Click on the blue titles to listen to the dharma talks.
Working with Overwhelming Emotions
Karma, Samsara and Anatta: Distinguishing Between Conventional and Absolute Reality
Understanding Donald Trump from a Dharma Perspective
Experiencing the Beauty of Joy and the Joy of Beauty in the Meditation Process
FOUR FOUNDATIONS OF MINDFULNESS SERIES
Foundation Concepts
- Introduction
- Definition of Important Terms
- Importance of Spiritual Urgency
- Understanding Impermanence and Change
- Clear Comprehension and Reflections on Mindfulness
- Mindfulness and Bare Attention
- Review of the Concept of Mindfulness
- Finding Joy in Meditation
- Developing Samadhi
- Tools for Developing Samadhi
- Understanding Nibbana (Nirvana)
- Understanding the Difference Between Conceptual and Experiential Knowledge
- Understanding Self and Other
- Impermanence and Nonself
- Impermanence and Spiritual Liberation
- Impermanence and the Sixteen Stages of Awakening
- Content and Process in Meditation and the Law of Impermanence
- Four Levels of Awakening and the Ten Fetters
- Lay Perspective on the Enlightenment Process
- Understanding Stream Entry from a Lay Perspective
- Bare Knowing
- Bare Knowing and Continuous Mindfulness
- The Separation of the Knowing from the Known
- Perception, Language and Cognition
- The Process of Noting in Meditation
- Perception and Noting, Concept and Reality in Meditation
- Importance of Sustained Focused Awareness in Meditation
- Understanding Gratitude in Terms of the Truth, Beauty, and Joy of our Everyday Lives
- Finding the Balance of Mind and Heart in the Spiritual Journey
- Understanding Craving and Clinging
- Craving and Clinging in a World of Conditioned and Unconditioned Reality
- Craving and Clinging in Our Daily Lives
- Reflections on Buddha Nature and the Craving for Sensual Pleasures
- The Craving for Continued Existence
- The Craving for Existence–Dependent Origination and Absolute Reality
- The Craving for Non-Existence–Self and Non-self
- The Dream of Self
- The Cosmic Dance of Shiva–Illusion and Reality, Self and Non-Self
FIRST FOUNDATION OF MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness of the Body
- Mindfulness of the Body
- Mindfulness of the Body–Posture
- Mindfulness of the Body–Breath
- Mindfulness of Breathing Part 2
- Mindfulness of Breathing Part 3
- Mindfulness of Posture
- Mindfulness of Posture–The Process Nature of Reality
- Mindfulness of Posture–Experiencing Pure Awareness
- Mindfulness of Posture–Understanding Flow and Nonself
- Mindfulness of Posture–The Three Characteristics of Existence
- Mindfulness of Posture–Bringing Enlightenment into Our Everyday Lives
- Mindfulness of Posture–Four Forms of Clear Comprehension
- Mindfulness of Posture–Contemplation of Body Parts
- Mindfulness of Posture–The Four Elements
- Mindfulness of Posture–Parts of the Body
- Conventional and Ultimate Reality
- Distinguishing Conventional and Ultimate Reality
SECOND FOUNDATION OF MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness of Feelings
- Mindfulness as a Feeling-Based Practice
- The Classical Teachings
- Recognizing Likes and Dislikes
- Sources of Our Likes and Dislikes
- Identification of Feelings and the Illusion of Self
- Finding Our Feelings
- Unworldly Feelings
- The 25 Beautiful Mindstates
- Cultivating Unworldly Feelings
- From Health and Wellness to Freedom From Suffering
THIRD FOUNDATION OF MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness of Thought
- Mindfulness of Consciousness
- Consciousness of Thought
- Consciousness of Meditative States
- Consciousness of Awakening
- Consciousness of Self and Other
- Consciousness of Reactivity
- Consciousness of Impermanence
- Impermanence and the Path of Awakening
- Impermanence and Bare Awareness
FOURTH FOUNDATION OF MINDFULNESS
Introduction to the Five Hindrances
- Five Hindrances and Neuroplasticity
- Overcoming the Hindrances
- The Five Hindrances and Personal Transformation
- Aversion
- Physical Pain
- Emotional Pain
- Understanding Aversion
- Working with Emotional Pain
- Wise Reflection
- Loving Kindness
- Sloth and Torpor
- Arising of Sloth and Torpor
- Working with Sloth and Torpor
- Wise Reflections
- Restlessness and Worry
- Causes of Restlessness and Worry
- Understanding Thoughts
- Causes of Agitated Thoughts
- Working with Restlessness
- Understanding Dhammas
- Skepticism and Doubt
- Working with Doubt
- Antidote to Doubt–the Benefits of Meditation
- Overcoming Doubt
Introduction to the Five Aggregates
- Physical Form
- Feelings
- Perception
- Perception–Gateway to Nibbana
- Perception and Illusion
- Perception and Identity
- Mental Formations
- Unwholesome Mental Factors
- Introduction to the Beautiful Mindstates
- Understanding the Beautiful Mindstates
- Mental Formations and Non-Self
- Volition as Karma
- Knowing Volition
- Consciousness
- Knowing Consciousness
- Understanding Anatta
- The Illusion of Self
- The Illusion of Form
- Identifying with Thoughts and Emotions
- If Not Self, Who Are We
Six Sense Spheres
- Introduction to Six Sense Spheres
- The Fire Sermon
- Dependent Origination Part 1
- Dependent Origination Part 2
- Practice
- Desire
- Perception
- Hallucination
- Hallucination Part 2
- Hallucination Part 3
- Hallucination Part 4
Understanding Afflictive Emotions and Suffering: A Dialogue
THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS SERIES
- First Noble Truth: The truth of suffering
- First Noble Truth, Part 2: The truth of suffering
- Second Noble Truth: The cause of suffering
- Second Noble Truth, Part 2: The cause of suffering
- Second Noble Truth, Part 3: The cause of suffering
- Second Noble Truth, Part 4: The cause of suffering
- Third Noble Truth: The cessation of suffering
- Third Noble Truth, Part 2: The cessation of suffering
- Fourth Noble Truth: The Eightfold Noble Path
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right View 1
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right View 2
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right View 3
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right View 4
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right View 5
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Thought–Renunciation 1
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Thought–Renunciation 2
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Thought–Renunciation 3
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Thought–Lovingkindness 1
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Thought–Lovingkindness 2
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Thought–Lovingkindness 3
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Thought–Lovingkindness 4
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Thought–Lovingkindness 5
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Thought–Lovingkindness 6
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Thought–Compassion 1
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Thought–Compassion 2
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Thought–Compassion 3
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Speech Part 1
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Speech Part 2
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Speech Part 3
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Action Part 1
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Action Part 2
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Action Part 3
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Action–Sexual Misconduct
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Livelihood
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Effort Part 1
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Effort Part 2
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Effort Part 3
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Effort Part 4
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Effort Part 5
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Effort Part 6
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Effort Part 7
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Mindfulness Part 1
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Mindfulness Part 2
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Concentration Part 1
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Concentration Part 2
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Concentration Part 3
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Concentration Part 4
- Fourth Noble Truth: Eightfold Noble Path: Right Concentration Part 5
Mindfulness and Personal Transformation: The levels of personal behavioral transformation
THE SEVEN FACTORS OF AWAKENING SERIES
- Mindfulness—The first factor to cultivate on the journey to spiritual awakening
- Mindfulness Part 2—In-depth explanation of mindfulness
- Investigation—How wisdom develops when we investigate our minds
- Investigation Part 2—Understanding the motivations and intentions behind our actions
- Investigation Part 3—The nature of the enlightened mind
- Energy—What animates the practice and powers the mind for wise use
- Energy Part 2–Reflections to cultivate energy
- Rapture—What it is and how to feel it in meditation
- Rapture Part 2—The transformative effects of rapture and bliss
- Rapture Part 3—Reflections to evoke rapture
- Tranquility—Understanding and managing calmness
- Tranquility Part 2—Its role in seeing the changing nature of ultimate reality
- Concentration—Its evolution from the time of the Buddha up to the development of the Mahasi lineage in the 20th Century
- Concentration Part 2–Leading to steadiness, ease, and steadfastness
- Concentration Part 3—Finding the beautiful breath
- Concentration Part 4—Understanding awareness of awareness itself
- Equanimity—An ecstatic embrace of reality as it is
- Equanimity Part 2—The difference between Buddhist and western definition of equanimity
- Equanimity Part 3—Sixteen stages of insight wisdom as taught by Mahasi Sawadaw
- Equanimity Part 4—Bringing equanimity into our daily life
The Healing of the Ego—How we can see the world in a different way
Anatta and the Power of Bodhicitta—Enlightenment as a disappointment to the ego
THE FIVE AGGREGATES SERIES
- The Five Aggregates of Clinging—Nonself and Nibbana
- The Five Aggregates of Clinging—Nonself Part 2
- The Five Aggregates of Clinging—Nonself Part 1
- The Five Aggregates of Clinging Part 2—Impermanence and Suffering
- The Five Aggregates of Clinging—Understanding Physical and Mental Phenomena
The Fundamentals of Vipassana Meditation—Making the practice your own
The Power of Mindfulness—A different kind of joy
The Law of Karma—One of the fundamental laws of the universe
THE FIVE HINDRANCES SERIES
The following five talks are about the mental factors that disturb our meditation and obscure insight
- Sensual Desire—The first hindrance
- Ill Will—The second hindrance
- Sloth and Torpor–-The third hindrance
- Restlessness and Remorse—The fourth hindrance
- Doubt—The fifth hindrance
The Buddha on PBS—Comments on the documentary about the Buddha’s life and teachings
Some Comments on Breathing—A short talk on the importance of the breath during meditation
The Relationship Between Christian Prayer and Buddhist Meditation—A historical perspective on the evolution of mindfulness meditation
Finding Freedom in our Afflictive Emotions— Accessing our subconsciousness, experiencing our emotions and attaining insight
BUDDHIST VIRTUES, TEN PARAMIS SERIES
The following series of talks concern ten qualities of mind that support and encourage us in our path to spiritual awakening. They also represent qualities of mind that develop as we deepen in the practice and strengthen each other in a cumulative fashion. They are commonly known as virtues or “paramis” and are: Generosity, Morality, Renunciation, Wisdom, Energy, Patience, Truthfulness, Determination or Resolve, Lovingkindness and Compassion, and Equanimity.
- Introduction to Buddhist Virtues- Ten Paramis
- Buddhist Virtues-Generosity — The delusion of self and other
- Buddhist Virtues-Morality — Historical evolution of the concept of self and other
- Buddhist Virtues-Renunciation — Emancipation through awareness of suffering
- Buddhist Virtues-Wisdom Part 1 — Wisdom as content and wisdom as process
- Buddhist Virtues-Wisdom Part 2 —Wisdom at the conventional level and wisdom in terms of absolute reality
- Buddhist Virtues-Wisdom Part 3 — Non-self and the neural mechanics of “selfing”
- Buddhist Virtues-Wisdom Part 4 — The relationship between wisdom and meditation
- Buddhist Virtues-Wisdom Part 5 — The relationship between meditation and wisdom- The classical teachings
- Buddhist Virtues-Energy and Patience — Energy and patience and the attainment of enlightenment
- Buddhist Virtues-Truthfulness — The relation between meditation and seeing the truth of our lives
- Buddhist Virtues-Truthfulness Part 2 — Moving from conceptual wisdom to embodied knowledge
- Buddhist Virtues-Truthfulness Part 3 — The Two Truth Doctrine: The relation between conventional and absolute reality
- Buddhist Virtues-Truthfulness Part 4— Embodying sacred reality in our everyday lives
- Buddhist Virtues-Resolve, Lovingkindness and Compassion—What does it take to change my life?
- Buddhist Virtues-Lovingkindness and Compassion—Cultivation in everyday life
- Buddhist Virtues-Equanimity—The culmination of the virtues
- Buddhist Virtues-Equanimity: The classic Theravada presentation
Apathy, Cynicism, Hopelessness, and Despair—Face to face with the decline and end of our lives, do we meet it with a wisdom born of experience-based knowledge or with faith and beliefs?
Mindfulness Practice- Working with Negative Emotions and Thoughts—Encountering negative emotions in meditation is actually a good thing
Understanding the Unfolding of Karma Through Mindfulness- the Wisdom Path— How mindfulness allows us to see the process of cause and effect unfolding in our lives leading to deeper understanding, wisdom, and compassion
The Concept of Anatta- Who Is Aware Of My Self If There Is No Self?— What is the nature of ego in the conventional sense and what is the meaning of non-self in Buddhism?
Meditation Is Not Mind Control—Is meditation about “mind control”? What is the purpose of meditation?
What You Can Expect When You Meditate—What are the benefits and pitfalls of the meditative path?
PROMISE OF REDEMPTION SERIES
This four-part series is focused on issues of faith and belief and their relationship to experience and knowledge. These questions relate to our sense of personal agency and responsibility for our actions and are reflected in the historical evolution of Buddhist thought. They are also reflected in our capacity to understand and accept recent developments in cognitive neuroscience.
- Promise of Redemption vs. Power of Mindfulness Part 1
- Promise of Redemption vs. Power of Mindfulness Part 2
- Promise of Redemption vs. Power of Mindfulness Part 3
- Promise of Redemption vs. Power of Mindfulness Part 4
DEPENDENT ORIGINATION AND ANATTA SERIES
The question is: How can I realize my full potential as a human being if the Buddha teaches that there is no self? The answer delves into the understanding of karma and the Buddhist concept of non-self.
- Dependent Origination and Anatta-Who’s Living My Life Part 1
- Dependent Origination and Anatta-Who’s Living My Life Part 2
- Dependent Origination and Anatta-Who’s Living My Life Part 3
- Dependent Origination and Anatta-Who’s Living My Life Part 4
EMPOWERMENT SERIES
How can meditation help us to realize our fullest potential as human beings? This series examines concepts of self fulfillment and actualization from western psychological perspectives and Buddhist teachings. It emphasizes the importance of integrating our conscious and sub-conscious minds through the process of mindfulness and, in doing so, accessing the full range of our potential as human beings.
- Empowerment: The Process of Self Actualization from Buddhist and Western Perspectives Part 1
- Empowerment: The Process of Self Actualization from Buddhist and Western Perspectives Part 2
- Empowerment: The Process of Self Actualization from Buddhist and Western Perspectives Part 3
- Empowerment: The Process of Self Actualization from Buddhist and Western Perspectives Part 4