Sunday Dharma Talk

The Challenge of Compassion

The skillful response to suffering - our own suffering, the suffering of others, the suffering in the world - is compassion.  As dharma students, we're asked to cultivate this sublime attitude of the heart.  But it's not always so easy to do.  In this talk, Peter Doobinin discusses the challenges we face in developing compassion ... and how to develop in our skill so that we're able to cultivate compassion.  The talk was given in the summer of 2023.

Refuge Within

In meeting life, in all its difficulties and challenges, it's essential that we have a place to go for refuge.  As dharma students, we find refuge in our communities.  And the ultimate refuge is the refuge that we find within.  Developed in our practice, we learn to rely, in all the circumstances of life, on being able to find refuge within.  In this dharma talk, Peter Doobinin explains the skill of developing refuge ... and putting that refuge to good use.  The talk was given in November 2023.

Respect for Concentration

The Buddha encouraged his followers to have "respect for concentration."  When we have this respect for concentration, we practice.  We develop our meditation.  We develop in the Buddha's concentration:  jhana.  When concentration, through effort and determination, becomes developed, we're more able to take skillful action in our lives; we're more able to understand our experience of life; we're more able to develop insight; we're more able to know true happiness.  This talk by Peter Doobinin was given in the autumn of 2023.

Over there are the roots of trees; over there, empty dwellings. Practice jhana, monks. Don't be heedless. Don't later fall into regret. This is our message to you." (MN 19)

Consequences of Actions

All beings, the Buddha tells us, have a wish for happiness of heart.  And, as the Buddha tells us, our happiness depends on our actions.  In this talk, Peter Doobinin describes how we cultivate discernment, the skill of understanding the consequences of our actions.  As we develop this skill we move toward knowing a greater happiness in this life. The dharma talk was given in November 2023.

Bodhisatta

A bodhisatta is a being who is striving for awakening ... a being who follows the dharma, who practices the dharma in accord with what the Buddha taught.  In this dharma talk, Peter Doobinin describes the qualities of the bodhisatta, and the elements of a practice in accord with the dharma.  As he explains, we all have the ability to follow this path ... and to know the happiness of heart that it leads us to.  The talk was given in November 2024.

A Lot of Love

Life, by its nature, is often difficult.  As human beings we're all faced with the inevitable truths of illness, aging, death, separation.  And of course there is much in the world that is difficult, challenging, painful.   And there is much that we find in ourselves that is painful.  The Buddha's teaching offer us a path through difficulty, and, in turn, to happiness. This, as Peter Doobinin, explains is the path of the heart:  the path of love.  In this talk, Peter describes how we learn to meet life, in all its joy and sorrows, skillfully, from the heart.  It's the heart that will see us through.  The talk was given in December 2024.

What is Clinging?

The teachings of the Buddha tells us that dukkha, or suffering, comes from clinging; and that, in turn, if we abandon clinging, we'll know a true happiness in life.  But what is clinging?  As Peter Doobinin explains, if we come to understand what clinging is, then our ability to abandon it will be greatly enhanced.  In this talk he discusses what clinging is, and how this understanding enables us to let go.  The talk was given in March 2025.

Two Important Skills

In this dharma talk, Peter Doobinin describes two important skills that we learn to develop in an effort to meet the difficulties in life.  The practice of insight meditation is a practice of developing skills.  These skills are "skills for lifetime."  If we develop them, practice them, we're surely know a greater happiness in this life.  This talk was given in March 2025.

Cultivating Skillful Thinking

Our path, in practicing the dharma, includes abandoning unskillful thinking and cultivating skillful thinking.  It is essential, as we make our way toward a greater happiness, that we learn to cultivating skillful thinking in all our postures, as we go through our days and nights.  In this talk, Peter Doobinin describes basic skills for cultivating skillful thinking.  As he notes, these are skills that we all can develop.  And if we do, it will benefit us profoundly in our efforts to know the fruits of the path.  The talk was given in March 2025.

Abandoning Unskillful Thinking

All that we are, the teachings of the Buddha tell us, begins with our thinking.  In this talk, Peter Doobinin explains skills we develop in the service of abandoning unskillful thinking.  The emphasis in the talk is on working with thinking in the course of our days.  The talk was given in March 2035.