Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley: dharma talks and meditation instruction

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) An exploration of emotions, and the Buddha's teaching on mindfulness as an antidote for working with them. The motivation that the Buddha stated repeatedly for his teachings and practices was to find direct ways to end suffering. This intention applies as much today as it did in his time almost 2,600 years ago.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) The Four Noble Truths were called "Dependent Origination, telegram-style" by Buddhist teacher Venerable Ayya Khema. Dependent Origination has also been called a 'mysterious rune'! We will take a look at this foundational teaching/insight and see if it has useful application for us in our pursuit of experiencing and offering well-being. The motivation that...

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) We will look at the general teaching and then apply it to the distress of anxiety. The foundational motivation that the Buddha stated repeatedly for his teachings and practices was to find direct ways to end suffering. This intention applies as much today as it did in his time almost 2,600 years ago.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Wise Speech. The foundational motivation that the Buddha stated repeatedly for his teachings and practices was to find direct ways to end suffering. This intention applies as much today as it did in his time almost 2,600 years ago.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) The foundational motivation that the Buddha stated repeatedly for his teachings and practices was to find direct ways to end suffering. This intention applies as much today as it did in his time almost 2,600 years ago.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This talk looks at the first factor in the Buddha's Eightfold Noble Path: Wise Understanding. The foundational motivation that the Buddha stated repeatedly for his teachings and practices was to find direct ways to end suffering. This intention applies as much today as it did in his time almost 2,600 years ago.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Noble Truths 3 and 4 We will continue our exploration of the Four Noble Truths. The foundational motivation that the Buddha stated repeatedly for his teachings and practices was to find direct ways to end suffering. This intention applies as much today as it did in his time almost 2,600 years ago.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This talk discusses the Four Noble Truths. The foundational motivation that the Buddha stated repeatedly for his teachings and practices was to find direct ways to end suffering. This intention applies as much today as it did in his time almost 2,600 years ago.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This talk explores Bhava, one of the 12 links on the Wheel of Dependent Origination also called the "Wheel of Samsara." Bhava comes right after Craving and Grasping and is usually translated as "Becoming." Bhava or Becoming is something that that most of us find ourselves caught in. However, bringing kind awareness to this tendency can be a major support...

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This talk explores the essential energy of Compassion, as illustrated by the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Kuan Yin.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This talk includes reflections, practice, and a song pointing to the essential practices that support integrity. Known as "sila" in Pali, wise speech, action, and livelihood and the Five Things (precepts) both lead to and express awakening. Let's look at why and how.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Reflections and practices pointing to the important insight into interconnection. The realization of "anatta" - no separate self - is foundational to the Buddhist teachings. It becomes available with mindfulness practice and is a part of both our own awakening and our ability to courageously act on behalf of Earth and her inhabitants.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This talk takes a dive into Gratitude as a way to hold suffering. The Jewish holiday of Passover began on Saturday. Passover is a holiday of liberation. One of the most joyous parts of the holiday is singing the song Dayenu, which translates as "It would have been enough." The song's lyrics list one blessing after another, 15 in all. After each verse the...

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This talk presents an exploration of "Wise Intention" - a crucial aspect of the Buddha's map for alleviating suffering.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Called to engage with, and do what we can to alleviate, suffering in the world, it's essential that we include ourselves and our own suffering in our circle of care. If we don't, our own suffering will be added to the larger suffering. Habituating practices and tools for grounding and coming back to presence is wise action born from wise understanding. Th...

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Thich Nhat Hanh, beloved Vietnamese monk and peace activist, coined the term "Engaged Buddhism" when, during the great suffering of the Vietnam war, it no longer felt appropriate to many monastics to stay inside the monastery. There was a need to take action. However, as practitioners directly addressed the suffering, they stayed grounded in and guided fr...

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) It's hard to keep up with all the disorienting changes we are processing each day. We can easily get lost in confusion trying to make sense of it all. As a result, we can draw conclusions based in despair and fear, thinking that we know where this is heading. We can find strength from Korean Zen Master Seung Sahn teaching: "Keep Don't Know Mind." In this...

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This talk explores the view that the wide and profound perspective of Non-Duality sees that everything belongs. One is not creating divisions between "good and bad" or "right and wrong". It is all part of the dance of life. However, in the relative level of reality these categories are real and shape our thoughts, reactions and actions. The Buddha advises...

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This talk examines some frameworks and practices that can help us return to equanimity (a sense of balance in the midst of things as they are, from which wise response can more easily arise).

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This talk examines some frameworks and practices that can help us return to equanimity (a sense of balance in the midst of things as they are, from which wise response can more easily arise).

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This talk examines some frameworks and practices that can help us return to equanimity (a sense of balance in the midst of things as they are, from which wise response can more easily arise).

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) It seems like many are feeling either a low-level anxiety or fear these days. Fear about their safety, about disasters like fire or floods, about what the future holds. While this is natural and understandable, when our minds get hijacked by fearful thoughts, it is almost impossible to have a wise or appropriate response. In this talk we explore practicin...

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This talk is about what the Dalai Lama called our greatest protection: our sincerity of motivation. What is sincerity? How do we know when we are truly sincere? How can we cultivate it?

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley)

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) The subject of this talk is the opening verse of the Dhammapada, the famous collection of the Buddha’s teachings. The verse starts out with these words: “We are what we think. With our thoughts we make the world.” This teaching can be truly transformative in one’s meditation practice as well as in one’s life.