Tea with Mara

“Leaning Into Personality ” is a Dharma talk and brief guided meditation on the “Buddhist Personality Types”. In the Visuddhimagga , six temperaments are described; ways our minds naturally lean. Some tilt toward craving, some toward irritation, some toward confusion, and others toward faith, wisdom, or creative reflection. The point isn’t to label ourselves, but to notice our tendencies and then...

"Sukha Loops and Shoops" is a Dharma talk and brief guided meditation on Sukha, and how we can create beneficial feedback loops that lead to and perpetuate it, as well as how to make the shift (when we are caught in "Dukkha Loops") over to "Sukha Loops" using what I call the Sukha Shoop. The words may sound ridiculous because I am, but I promise it will all make sense...

“The Uplift Mofo Party Plan” is a plan based on a band, a band based on a plan. But...it's also a Dharma talk offered at Two Hands Sangha that explores what the Buddha had to say about inspiration . Not the “hang in there” poster kind, but the living rhythm of pasāda (faith, confidence) and veda (joy, uplift). We’ll look at how these two qualities work together to carry us out of boredom, thro...

“The Agony and The Irony” is a Dharma talk and brief guided meditation about boredom. We treat boredom like an enemy to avoid, filling every spare moment with noise, screens, and distraction. But the Buddha gave us tools to work with it, and even learn from it. In this talk, we explore boredom as both a mirror and a teacher, using six simple steps. Enjoy! https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

“Patience As A Strength” is a Dharma talk at Two Hands Sangha reflecting on how we think of patience, and often picture just waiting something out, gritting our teeth until it’s over. But in the Dhamma, patience is an active quality.  It is strength. It is choosing to meet each moment without grasping at what we want it to be or pushing away what it is. We explore three realms of patience and look...

"33,600 Turbo Miles, Due Up!" is a Dharma talk that looks at what it means to stay on the path when nothing is going according to plan, and it isn't always a straight line. Inspired by the hardworking construction workers renovating my house, and a splash of Daffy Duck’s absurd map to Planet X, we reflect on wise effort, shifting conditions, and the importance of building a life with...

“Confidently Traversing Uncertainty” is a Dharma talk at Two Hands Sangha on August 3rd, 2025 about what we do when we don’t know what to do? This talk explores how we navigate life’s forks in the road by cultivating confidence in our ability to meet the unknown with steadiness, presence, and care. We talk about how uncertainty isn’t the enemy, how trust in the Dharma becomes our compass, and how...

“Personal Responsibility” is a Dharma talk and brief guided meditation about reclaiming your power, not through blame or perfectionism, but through wise, compassionate participation in your own life. It explores how the Buddha framed responsibility as a path to freedom. When we stop waiting for others to change, we can begin asking “ What’s  the most skillful thing I can do?” This talk also looks...

"Four More Things" is the closing talk in our Dharma series that started with exploring our inherent worth, built refuge, and walked the Eightfold Path…Now we zoom out to the bigger picture…the Four Noble Truths. Framed through tech support, equalizers, and a little humor, this talk unpacks the human condition, the causes of suffering, the possibility of freedom, and the path forward. It...

"Onward And Upward"  is the next installment in a series of Dharma talks exploring how this practice of the Dhamma can help us see our value and express it. This installment brings us to the Samādhi section (Wise Effort, Wise Mindfulness, and Wise Concentration) and dives into how these qualities support and sustain the entire path of practice. Rather than treating this as an ending, we...

“Shake It Up Baby!” is a Dharma talk and brief guided meditation that explores the Sīla section of the Eightfold Path (Wise Speech, Wise Action, and Wise Livelihood) and how ethical living becomes a radical act of belonging. We ask the question: How do I live like it matters that I’m here? And then we shake up our habits, voices, and our choices! This is a continuation of the series we’ve been doi...

"Achievement Unlocked!"  is the first in a three-part Dharma talk series on the Noble Eightfold Path, focusing on the  paññā  section (Wise View and Wise Intention). We explore what it means to step onto the path from a foundation of refuge, how to see clearly, and how to aim the heart. If you’ve ever felt like spiritual practice is a video game you’re still learning the rules to…this on...

"A Safe Place To Return To"  is a Dharma talk and brief guided meditation on the topic of refuge. Not as a place we hide, but as a direction we choose again and again. It builds on last week’s talk,  “I’m So Glad You’re Here,”  and offers the next step in practice: once we stop questioning our worth, we can begin to root into something steady, trustworthy, and true. I hope this brings yo...

“I’m So Glad You’re Here” is a Dharma talk offered at Two Hands Sangha on July 6, 2025. It’s a talk for anyone who has ever felt like they didn’t belong, or like they weren’t enough, or that the world might be better off without them. It’s a dharma based reminder that being human is rare, precious, and powerful. And that you ARE enough, just as you are. That you don’t need to earn your place here....

"Happy Interdependence Day!" is a dharma talk and brief guided meditation on the topic of true freedom. Not the freedom typically thought of on July 4th in America, but the kind of freedom for all people everywhere, that is available if they want to know it for themselves. The freedom that is found through liberating ourselves from greed, hatred, and delusion. I hope this will be useful...

"Early Morning Sunshine" is a Dharma talk inspired by Chapter 35 of Old Path White Clouds . It centers on a small but powerful moment where the Buddha speaks about prayer—not to dismiss it, but to remind us that intention alone isn’t enough. This talk explores the value of Wise Action and how our deepest hopes and prayers can become real through what we do next. Offered at Two Hands Sang...

"Racing Ahead To Meet Suffering"  is a Dharma talk and guided meditation about the habit so many of us fall into of racing ahead to meet pain that hasn’t even happened yet. I was inspired by a TikTok from Dr. Emily Anhalt, where she shares the best advice she’s ever received which lines up perfectly with the Buddha’s teachings. It really struck me and stayed with me this week. I hope it stays with...

"The Gift That Frees" is a Dharma talk offered at Two Hands Sangha on the topic of generosity. It might not seem like it at first but this is related to all the talks recently which have been about meeting the times we are living in. Generosity is the Dhamma. I hope this talk will give you something you need. Enjoy! https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

"Unshaken, Sorrowless, Dustless" is a dharma talk and brief guided meditation on the topic of FEAR. The world can feel scary any time, but if the world today has you feeling fear more often or more intensely, this talk will hopefully help. Please give it a listen and I hope you find it useful. Enjoy! https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

“Seven Good Qualities” is a Dharma talk and brief guided meditation inspired by a moment in the Pali Canon where the Buddha responds to a rising authoritarian ruler—not with politics or condemnation—but by calmly highlighting the seven qualities that allow a nation to thrive. This isn’t about left or right—it’s about wise or unwise. Ethical or harmful. Healing or dividing. May this be useful and u...

“Give Me Three Steps” is a Dharma talk on radical equality, karmic physics, and the three practical steps the Buddha offers for turning compassion into action:  see clearly, guard the mind, act wisely . We trace this wisdom from an empty alms bowl in ancient Kapilavatthu all the way to our news feeds today—asking how each of us can plant better seeds right where we stand. Listen in, then drop a co...

" Nothing Else Matters " is a Dharma talk and brief guided meditation inspired by my recent experience at the Metallica 72 Seasons Tour concert. It's really, at its core, about found family, and sangha. It's about being good to people and focusing on our commonalities rather than our differences. The show was spectacular, and brought several dreams true for me, so I hope this talk will give a litt...

"Beauty And Beasts" is a Dharma talk offered at Two Hands Sangha about breaking free from the prisons we create in our own minds. Whether it’s the story of Ambapali’s transformation or the characters in  Sinners , the message is the same: true freedom comes from within. In this talk, I dive into the Buddha’s teachings on liberation, exploring how mindfulness and discernment can help us t...

" Beautifully Broken " is a Dharma talk and a short guided meditation on impermanence, non‑clinging, and mindful appreciation sparked by Ajahn Chah’s famous broken‑glass teaching and sprinkled with a dash of Mary Oliver's brilliance! We’ll look at why knowing something is already on its way to changing can make it shine even brighter right now, and how that inner shift ripples out into a kinder wo...

“You Can't See Me” is a Dharma talk on labels, lineage, and letting compassion lead. We read Chapter 32 "The Finger Is Not The Moon" from Thich Nhat Hanh's Old Path White Clouds. I hope you find something useful in this one and of course, I hope you enjoy it!