Dharma Tree

When was the last time you were truly content? Not "fine." Not "doing okay." Truly at peace, with nothing missing and nothing to chase? If you had to think about it for more than a second, this video is for you. The Four Noble Truths are the heart of the Buddha's teaching — and one of the most misunderstood teachings in the world. They are not commandments. They are not a c...

Dharma on Demand | Ep15. Thanksgiving Blessings On this Thanksgiving day, we reflect on our blessings and happiness using the Mangala Sutta (Sutra on Happiness). We reflect on what exactly is happiness and what should count as blessings. On this episode we recognize that blessings aren't the things that happen to us, but on the things that we do to create those blessings. #thanksgiving #blessi...

Dharma on Demand | Ep14. Mantras Mantras. What are they? Why use them? What do they mean? We'll talk about all that and more, and discuss why having a personal mantra is important. #DharmaOnDemand #Mantras #DharmaTree

Ask a Monk | Do Buddhists Pray? On this episode, we explore what Buddhist prayer is and why we pray or chant in Buddhism.

Dharma on Demand | Ep13. The Eightfold Path: Right Concentration Right Concentration (Samyak Samadhi) is to cultivate a mind that is one-pointed. On this episode we will explore the two kinds of concentration and about the Jhanas (mental absorption).

Dharma on Demand | Ep12. The Eightfold Path: Right Mindfulness Right Mindfulness (Samyak Smriti/Sati) is at the heart of the Buddha's teachings. The Buddha says that the Dharma, the ultimate truth or things, is directly visible, timeless, calling out to be approached and seen. The ultimate truth, the Dharma, is not something mysterious and remote, but the truth of our own experience. It can be rea...

Dharma on Demand | Ep11. The Eightfold Path: Right Effort/Diligence  Right Effort is the kind of energy that helps us realize the Noble Eightfold Path. The purification of conduct established by the prior three factors serves as the basis for the next division of the path, the division of concentration.

Dharma on Demand | Ep10. The Eightfold Path: Right Livelihood Right Livelihood means that one should abstain from making one's living through a profession that brings harm to oneself or others. The sutras usually define Right Livelihood as earning a living without needing to transgress any of the five precepts; not dealing in weapons, in the slave/human trafficking, the meat trade, or the sale of...

Dharma on Demand | Ep9. The Eightfold Path: Right Action Right Action means right action of the body and refraining from unwholesome deeds that occur with the body as their natural means of expression. The Buddha mentions three components of right action: abstaining from taking life, abstaining from taking what is not given, and abstaining from sexual misconduct.

Dharma on Demand | Ep8. The Eightfold Path: Right Speech Right Speech is based on Right Thinking. Speech is the way for our thinking to express itself aloud. The Buddha dives Right Speech into four components: 1) abstaining from false speech, 2) abstaining from slanderous speech, 3) abstaining from harsh speech, and 4) abstaining from idle chatter, exaggeration, and embellishing. 

Dharma on Demand | Ep7. The Eightfold Path: Right Thinking/Intention The foundation of the Buddhist journey is the practice of the Noble Eightfold  Path. Right Thinking/Intention is the mental energy to control our speech and actions. The Buddha explained that Right Intention is threefold: the intention of renunciation, the intention of good will, and the intention of harmlessness.

Ask a Monk | Ep4. Why do Buddhists bow? On this episode of Ask a Monk, I briefly answer why Buddhists bow during services and ceremonies, and the significance of bowing during the services and to others.

Guided Meditation | Identifying Self-Judgement and Bringing in Self-Compassion Self-judgment and self-criticism can be very engrained thought patterns, so much so that we don’t fully realize they are present. Many of us have a lot of conditioning that negatively impacts the thoughts we hold about ourselves. And many of us are just starting to recognize the ways in which we talk to ourselves or how...

Ep6. The Eightfold Path: Right View The foundation of the Buddhist journey is the practice of the Noble Eightfold  Path. The first and one of the most important Paths is Right View; the ability to see things as they are and the release of our ignorance. In this short teaching, I briefly go over the basic concept of Right View.

Ask a Monk | Buddhism's views on LGBTQ+ On this quick episode, I answer the question "What is Buddhism's views on LGBTQ+?"  It's in my experience that I know some LGBTQ+ people have hesitated to attend Buddhist services. sanghas, or groups because of fear of discrimination or denial. But, it's important to know that the Buddha welcomed ALL people into his community and sangha, and it's only i...

Ask a Monk | Difference between Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism On this episode of Ask a Monk, we'll briefly discuss the main differences of Mahayana and Theravada (Hinayana) Buddhism. If you'd like to submit a question to be answered, please visit dharmatree.org and use the Contact Us form.

Guided Meditation: Awareness of our body during walking meditation During this short and simple guided meditation, we will take a walk with our awareness of our body and the sensations we see and feel.

Dharma on Demand | Ep5. The Four Noble Truths (4th Truth) Today we are continuing and finishing the Four Noble Truths. The Fourth Truth is the Path to End Suffering and that path is the Noble Eightfold Path.

Ask a Monk | Why I became a monk? And benefits of monasticism. On this first episode of Ask a Monk , I answer the question "Why did you become a monk?" and "What are the benefits of being a monk?"

Guided Meditation: Working with our Loneliness On this guided meditation, we will work with and face our feelings of loneliness. Even if we are surrounded by a hundred people, or in a room full of family and friends, we can still feel lonely. I hope this guided meditation will help remind you that we are never really lonely and that we just need to breathe and see that all life, including our own,...

Dharma on Demand | Ep4. The Four Noble Truths (3rd Truth) On this episode, we continue our discussion on the Four Noble Truths: The Cessation of Suffering. The third truth helps us remember and recognize that everything external is impermanent and therefore the happiness it brings us is also impermanent.

Guided Meditation: Gratitude During this guided meditation, we will explore and cultivate gratitude for the things we may do for others or that others have done for us.

Dharma on Demand: The Four Noble Truths (2nd Truth) (Episode 3) On this episode, we continue our discussion on the Four Noble Truths with a deeper look at the Second Truth: The Origin of Suffering.

Guided Meditation: Directional Compassion toward ourselves and others. This short and gentle meditation will help us recognize that our struggles and worries are not ours alone, nor are we the only ones that have these feelings of loneliness, but others do too and we can bring light toward these feelings and shine the power of compassion on them; releasing them from the darkness. 

Dharma on Demand | The Four Noble Truths (1 & 2) (Episode 2) On this episode, we will explore the Four Noble Truths, the fundamental teaching of Buddhism and our buddhist practice. This episode will cover the First and Second of the Noble Truths.