Dharma Talks and Sangha Shares

What would it mean to move through daily life with genuine generosity — not as a transaction, but as a way of being? In this talk, Ginger Clarkson reflects on the Zen precept "Do not be stingy," exploring generosity through small moments of kindness, unexpected gestures, and the simple act of paying attention to others. Drawing on Buddhist teachings on dana, a Zen meal chant, the image of Indra's...

Most of us sit down to meditate and jump straight into watching the breath — but what if a few minutes of preparation made the whole practice easier? In this talk, Travis Hicks explores the idea of preliminary practices, drawing on Mahasi Sayadaw's recommendation of six things worth doing before formal meditation begins. The six include reflecting on your own virtuous conduct, recalling the benefi...

Every year on the full moon of May, Buddhists around the world celebrate Vesak — the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha, all said to have occurred on the same day. In this talk, Travis Hicks marks the occasion with a walk through the life of Siddhartha Gautama, from his sheltered upbringing in a noble household to his eventual enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. Travis traces the famili...

Joy isn't a distraction from the spiritual path — according to the Buddha, it's an essential part of it. In this talk, Ginger Clarkson guides the group through mudita, or sympathetic joy, the third of the four brahmaviharas, exploring why it may be the most challenging of the heart practices to cultivate. Ginger reflects honestly on how easy it is to feel genuine warmth toward strangers while stil...

Alexander technique is a body awareness and reeducation method from the 19th century that embodies many principles that overlap with mindfulness meditation and insight through observation. In this talk Tom connects to define practical application while sitting walking and standing as well as meditating. About Tom Lev Tom Lev is a teacher and community builder who has evolved from air traffic contr...

In this second talk on mindfulness of the body, Travis Hicks picks up where he left off, covering three more practices from the Satipatthana Sutta: working with postures and energy, mindfulness of the four elements, and contemplation of the body's decay. Travis explores how the choice of posture — sitting, standing, walking, or lying down — relates directly to the energy of the mind, and offers pr...

The body is always here which makes it one of the most reliable anchors for meditation practice. In this first of two talks on mindfulness of the body, Travis Hicks introduces the first of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness and walks through several of its core practices: mindfulness of the breath, awareness of postures, and the body scan. Drawing on the Satipatthana Sutta, Travis explores how th...

Our phones are designed to capture our attention and they're very good at it. In this talk, Travis Hicks reflects on his annual Lenten practice of giving up social media, and what it reveals about how digital habits shape the mind. Drawing on his own experience with Reddit, a remote monastery retreat, and some statistics about phone use, Travis connects the pull of apps and notifications directly...

Travis Hicks explores how the Buddha's teachings on reincarnation and samsara show up throughout the suttas, and what they ask of us in daily life. Drawing on vivid similes from the Pali Canon, Travis looks at how these teachings are meant to spark samvega — a sense of spiritual urgency — alongside a deep recognition that in an endless cycle of rebirth, every being has at some point been our mothe...

Is there actual evidence for reincarnation — or is it just a matter of belief? In this second of two talks, Mark Ryan picks up where he left off, moving from past life regression therapy to what many consider more compelling ground: children who spontaneously remember previous lives. The centerpiece of this talk is the work of University of Virginia psychiatrist Ian Stevenson, who spent four decad...

The Noble Eightfold Path is one of Buddhism's most essential teachings — but what does it actually look like in daily life? In this talk, Travis Hicks walks through the Eightfold Path in a practical, grounded way, drawing on his year of Upasaka training with Birken Forest Monastery and two books he has returned to again and again: Bhikkhu Bodhi's The Noble Eightfold Path and Bhante Gunaratana's Ei...

Do our lives continue after death — and is there any real evidence for it? In this first of a two-part sangha share, Mark Ryan takes look at reincarnation, tracing its presence across cultures from ancient Greek philosophy and early Christianity to Hinduism, Buddhism, and indigenous traditions worldwide. Drawing on his background facilitating Holotropic Breathwork, Mark shares compelling case stor...

Your brain is literally divided in two — and according to one neuroscientist, the wrong half has been running the show. In this fascinating and wide-ranging sangha share, Nick Burlin brings together cutting-edge neuroscience and 2,500-year-old Buddhist wisdom to reveal why we suffer — and why our meditation practice may be the most powerful antidote we have. Drawing on Iain McGilchrist's landmark...

What are you really leaning on when life feels shaky — and is it actually helping? In this warm and deeply personal talk, teacher Lisa Murphy invites us to look honestly at where we seek refuge, and whether those refuges are truly setting us free. Drawing on her own experience of a moving retreat ritual — a red string tied with three knots, one for each of the Three Refuges — Lisa explores what it...

What if the secret to a fearless, open heart isn't one practice — but four, working together? In this deeply nourishing talk, Ginger Clarkson explores the Buddha's four Brahma Viharas — the Divine Abodes of the heart — and shows how loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity don't just stand alone, but actively protect and strengthen each other. Drawing on the wisdom of Nyanaponi...