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Dharma Talks
given at Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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2022-06-23
Self-Friendliness: What it isn't and is, why and how we can practice
55:37
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Eve Decker
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The Buddha said – "...and how does one abide with one's heart imbued with loving kindness? Just as one would feel friendliness on encountering a dearly beloved friend, so does one extend loving kindness to oneself and all creatures." Do you feel friendliness toward yourself in a consistent way? If not, why not? And what are some effective practices to deepen self-friendliness and the positive effect that has on all areas of life, including happiness, health, and relationships?
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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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2022-06-12
The Five Daily Reflections
52:53
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James Baraz
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A follow up to a recent talk that focused on death and dying. This talk explores the other four of the Five Daily Reflections (also known as the Five Remembrances): aging, illness, loss and karma. It includes practices and discussion on how we can include them regularly in our Dharma practice, which the Buddha highly recommended.
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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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2022-06-09
5 Methods to Work with Troublesome Thoughts:
MN #20: Vitakkasanthana Sutta
49:43
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James Baraz
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The Buddha gave a teaching on five different methods he recommended to work with disturbing thoughts. When we are mindful of the thinking process it's possible to see thoughts simply as mental fabrications. However, when we get caught in them and the body gets activated, we spin out in the story and are caught in a negative emotional response. We become identified with those mental formations and can more easily get lost. When that happens, the Buddha offers these five strategies as skillful techniques to deal with the confused mind.
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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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2022-05-26
Songs and Poems to Support Practice
56:10
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Eve Decker
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There is great value in memorizing wisdom teachings. It gives the mind access to support when a teacher, spiritual friend, or book isn't readily available. One easy and fun way to log wise teachings into long term memory is through songs and poems with messages of mindfulness, lovingkindness, compassion and more. Eve shares several that came up supportively on her recent two week retreat; and you are warmly welcome to bring a practice-supporting poem or song as well.
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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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2022-05-19
The Problem with Resisting Reality: The Possibility of Real Freedom
52:21
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James Baraz
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As much as we would like things to be a certain way, we have limited control over the way things are. Even though that may be apparent to all Dharma students who have some practice under their belt, the mind still gets caught in the habit of attachment to things being a certain way. This week we will explore what gets in the way, how we can open to the way things really are and the radical shift that can occur within us when we see through this self-created prison.
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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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2022-04-21
Gratitude for Our Home: Celebrating Earth Day
51:34
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James Baraz
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This Earth Day week we share an evening of gratitude and celebration for our natural world. When we get in touch with our love for something we are more motivated to care for it. Rather than going into the dire situation that most of us are all too familiar with, we can get connected with the beauty of the world that is our home We share a clip on the natural world and the experience of gratitude, which starts with an adorable little girl talking about the wonder of exploring nature instead of watching a screen followed by Brother David Steindl-Rast on gratitude. Although it is audio only you can still here the magic in the words. To see the video here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpkEvBtyL7M
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Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley
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