Sunday Dharma Talk

The Heart

In the heart, we find our innate wisdom.  In this dharma talk, Peter Doobinin explains what the heart is and how we come to this place of wisdom.  The talk was given on the last night of the Eight-Day Retreat in 2017.

Love & Death

In this dharma talk, Peter Doobinin talks about how the development of mindfulness of death leads to the opening of the heart.  The talk was given at the Lovingkindness Retreat in the summer of 2016.

The Liberation of Awareness

As dharma students, in developing insight, we learn to bring awareness to the experiences of affliction (dukkha), blatant and subtle.  In this talk, Peter Doobinin explains what it means to bring simple awareness to experience; and  how, when we're able to do this, we begin to understand what it is to let go.  We begin to understand what it's like when the heart is free from its burdens.  The talk was given in June 2023.

Fear & Love

What is the intention behind our actions...?  Do we take actions out of fear...?  Do we take certain actions in order to gain the approval of others...?  In developing the skill of heedfulness, we learn to discern the quality of our intentions.   In doing so, we become more and more able to let go of actions driven by fear, and, in turn, take actions motivated by love for ourselves.  The talk by Peter Doobinin was given in July 2023.

Don’t Give Up

In this dharma talk, offered in May 2023, Peter talks about the tendency we may have to give up ... in meditation ... and in life.  And he explains how we learn to develop determination, the ablity to stay with it, in terms of our practice and, in terms of our efforts to know a greater happiness in life.

Awake to Love

What is love...?  In this talk Peter Doobinin describes the differences between the worldly definition of love and the Buddha's definition.  And he talks about how, as dharma students, we develop the ability to love.  As he explains, when we are awake, we're able to love.  The dharma talk was offered at the Lovingkindness Retreat in 2016.

What Happiness Is

What is happiness?  In this talk, Peter Doobinin describes the differences between the "happiness of the world" and the happiness we seek to know as dharma students:  the happiness of the heart.  As he explains, in order to find true happiness in this life, we have to begin to develop an understanding of what this happiness is.  The talk was given in July 2016 at the Downtown Meditation Communinty Lovingkindness Retreat.

The Joyful Path

The path is joyful.  In this dharma talk, offered in January 2022, Peter Doobinin explains how we make the path and why, when we follow it, it's joyful.

Judging Others, Judging Ourselves

What is our tendency to judge others; and what effect does it have on our tendency to judge ourselves?  In this dharma talk, Peter Doobinin explicates the karma of judging.  In doing so, he offers various strategies for abandoning the judging of others and, in turn, ourselves.  The talk was given in February 2023.

"Therefore, Ananda, do not be judgmental regarding people. Do not pass judgment on people. Those who pass judgment on people harm themselves. “ (AN 10.75)

Lay Down Your Burdens

What would it mean to lay down your burdens...?  As dharma students, we learn that our burdens are found in the ways in which we cling to sensual pleasures, views & opinions, social conventions, and self identity.  As Peter Doobinin explains, we can learn to let go of these burdens; and when we do, we know a new freedom and a new happiness.  The dharma talk was given in May 2023.