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Dharma Talks
given at Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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2016-03-31
Skillful Paths of Speech
50:55
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Jenny Wilks
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This is the second talk in a 3-part speaker series titled "Pathways of Skillful Action". Jenny Wilks talks about the importance of skillful speech in our practice of ethics, and about four kinds of skillful speech, which, according to the Buddha, involve avoiding false, divisive, harsh or meaningless speech. Jenny also discusses cultivating the opposites of these types of speech.
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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2016-03-29
Mindfulness Internally: Insight and Freedom
39:56
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Jenny Wilks
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This is the first talk of a two-part talk titled "Mindfulness, Insight, and Compassion." According to Jenny Wilkes, "mindfulness" is becoming such a commonly used term that its depth and liberating potential may be underestimated or misunderstood. The Buddha's teaching on establishing mindfulness (the Satipatthana Sutta) invites us to cultivate mindfulness both "internally" i.e., a deep awareness of our inner experience in order to cultivate liberating insight; and "externally" i.e., an open-hearted awareness of others in order to cultivate an ethical and compassionate response. The two-part talk explores how together these can support our mindfulness practice so that it becomes, as the Buddha described, a "direct path to awakening."
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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2016-03-17
Skillful Paths of Bodily Action
49:33
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Jenny Wilks
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This is the first talk in a 3-part speaker series titled "Pathways of Skillful Action". Jenny Wilks provides an overview of what we mean by ethics, and how the Buddha's list of ten paths of skillful action expand on the traditional five precepts and encompass body, speech, and mind. This talk focuses on the body and the first 3 precepts.
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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2016-03-01
Recollection of Heavens
48:43
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Shaila Catherine
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Shaila Catherine gave the sixth talk in a series on Recollective Meditations. This talk explores the practice of devanusatti — contemplating the good qualities that lead to happiness in this life and future lives. This practice emphasizes five specific qualities: faith, virtue, learning, generosity, and wisdom. One first reflects on the superior qualities of the devas, and then contemplates those same qualities within oneself. By contemplating the success of celestial beings, we might realize that success is also possible for us. This practice can inspire us to develop those beautiful qualities of heart and mind.
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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In
collection:
Recollective Meditations
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2016-02-25
Mindfulness and Compassion: Protecting Oneself and Others
41:53
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Shaila Catherine
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This is the 4th talk in a 5-part speaker series titled "Balanced Practice." Shaila Catherine explores the compassion of protecting others and the wisdom of protecting oneself through the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness guards the mind and protects the mind from sliding into actions based upon unwholesome tendencies. Mindfulness also protects us from the unmindful actions that could easily cause harm. Mindfulness has a capacity of naturally drawing everything into balance, so the mind progresses with a balance of effort and ease, of tranquility and investigation, and of calm concentrated state and engaged state.
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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In
collection:
Balanced Practice
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2016-02-23
Recollection of the Sangha
40:47
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Shaila Catherine
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Shaila Catherine gave the fifth talk in a series on Recollective Meditations. This talk describes the recollection of the Sangha, reflecting on the virtues of a community of practitioners at various stages of awakening. This reflection uplifts the mind and reinforces those virtues, which in turn leads to the Path of awakening. When one recollects the Sangha, one's mind is not obsessed by greed, hate, and delusion. In addition, when we are temporarily discouraged in our practice, when we reflect on the Sangha, we can connect with a group of people who have been practicing the Path of awakening for centuries.
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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In
collection:
Recollective Meditations
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2016-02-18
On the Cushion and In the World
62:26
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Kim Allen
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This is the third talk in a 5-part speaker series titled "Balanced Practice". Kim Allen speaks about practice on the meditation cushion and in the world. In the Pali tradition, training in behavior, view, and intention precedes meditation. Hence the transition between the two worlds flows naturally. In the West, we tend to go straight to meditation, and hence ask, "How can I bring cushion practice into the world?" As we balance our practice, we discover how cushion practice can enhance our activities in the wider world and vice versa.
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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In
collection:
Balanced Practice
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