Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley: dharma talks and meditation instruction

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Israeli Dharma Teacher Stephen Fulder joins James and shares about the current crisis in Israel and Gaza

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Learning or deepening a capacity to meet our own difficult emotions with compassion rather than reactivity helps us move toward wise action or letting go, depending on what may be needed.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) The Sabbāsava Sutta "All the Taints" (Majjhima Nikaya #2). The Buddha teaches seven methods for restraining and abandoning the "taints", the fundamental defilements that keep us in suffering.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Part 1 in a three part series on Mindful Self Compassion (MSC). Each session stands alone and/or you can participate in all three - each will have different, related information and practices.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) The Buddha often pointed to craving as the cause of our suffering. Walt explores how craving arises and how we might come to the end of craving. Ajahn Sucitto said, "In fact, our craving is about something we don’t have... The source is the ‘not having.’" When we start to see this with mindfulness and clear comprehension, we have more freedom to choose he...

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This moment in time is calling us to contribute what we can to bring more consciousness into the world. But rather than acting from anger or despair I believe the key is to come from love and even joy. One of my teachers calls this our "joyful responsibility."

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) The Buddha taught that patience is the 'supreme virtue' - why is that?

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Kevin uses suttas from the Pali Canon to bring out the practical aspects of this teaching.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Eve looks at the what and how of the Buddha's teachings on integrity, and their essential role in our own freedom.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley)

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) A practice to shift from being caught in a suffering state to remembering that freedom is just a moment away. This is a way to change the channel from being lost in an unwholesome state to opening to a wholesome state.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) The Brahma Vihara of cultivating happiness at the happiness of others.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley)

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This discourse by the Buddha' is called "One Fortunate Attachment" (Majjhima Nikaya Sutta #131). Although the Buddha spoke of attachment as being the cause of suffering, he did teach there is one attachment that is wholesome and leads to the highest happiness. We will explore this wholesome attachment and see how it can be applied to everyday life

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Join Eve Decker for an exploration of and practice with loving-kindness, the Buddha's teaching on cultivating well-being through warmth of heart.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) James and Eve are delighted to host the first in person meeting at the Berkeley Buddhist monastery since Covid changed our lives. In addition to a Dharma talk and exploration about Sangha, Eve brings her guitar and shares some music.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Eve Decker explores approaches to difficult emotions, using mindfulness and compassion. This work comes from the Mindful Self Compassion curriculum developed by Dr. Kristen Neff and Dr. Christopher Germer.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Here is a practice that is the secret to bring out the best in others. It's a simple yet powerful practice that puts people at ease and helps awaken a feeling of trust, safety, and loving kindness. And it feels good for the person practicing it as well.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) While it’s true that it takes effort to come back to the present moment each time the mind wanders, the most profound practice is when we let go of all effort and simply rest in the awareness that’s always here. This shift from “doing” to the complete relaxation of “non-doing” or simply “Being” is what the Tibetans call the deep and subtle practice of “No...

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) After sitting a month at Spirit Rock Eve explores the power of seeing the mind and how and why not identifying with its contents is a path to freedom.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) A classical text from Kashmir Shaivism entitled "Realization of Our True Heart" or Pratyabijñāhṛdaya, describes in a few lines how we and everything in physical form is simply an expression of Divine Play of the universe –what in Hinduism is called the lila or dance of consciousness. This talk explores one perspective of the Mystery, that which cannot be...

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Alexa Redner continues her exploration from last week on what it means to really be with experience.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Drawing from her experiences and insights as a Right Livelihood Coach and Buddhist Economist, Della Duncan offers an ecological metaphor for cultivating Right Livelihood and guides us through a series of questions to help us explore the themes, questions, and challenges we face in our Right Livelihood journeys.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Kevin Griffin explores the Metta Sutta, the Buddha's words on Loving-Kindness. How can we actually live this teaching in an embodied way? Kevin's new book is Living Kindness: Metta Practice for the Whole of Our Lives. From Publisher’s Weekly: “The lucid analysis of Buddhist texts and the jargon-free examination of metta make this an ideal primer on a core...

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Going through the process of sitting in silence over a long period of time is a unique and profound experience. What happens on a month-long retreat and why do people do it? Though it is not possible for everyone to get away for that length of time or have the desire to do it, the principles shared can be applied to shorter retreats as well