Talk | The Six Paramitas, Part Two
In this talk we review the meaning behind each of the six perfections, or paramitas, and the value of each. These virtues are not called the six perfections for no reason; the paramitas are what we are trying to cultivate as we learn about our own true nature, which opens up the path to Awakening. [...]
newDharma Talk | Wholeness Through Relationship
In this dharma talk, we’re asked to focus on what’s hiding in the closets we call compassion, relationship, friendliness and joy. Using Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra as a platform, this talk asks if we are truly connecting with others or hiding behind a façade of actions and words and therefore living out of balance with ourselves [...]
newDharma Talk | How to Practice | Getting Out of the Way of Change
We all want to change in some way, whether that means stopping a bad habit or changing a fundamental behavior. And we come up with a slew of excuses to explain why we haven’t changed: The conditions are all wrong. We haven’t got the money, the time, the support. It’s easier to do that than [...]
newDharma Talk | The 2nd Noble Truth
In this dharma talk, we get a chance to understand the nuances of the Second Noble Truth as well as the various ways that we hang onto the things we’re comfortable with and distract ourselves from the many things we don’t want to look at. For our own sakes we are reminded that the Buddha, [...]
newDharma Talk | Practicing Our Values in Times of Change
Change is happening now, and no one knows how things are going to turn out. We only know that things will be different. The question is how do we hold ourselves as change proceeds, as things are torn apart before our very eyes? Acting divisively will bring more of the same, only harder and stronger. [...]
newDharma Talk | The Value of Effort & Release
As social change agents, we try to do too much because there is so much to do, and the need to get things done never seems to stop. But that endless action of doing, doing, doing begins to create imbalance in our lives and unsustainable work, action, etc. quickly follows. This dharma talk will remind [...]
newDharma Talk | The Six Paramitas
As we enter the 27-Days of Change the six paramitas represent not just ideas about how we can best do things, but pure intentions to live our lives transformed. We all have a “head” way of thinking about these virtues, effort, patience, generosity…. But listen here and begin to understand how to hold them with [...]
newDharma Talk | Freedom Beyond Hope & Fear
There’s a quote by Robert Schuller: “What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?” Here’s a similar question: “What would you let go of if you knew you could be free?” We’re not talking physical freedom, but freedom from your self, from your mind chatter, self-limitations, bad habits… While there aren’t prescriptions given [...]
newDharma Talk | The Four Actions
Gandhi was fond of speaking about the fact that there was always truth in the other’s story and that it was our job to look for the truth that existed on the so-called other side…
newDharma Talk | The Third Noble Truth Part II
Part Two of The Third Noble Truth focuses on the devastation of realizing how we have been and the steady work it takes to wake up. “I want to tell you in my experience, I don’t know anyone, and I don’t know of anyone, and I haven’t heard of anyone that has even peered at [...]