Dharma Seed - Dharma Talks given at Insight Meditation South Bay

2016-04-29 Proliferation of Planning 47:38
Shaila Catherine	Download Listen
Shaila Catherine gave this talk on planning tendencies of the mind. Papanca is a Pali term that means proliferation. A lot of our planning is not preparation for action. Rather, it's a form of dukkha: chronic planning may be a manifestation of anxiety, restlessness, worry, or obsessive thinking about "who I will be." Planning is fuel for self-becoming, self-grasping; restless planning perpetuates the fantasy of a future we think we can control or predict, but such future may never happen. Instead of habitually indulging in planning tendencies, we can train our attention to be mindful of life as it actually unfolds. We can thus learn to calm fantasies that distract the mind, let go of expectations, and gradually strengthen concentration to be more fully present. We can also curb the tendency to become lost in imagined scenarios of hope and fear about life's events.
Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley

2016-04-28 Effort 59:28
Ayya Sobhana	Download Listen
Bhikkhuni Sobhana gave the third talk in a eight-week series titled "Seven Factors of Awakening". The focus of the talk is the enlightenment factor of "viriya," i.e., what the early suttas advise for arousing energy, skillfully steering our efforts, and going beyond what we have done before.
Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
In collection: Seven Factors of Awakening

2016-04-26 Lessons from the Quarrel at Kosambi 39:23
Tony Bernhard	Download Listen
Tony Bernhard gave the third talk in a seven-week series on lesser known Buddhist teachings titled "Thus Have I Heard." This talks discusses the problems surrounding quarrels and disputes, and the suffering that results from clinging to views.
Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
In collection: Thus Have I Heard

2016-04-21 Investigation 30:50
Sharon Allen	Download Listen
Sharon Allen gave the second talk in a eight-week series titled "Seven Factors of Awakening". She discussed how the power of investigation is essential to letting go of harmful states of mind and to nurturing beneficial states of mind. When we know this for ourselves, we attain increased confidence in the path and are prompted to put more energy into our practice and understanding. This puts us on the path to liberation.
Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
In collection: Seven Factors of Awakening

2016-04-19 Sustaining Relationships 44:24
Diana Clark	Download Listen
Diana Clark gave the second talk in a seven-week series on lesser known Buddhist teachings titled "Thus Have I Heard." This talk emphasizes the importance of good spiritual friends in preparing our minds for liberation. Given this importance, there are four ways to sustain a good relationship: generosity, endearing speech, beneficial actions, and viewing others without bias or prejudice.
Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
In collection: Thus Have I Heard

2016-04-14 Seven Factors of Awakening 9:07:51

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with Ayya Sobhana, Chris Clifford, Daniel Bowling, Fa Jun, Janetti Marotta, Margaret Gainer, Misha Merrill, Oren Jay Sofer, Sean Feit Oakes, Shaila Catherine, Sharon Allen

These seven qualities offer an effective framework for cultivating the mind, overcoming the hindrances, and balancing the energetic and calming forces that develop in meditation. When cultivated and balanced, the mind is ripe for awakening. This series will explore each factor to reveal its importance, function, and role in the process of awakening.

Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley

2016-04-14 Mindfulness 64:26
Janetti Marotta	Download Listen
Janetti Marotta gave the first talk in a eight-week series titled "Seven Factors of Awakening". This talk focuses on what mindfulness is, and how it is considered one of the seven factors of awakening. Three central factors of mindfulness that cultivate the mind are explored: the particular way of paying attention to the present moment, the ability to investigate experience through seeing clearly, and the development of insight into freedom from suffering.
Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
In collection: Seven Factors of Awakening

2016-04-12 Two Bright Qualities: Shame and Dread (hiri and ottappa) 50:06
Sean Feit Oakes	Download Listen
Sean Feit gave the first talk in a 7-week series on lesser known Buddhist teachings titled "Thus Have I Heard." This talk explains moral shame and moral dread (translated from Pali terms hiri and ottappa, respectively) as non-negative qualities. Rather, the Buddha called them the "two bright qualities." These terms can also be translated as conscience and concern, respectively. Hiri (translated as moral shame or conscience) refers to a sense of healthy regret for past unskillful ethical actions. This healthy regret is accompanied by ottappa, moral dread or concern for the future (i.e., "May I not act like that in the future"). Hiri and ottappa together support reflective awareness of action and its results, directed towards the past and directed towards the future. This embodies intention towards wise action.
Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
In collection: Thus Have I Heard

2016-04-12 Thus Have I Heard 5:01:05

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with Andrea Fella, Diana Clark, Kim Allen, Nona Olivia, Sean Feit Oakes, Shaila Catherine, Tony Bernhard

The Pali Canon includes over 5,000 discourses that document conversations and encounters that occurred during forty years of the Buddha's ministry. Over the centuries, certain teachings have risen to the surface with popularity and come to characterize our impression of what the Buddha taught. However, the vast collection of source material reaches beyond these well known teachings. For this speaker series, IMSB has invited teachers to focus on teachings that have been largely neglected by contemporary Buddhist groups. Each talk will share a lesser-known teaching, event, or instruction that will enrich our comprehension of what the Buddha taught. We will discover whether broadening our source material reinforces the dominant view of Buddhist practice or paints a different picture of meditation and the path of liberation.

Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley

2016-04-07 Skillful Paths of Mind 38:42
Jenny Wilks	Download Listen
This is the third talk in a 3-part speaker series titled "Pathways of Skillful Action". Jenny Wilks talks about how, according to Buddhist ethical psychology, the mind is the source of speech and action, and that there are three specific skillful qualities of mind to be cultivated.
Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley