Sunday Dharma Talk

Basic Skills: Natural Meditation

In developing dharma practice, we seek to maintain present moment awareness, mindfulness, and our connection to the heart in all our postures, all the activities of our lives.  This is "Natural Meditation."  In this talk, Peter Doobinin describes the skill of Natural Meditation and the great benefits in developing this skill.  The talk is the third in a series on "Basic Skill" that Peter offered in June 2024.

Basic Skills: Walking Meditation

In this dharma talk, Peter Doobinin describes the basic skill of walking meditation.  As he explains, this key element of dharma practice enables us to make a transition from formal sitting meditation to being mindful in our lives.  The talk is the second in a series of talks on "basic skills" that Peter offered in June 2024.

Basic Skills: Mindfulness of Breathing

This is the first talk in a series of dharma talks on "Basic Skills" offered by Peter Doobinin in June 2024.  In this talk, Peter discusses, in detail, the steps of breath meditation.  As he notes, it's a "lifetime practice" and a practice, as the Buddha noted, that leads us to true happiness.

The Joyful Truth of Life

The path leads us to the goodness of the heart.  It's a joyful path.  It's a joyful life.  We're asked, in making the path, to abandon that which is keeping us from the heart.  Specifically, the ways in which we cling, our holding on, our wanting ... and not wanting.  What's left, when we let go is the purity of heart.  In this talk, given in the summer of 2024, Peter Doobinin describes the dharma student's task: to know purity of heart.

Commitment to the Heightened Mind

What is our commitment to the heightened mind?  From the heightened mind, we're able to develop insight and find freedom from suffering.  In this talk, Peter Doobinin describes how & why we develop the heightened mind  ... and how we develop in our commitment to it.  The dharma talk was offered in February 2024.

The Other Side of Despair

Life, by its nature, presents us with things that are difficult.  There is, of course, illness, aging, death.  We'll be separated, the Buddha tells us, from all that we find dear and appealing.  This is the way it is, and as dharma students we learn to develop acceptance - equanimity - in relationship to these basic truths about life.  In this talk, Peter explains how, if we develop this sort of acceptance, we can know a happiness in life.  In spite of life's challenges and difficulties, there is great happiness and joy.  The dharma talk was given in October 2024.

Reliable Happiness

The Buddha's path is a path of happiness.  In following this path, we learn to know a reliable happiness.  What does this mean?  Why is it so important to make an effort to know this happiness?  In this dharma talk, Peter Doobinin discusses these questions.  The talk was given in September 2024.

Stay In Tune

In all the circumstances of our lives, we seek, as dharma students, to stay in tune.  In this talk, Peter Doobinin explains how we learn to stay in tune regardless of the situations we encounter.  In staying in tune, we have a skillful relationship to the thoughts and emotions that arise; we're able to maintain a certain space; we're able to stay close to the heart.  The dharma talk was given in October 2024.

The Blessing of Life

This life is a profound and precious gift.  As dharma students, it's integral to the path to remember the blessing of life.  In this talk, Peter Doobinin talks about how we learn to recognize the preciousness of life and cultivate gratitude for life.  And how this reflection brings joy.  The talk was given in October 2024.

Working with Thinking

Working skillfully with our thinking, in meditation and in our daily lives, is an extremely important element in dharma practice.  In this dharma talk, Peter Doobinin describes how, by bringing insight to our thinking, we're able to abandon sticky thoughts and afflictive narratives.  The talk was given in October 2024.