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Retreat Dharma Talks
at Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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IMCB Regular Talks
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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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2016-08-18
"The Tall Poppy and the Shrinking Violet"
49:23
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James Baraz
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Strong identification with self often leads to an insecurity that can manifest in two extremes: someone hungry for recognition, validation and praise or someone who is shy, lost in self-judgment, and afraid of being exposed as an impostor. Both of these are all too human. There is a middle path where one knows ones worth and appreciates their wholesome qualities while not identifying with them. This talk explores how practice can support a wise understanding that allows us to just be ourselves and know that is enough.
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2016-08-25
"A Box Full of Darkness"
55:48
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James Baraz
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Mary Oliver wrote: "Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too was a gift." When life brings us unwanted suffering it's sometimes possible to use the experience to deepen our wisdom and compassion, what has been called "grace disguised as obstacles."
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2016-09-08
"All It Takes Is a Moment"
48:23
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James Baraz
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Even when we see how the mind and heart are contracted and caught, we might still be stuck. Seeing clearly how we're identified with the "story" doesn't necessarily reduce the suffering. It's a good and important start. The real shift occurs when, at some point, the heart releases and truly opens to access genuine metta.
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2016-09-22
"The Issue of Othering"
58:04
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James Baraz
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Dedicated to the memory of Bob Kaneko, a dharma friend who recently passed away. As a child Bob spent years 4-8 in a Japanese Internment camp in California,1942-1946. This talk explores how easily we humans can unfairly treat and oppress those different from us. We see this daily in the media with hateful rhetoric stirring fears in many. How can we use practice to skillfully respond?
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