An investigation into the teaching and practice of Wise Action. Born of Wise Understanding and Wise Intention, Wise Action is motivated by clarity and compassion, and is an essential part of the path to freedom.

How might you let Life play you like an instrument? In this talk James shares the evening with Sarah-Marie Hopf, a good friend, dedicated practitioner, coach and meditation teacher who shares about her journey of progressively deepening trust in the dharma and our True Nature and opening to what wants to flow effortlessly from the mystery into form. Becoming an unexpected singer-songwriter, she shares the origin story of her first album “Modern Mantras” which was inspired by songs that came through her spontaneously during a month long Spirit Rock retreat.

The title of the evening is "Love, Serve, Remember". On October 13th, Spirit Rock hosts a special event Celebrating Ram Dass: Love Serve, Remember with Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, Krishna Das and others. Those three words were the instructions Neem Karoli Baba, Ram Dass' guru gave to him: "Love Everyone, Serve Everyone, and Remember God."

Join Eve for a look at the Buddha's foundational teaching. The Buddha said that he wished to teach only two things - suffering and the end of suffering. And the 4 Noble Truths, concluding with the fourth truth which is the Eightfold Noble Path, are his birds-eye view of how to do that.

Betsy shares some of her recent work called "Singing into the Unknown: Songs for Reimagining the Future" coming out the particular time of uncertainty we are currently in.

Join Eve for explorations of the Buddha's teachings on 'The Three Characteristics of Existence' - impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and interdependence or not-self. The Buddha shared these insights because he saw that as we turn toward and embrace them, we suffer less and experience more peace.

Join guest teacher Alexa Redner in an exploration the Buddhist Paramita of Resolve. What happens when we cultivate a spirited and loving commitment towards our wholesome desires? Alexa Redner has been practicing mediation since 2003. She holds a BA in Visual Arts and MA in Creation Spirituality from Naropa University and has been authorized to teach the Buddha’s Dharma by James Baraz. Alexa has been an educator in many realms over the last twenty years, dancing between the worlds of being a Waldorf Kindergarten teacher, program teacher for Mindful Schools, and Eating Disorders/Body Positive Educator at Beyond Hunger. Alexa is currently a mentor for Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach’s Mindfulness Meditation Certification Program and teaches for Banyan (formerly Cloud Sangha), leading weekly community discussion groups, meditations, and small sanghas. Alexa also has a private Dharma mentoring practice. As a Body Love activist, Alexa is interested in exploring how dharma practices can unwind the mind from the cultural conditioning of body shame and open to the heart to the sacred quality of living in a body on the Earth. Alexa brings a playful and soft approach to meditation practice, with an emphasis on inquiry. Alexa lives with her fiddler husband and young son in Portland, Oregon.

The Buddha taught that there are three kinds of 'dukkha', or 'unsatisfactoriness'. Join Eve Decker to to explore these three and the power of deliberate presence and compassion to cool the flames of stress around life's challenges.

The Pali word 'dukkha', most often translated as 'suffering', in fact has multiple meanings depending on context. Join Eve Decker to take a look at this concept and some of the teachings on working skillfully with it.

The truth of impermanence means, among other things, that gain and loss are part of the territory of life for us all. When we face unwanted loss, grief is natural. Join Eve Decker for an exploration of Buddhist inspired teachings on wisely engaging with impermanence, loss, and grief.