Sunday Dharma Talk

Karma of Thinking

Practicing heedfulness of thinking is one of the most important aspects of the Buddha's path.  In doing so, we learn to pay attention to the karma of our thinking.  What are the consequences of the thinking we engage in from day to day, moment to moment?  When we're able to gain insight into the karma of our thinking, we're able to abandon thinking that brings suffering and blocks us from our heart.  The talk was given at a Downtown Meditation Community daylong retreat in 2016.

Key of Compassion

As we make an effort to find greater happiness in life, we meet with many obstacles, we often make mistakes, at times we struggle.  When we meet our difficulties with compassion, we're able to move forward toward true happiness.  In this dharma talk, Peter discusses the key of compassion, how it opens the door to the path.  The talk was given in August 2017 in New York City.

Enjoyment

When there's enjoyment in meditation, our practice flourishes.  While we may not be inclined to find meditation enjoyable, it's something we can learn.  We can learn to find enjoyment in meditation, and as Peter Doobinin explains in doing so we learn to find enjoyment in life.  This dharma talk was given in New York City in July 2017.

Pleasure

In this dharma talk, Peter Doobinin discusses the integral role that skillful pleasure plays in the development of the Buddha's path.  In the talk, Peter describes how we cultivate skillful pleasure and why we should learn to do this.  The talk was given at an eight-day silent retreat in April 2017.

The Middle Path

The dharma talk "The Middle Path" was given at a Downtown Meditation Community daylong retreat in February 2018.  The middle path is one of the most misunderstood subjects in the Buddha's teachings.  As Peter Doobinin explains, the middle path is the path of skillful pleasure.  When we learn to develop skillful pleasure, we're able to maintain ourselves in the present moment, cultivate wisdom, and live from the heart.  In the talk, Peter describes the path of skillful pleasure and how we develop it.

Training the Mind

It's through training the mind that we come to know true happiness in life.  Knowing this, the dharma students makes it a priority to train the mind, to abandon aversion and desire, and, in turn, to cultivate the qualities of the heart.  This dharma talk by Peter Doobinin was given in May 2012 at the Downtown Meditation Community Sunday Night Meditation class.

Meeting Life With the Heart

It's the heart, always, that will see us through.  In practicing the dharma, we learn to meet life, in all its manifestations, with the heart.  We learn to meet our days and nights with love and compassion.  When we do this, we know the happiness of the heart.  The dharma talk was given at Downtown Meditation in New York City in the winter of 2019.  May all beings live with ease and peace.

Closer to the Heart

What are we doing with our time in this life?  What kinds of actions are we talking?  Is what we're doing bringing us closer to the heart?  As dharma students, following the Buddha's lead, we seek to live more and more from the heart.  We seek to know the happiness of the heart.  In this talk, given at a Downtown Meditation daylong retreat in April 2018, Peter Doobinin describes how we learn to reflect, as we make an effort to come closer to the heart.

The Merit of Practice

Our practice, the effort we put forth to meditate and develop the path, is a profound expression of our goodness.  As dharma students, we learn to take joy in our practice, our effort to train the mind and heart.  The path is joyful.  Life is joyful.  As we practice the dharma, we come to know this.  The talk was given in 2013 at the Sunday Night Meditation class.

"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)

Ease of Being

When we have ease of being, we're able to maintain ourselves in the present moment.  We're able to live more effectively.  We're able to live more wholeheartedly.  Cultivating ease, in meditation and through our daily life, is an act of lovingkindness for ourselves and others.  In this dharma talk, Peter talks about how we develop ease of being and the great benefits in doing so.  The talk was given in the summer of 2019.  May all beings live with ease!