Sunday Dharma Talk

Thought Worlds

How are we spending our days and nights?  Much of our time, we may come to see, we're living in thought worlds.  We're lost in thought.  We're not present.  As dharma students, our task is to abandon our thought worlds and establish ourselves in the present moment.  When we're able to maintain present moment awareness, we're able to live from the heart.  We're able to make the most of our days and nights.  Peter Doobinin gave this dharma talk at the Downtown Meditation Community Sunday night class in the summer of 2009.

Tranquility

When tranquility develops, we know ease of being, stillness, peace.  In a world of busyness and commotion, we may not put value on tranquility, but it's one of the most important factors for dharma students to cultivate in their efforts to know a greater happiness.  In this talk,  Peter Doobinin discusses the factor of tranquility, what it is and how we develop it.  The talk was given at the Downtown Meditation Community Sunday night class in August 2015.

Silence

In the place of silence, we know the heart; we're able to connect to our innate wisdom, compassion, lovingkindness.  In this dharma talk, Peter discusses how we develop external and, importantly, internal silence.  The talk was given at a daylong retreat in New York City in 2016.

Right Understanding

Right understanding is the first factor of the Noble Eight-fold Path.  In this dharma talk, Peter Doobinin explains what it is and how we develop it.  The talk was given at the Downtown Meditation Community Sunday Night class in 2015.

Suffering & the End of Suffering

By following the Buddha's path, we come to experience freedom from suffering.  As Peter explains in this dharma talk, it's through understanding the process that brings about suffering - and taking it apart - that we're able to alleviate suffering.  This is something we can do; we can learn to end suffering.  The talk was given at Sunday Night Meditation in New York City in the fall of 2015.

Attitude of Generosity

In a world driven by getting and being, the dharma student learns to develop an attitude of generosity.  More than simply to give, we seek to change our attitude; the skills the Buddha teaches enable us to change our attitudes, to cultivate sublime attitudes.  This talk was given at the Wednesday Night Meditation class in Berlin. Wishing all beings a joyful holiday!

Submit to a daily practice.
Your loyalty to that
Is a ring on the door.

Keep knocking, and the joy inside
Will eventually open a window
And look out to see who’s there.

(Rumi)

Keeping Bright

In this talk, Peter Doobinin discusses the practice for keeping the mind bright in meditation and throughout the course of our days.  As dharma students, we're asked to bring awareness to our pain and suffering; but at the same time we're asked to cultivate skillful qualities; we're asked to develop the qualities of the heart.  In keeping the mind bright we develop appreciative joy.  It's essential that we learn to maintain this quality of joy, if we're to remain in the present moment and make the most of our lives.

From the Heart

In following the Buddha's path, we learn to live from the heart.  In this dharma talk, Peter Doobinin explains what it means to live from the heart and how we develop the skills, through meditation practice, that enable us to do so.  The talk was given at the Downtown Meditation Community Sunday Night Meditation class on September 3, 2017.

Important Reflections

How do we strengthen our resolve?  There are certain reflections that we learn to make in an effort to strengthen and deepen in our resolve to practice the dharma.  In this talk, given on October 29, 2017, Peter Doobinin discusses these important reflections and how to engage in them in a skillful manner.  The talk was offered at the Sunday Night Meditation class in New York City.

The Path of Happiness

It's important for dharma students to remember why we follow the path.  We make this effort to practice meditation and develop the skills the Buddha taught because it's a path that leads to true happiness.  This dharma talk was given in Berlin on 24 September, 2018.  May all beings be happy of heart.