Sunday Dharma Talk

The True Path

This dharma talk was given at a daylong retreat in New York In November 2024.  In the talk, Peter Doobinin explains the Buddha's path, the story of his awakening, and the three knowledges he came to in his journey.  These three knowledges provide for the basis of right view.  The story of the Buddha's awakening offer us a way, a dharma, that we can follow; but, as Peter describes, it is us to us to make the effort to follow the path.  If we're true to the path, we'll come to a greater happiness.  As the Thai meditation master Ajaan Lee said, "if we're true to the dhamma, the dhamma will be true to us."

Basic Skills: Skillful Intention

We shape our lives, in the service of knowing a greater happiness, through the cultivation of skillful intention.  In this talk, Peter Doobinin explains skillful intention, what it is, how we develop it.  The dharma talk is the fifth in a series of five talks on "Basic Skills" that were offered in June 2024.

Basic Skills: Heedfulness

Heedfulness, the Buddha teaches us, is the root of skillfulness.  The practice of heedfulness enables us to take action in support of the heart, action that will lead us to happiness of heart.  In this talk, Peter Doobinin describes the elements of this essential skill.  The talk is the fourth in a series of talks on "Basic Skills" that Peter gave in June 2024.

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.