Dharma Seed - Dharma Talks given at Insight Meditation South Bay

2017-08-29 The Role of Feelings and Emotions in Decision Making 41:22
Shaila Catherine	Download Listen
Shaila Catherine gave the fifth talk in a speaker series titled "Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society, and Planet." She pointed out that feelings and emotions can be rather seductive, especially when we are not mindful of them, because they can unconsciously propel us into action. When feelings are pleasant, the response very often moves the mind towards craving and grasping. When feelings are unpleasant, the response is often aversion. Therefore, feelings should be investigated and understood, instead of being the basis upon which impulsive decisions are made.

In collection Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society, and Planet

2017-08-22 Climate Change and the Dharma 25:17
Jennifer Dungan	Download Listen
Jennifer Dungan gave the fourth talk in a speaker series titled "Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society. and Planet." She proposed that human-caused climate changes could be regarded as a Heavenly Messenger for us to wake up. She further explored how global warming is a consequence of clinging on a societal and political scale. In addition, we can be mindful of what arises in our mind when we hear about global warming. The spectrum can range from feeling alarmed to feeling dismissive. Our mind state in turn can lead to wholesome or unwholesome actions.

In collection Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society, and Planet

2017-08-08 The Skillful Means of Recognizing Empty Appearance 47:20
Lisa Dale Miller	Download Listen
Lisa Dale Miller gave the third talk in a speaker series titled "Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society, and Planet." She explained that though the Buddhist notion of emptiness can be quite challenging for Western Buddhist practitioners, the rich teachings on emptiness offer a clear path to apply wise view, wise action and skillful means in daily life.

In collection Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society, and Planet

2017-07-25 Tending Our Own Minds/Hearts, Caring for Others 35:40
Nikki Mirghafori	Download Listen
Nikki Mirghafori gave the second talk in a speaker series titled "Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society, and Planet". Teachings from the "Acrobat Sutta" were shared to illustrate how tending our own mind is a stepping stone to care for others, and the world. The power of actions leading to habit formation in the mind and body, which could either lead to liberation or suffering, were also discussed.

In collection Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society, and Planet

2017-07-18 Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society, and Planet 3:23:34

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A famous verse in the Dhammapada states: “All experience is preceded by mind, led by mind, made by mind. Speak or act with a corrupted mind, and suffering follows, as the wagon wheel follows the hoof of the ox … Speak or act with a peaceful mind, and happiness follows, like a never-departing shadow.” This guest speaker series will explore the ways in which care for our minds leads to care for our families, societies and our planet.

2017-07-18 The Bliss of Blamelessness: Cultivating the Foundation & Framework of Buddhist Practice 53:20
Robert Cusick	Download Listen
Robert Cusick gave the first talk in a speaker series titled "Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society, and Planet". There are many benefits to training in sila or by living in integrity with the precepts. When we recognize and respect the importance of integrity as a foundational underpinning of Buddhism and choose to develop it as a personal daily practice, we access a powerful tool that can be used for both our immediate and complete liberation from suffering. By choosing to train in this way, we create the conditions in our own lives to understand and experience what's known as the "Bliss of Blamelessness." This talk by Robert Cusick is about some of the many different ways people are transformed by living in integrity with the precepts and ultimately changed by the bliss of blamelessness.
Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
In collection Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society, and Planet

2017-07-25 Tending Our Own Minds/Hearts, Caring for Others 35:40
Nikki Mirghafori	Download Listen
Nikki Mirghafori gave the second talk in a speaker series titled "Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society, and Planet". Teachings from the "Acrobat Sutta" were shared to illustrate how tending our own mind is a stepping stone to care for others, and the world. The power of actions leading to habit formation in the mind and body, which could either lead to liberation or suffering, were also discussed.
Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
In collection Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society, and Planet

2017-08-08 The Skillful Means of Recognizing Empty Appearance 47:20
Lisa Dale Miller	Download Listen
Lisa Dale Miller gave the third talk in a speaker series titled "Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society, and Planet." She explained that though the Buddhist notion of emptiness can be quite challenging for Western Buddhist practitioners, the rich teachings on emptiness offer a clear path to apply wise view, wise action and skillful means in daily life.
Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
In collection Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society, and Planet

2017-08-22 Climate Change and the Dharma 25:17
Jennifer Dungan	Download Listen
Jennifer Dungan gave the fourth talk in a speaker series titled "Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society. and Planet." She proposed that human-caused climate changes could be regarded as a Heavenly Messenger for us to wake up. She further explored how global warming is a consequence of clinging on a societal and political scale. In addition, we can be mindful of what arises in our mind when we hear about global warming. The spectrum can range from feeling alarmed to feeling dismissive. Our mind state in turn can lead to wholesome or unwholesome actions.
Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
In collection Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society, and Planet

2017-08-29 The Role of Feelings and Emotions in Decision Making 41:22
Shaila Catherine	Download Listen
Shaila Catherine gave the fifth talk in a speaker series titled "Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society, and Planet." She pointed out that feelings and emotions can be rather seductive, especially when we are not mindful of them, because they can unconsciously propel us into action. When feelings are pleasant, the response very often moves the mind towards craving and grasping. When feelings are unpleasant, the response is often aversion. Therefore, feelings should be investigated and understood, instead of being the basis upon which impulsive decisions are made.
Insight Meditation South Bay - Silicon Valley
In collection Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society, and Planet

2017-07-18 The Bliss of Blamelessness: Cultivating the Foundation & Framework of Buddhist Practice 53:20
Robert Cusick	Download Listen
Robert Cusick gave the first talk in a speaker series titled "Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society, and Planet". There are many benefits to training in sila or by living in integrity with the precepts. When we recognize and respect the importance of integrity as a foundational underpinning of Buddhism and choose to develop it as a personal daily practice, we access a powerful tool that can be used for both our immediate and complete liberation from suffering. By choosing to train in this way, we create the conditions in our own lives to understand and experience what's known as the "Bliss of Blamelessness." This talk by Robert Cusick is about some of the many different ways people are transformed by living in integrity with the precepts and ultimately changed by the bliss of blamelessness.

In collection Living Wisely in the World: Caring for Mind, Family, Society, and Planet

2017-06-20 Mindful Self-Compassion 45:25
Renee Burgard	Download Listen
Renee Burgard gives a talk on mindful self-compassion.

2017-05-18 Metta for category of enemies 49:35
Laura Lin	Download Listen
Guided Metta Meditation, for category of enemies (taken from the course "The Power of Loving Kindness (Metta)".

In collection Featured Guided Meditations

2017-03-30 Meditating on Body and Breath 22:12
Sharon Allen	Download Listen
Guided meditation on body and breath.

In collection Developing a Mindfulness Meditation Practice

2017-03-28 Trauma, Purification and the Nervous System 43:41
Sean Feit Oakes	Download Listen
Sean Feit Oakes gave the sixth talk in a speaker series titled "Everyday Dhamma." He explained that when we feel threaten, our sympathetic nervous system kicks in two modes: fight or flight. We get activated when we perceive threat, but our usually body calms down once we perceive that we are safe. Anxiety, stress and vigilance are symptoms of trauma. To use the language of Buddhism, restless mind, anxious mind, and fearful mind are minds that got stuck in the activated mode, instead of being reset to neutral. In other words, trauma happened when at one point in our lives we felt threatened, and we never felt safe again. Purification comes when we can learn to turn off the activated mode, and work through the aspects of our conditioning that are painful and let go, so we can return to balance.

In collection Everyday Dhamma