Sunday Dharma Talk

Life is Good

"Life is Good."  This talk was given at Downtown Meditation Community's Sunday Night class on August 14, 2011.  In following the path of the dharma, we learn to know the joy of living.  We develop the skill of living joyfully, Peter Doobinin teaches, by learning to meditate joyfully.

Living in Resolve

It's important to realize that dharma practice is not a passive endeavor.  As dharma students, following the Buddha's lead, we understand that the path culminates in skillful action.  Accordingly, we live every day with the resolve to take action in support of the heart.  This talk was given by Peter Doobinin at Downtown Meditation Community in 2016.  May all beings know happiness of heart!

A Day Well Spent

"The days and nights are passing endlessly, how are we spending our time?"  This is an important question for all dharma students to ask.  In this talk, given at Sunday Night Meditation in 2017, Peter Doobinin discusses what it means to have a day well spent.  

Optimism

As dharma students, we learn to meet our practice with an attitude of optimism.  We have faith in our capacity to know a greater happiness.  We believe in ourselves.  When we consider our dharma practice, we bring a quality of brightness.  Peter gave this talk on "Optimism" at the Sunday Night Meditation class in June 2015. 

Conviction in Awakening

As we develop in conviction, we make a greater effort to practice.  This is an important cause and effect relationship.  But what is conviction?  How do we develop it?  In this talk, given at the Sunday Night Meditation class, Peter discusses these essential questions.

Being True

The dharma student learns to make an ongoing, wholehearted effort to develop in truthfulness.  In this talk, given on November 5, 2017, Peter discusses this elemental aspect of our goodness.

 

Letting Go

"Letting Go."  The dharma student doesn't attempt to "let go" of her suffering through an act of will; in fact, the Buddha's instruction when it comes to suffering and clinging isn't simply to "let go."  Instead, the dharma student learns to develop the skill that will enable letting go to happen.  In this talk, given at Downtwon Meditation Community, Peter discusses the skill of letting go.

The Real Problem

The dharma student is a learner.  For the dharma student, practicing meditation is much more than simply a process of attaining tranquility; it's a process of learning.  And when we meditate, we begin to learn why we suffer; we begin to learn what the real problem is.  This dharma talk was given in February 2018 at the Sunday Night Meditation class. 

Heart of the Path

The heart of the path, the Buddha said, is concentration.  If we put wholehearted effort into our meditation practice, in the service of developing concentration, we'll come to know a greater happiness in this life.  In this dharma talk, given at Downtown Meditation Community's Sunday Night Meditation class in December 2015, Peter Doobinin discusses aspects of this elemental theme.

Taking a Step Back

Dharma students make an effort to take a step back from their lives.  Amidst the business and clamor of modern life, we can learn to find a center, a place of silence within, to be in touch with our goodness and the dharma inside us.  In this talk, Peter discusses what it means to take a step back.  The talk was given at Sunday Night Meditation in New York City in the summer of 2017.