Dharma Talks
given at Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
2018-04-24
Commitment to Enlightenment
30:23
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Shaila Catherine
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In this talk, Shaila Catherine explores the purpose of meditation practice. By knowing the goal of the Buddhist path, we can avoid becoming satisfied with deceptive attainments such as mere joy, calmness, and concentration. These pleasant states are not the aim of the liberating path. If we become attached to these temporary states and initial attainments, they become impediments on the path and can prevent the realization of the ultimate goal of awakening.
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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In
collection:
Goals in Meditation
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2018-04-24
Goals in Meditation
3:05:54
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with
Andrea Fella,
Dawn Neal,
Kim Allen,
Shaila Catherine,
Tony Bernhard
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We invited several local teachers to share both the personal aims that guide their practice and their understanding of the goals of the Buddhist Path. We asked them the following questions:
What is the goal of Buddhist practice?
What do you personally hope to achieve through your practice?
What is a reasonable way to assess our progress – how can we tell if we are on track?
How can we work skillfully with goals in the context of mindfulness-based practices that emphasize present moment awareness?
This series will explore both the ultimate and relative goals of Buddhist practice. It will address the benefits and limitations of having goals, and explore some related practice issues: comparing, expectations, craving for attainments, inspiration, and the potential for discouragement.
Join us for an illuminating look into some aspects of your practice you may never have considered!
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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2018-04-10
A Life Affirming Path
46:30
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Janetti Marotta
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In this talk, Janetti Marotta presented the publication of her new book, "A Fertile Path: Guiding the Journey with Mindfulness and Compassion." Janetti described how mindfulness teaches us to be in harmony with whatever life presents. With the wisdom of awareness and the warmth of compassion, obstacles become challenges and crises become opportunities.
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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2018-03-13
Equanimity
44:51
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Oren Jay Sofer
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The series on the Seven Awakening factors concludes with Oren J. Sofer’s talk on the quality of equanimity. Sofer tells us that this quality develops slowly among the other factors and is considered one of the highest attainments in Buddhist practice. The fore-taste of evenness and balance can be considered a glimpse into the mind of an awakened being.
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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In
collection:
Seven Factors of Awakening
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2018-03-06
Samadhi
44:20
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Sean Oakes
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Sean Feit Oakes speaks about the quality of samadhi as an awakening factor. This talk, the 8th in the series, examines samadhi as the framework of what must be cultivated in practice in order to ultimately aim for liberation. Because concentration arises when conditions ripen, this talk explores ways to develop these conditions so that samadhi and its benefits can manifest.
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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In
collection:
Seven Factors of Awakening
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2018-02-20
Awakening Joy
43:55
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Misha Merrill
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Misha Merrill gave the fourth talk in a speaker series titled "Preparing the Mind for Awakening: Cultivating the Seven Factors of Awakening." She explained that joy and happiness are not the same thing, because we can find joy even in the midst of difficulties. We can't put off practicing and experiencing joy until everything is just exactly the way we want it to be. In fact, to be able to experience joy at this moment, right here, right now, even when things are difficult, is the core of our practice. Misha then offered practices that can increase the possibility of joy in our lives.
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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In
collection:
Seven Factors of Awakening
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2018-01-23
Mindfulness
38:59
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Chris Clifford
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Chris Clifford gave the first talk in a speaker series titled "Preparing the Mind for Awakening: Cultivating the Seven Factors of Awakening." In this talk, Chris explored the Buddha's teachings on Mindfulness in order to understand how this mental factor differs from ordinary untrained consciousness, and how it supports the unfolding of the Seven Factors of Awakening.
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Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
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In
collection:
Seven Factors of Awakening
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