Sunday Dharma Talk

Deepening Resolve

What is our resolve to further develop our practice?  A mark of progress in dharma practice is that we're deepening in our resolve.  In this talk, given at the Sunday Night Meditation class, Peter Doobinin discusses how, by following the Buddha's Noble-Eightfold Path, we learn to deepen in our resolve to practice the dharma.

The Buddha's Mindfulness

In this dharma talk, given at Sunday Night Meditation in the summer of 2015, Peter Doobinin explains the practice of mindfulness that the Buddha taught.  In Buddhist lexicon, this is known as "right mindfulness."  When we practice right mindfulness, beginning with mindfulness of breathing, we move toward awakening.  In fact, mindfulness is the first of the seven "factors for awakening."  As such, it's important to know what the Buddha taught when he taught mindfulness.

Knowing the Heart

May all beings be happy of heart.
The practice of the dharma enables us to know the heart and, thereby, take action that's straight from the heart.  In this talk Peter Doobinin discusses how we learn to know the heart.  He explains the practice of lovingkindness meditation and its great benefits to dharma students who practice this meditation on a regular basis.  The talk was given at the Sunday Night class in April 2015.

Mindfulness of Effort

What is skillful effort?  How, as dharma students, do we develop it?   As the Buddha noted, if our effort is skillful, in tune, our practice will flourish.  In this talk on mindfulness of effort, given in August 2015, Peter Doobinin discusses how, in terms of quality and quantity, we learn to develop skillful effort.

 

Clinging

In developing wisdom, as dharma students, we look to see that our suffering is caused by what we're doing.  Specifically, by our clinging.  In this talk, Peter discusses how we bring about affliction through clinging and how, by abandoning clinging, we find freedom from suffering.  The talk was given at Sunday Night Meditation in September 2015.

Taking Care of Ourselves

In this talk, Peter discusses how by practicing mindfulness of breathing in the manner in which the Buddha taught, we're learning to take good care of ourselves.  The talk was given in October of 2006 at the Sunday Night Meditation class.

Right Mindfulness

When we develop the practice of Right Mindfulness, we're able to maintain our awareness in the present moment and understand our present moment experience.  In this talk, Peter discusses how we develop Right Mindfulness, by keeping our attention on the body and learning to abandon habitual patterns of thinking.  The talk was given at the Downtown Meditation Community Sunday night class in 2016.

The Skill of Heedfulness

In this dharma talk, Peter Doobinin discusses the importance of developing the skill of heedfulness.  The Buddha, for his part, said that all skillful qualities are rooted in heedfulness.  It's through the practice of heedfulness that we become able to take actions that lead to true happiness.  The talk was given at the Downtown Meditation Community Sunday Night Meditation class in April 2015.

Living From the Heart

This talk, "Living From the Heart," was given on the final night of the Downtown Meditation Community Eight-Day Retreat in July 2015.

Am I On the Path?

What is a path?  What is the Buddha's path?  How do I follow the path?  Am I on the path?  In this talk, Peter Doobinin discusses important reflections that dharma students learn to make.  The talk was given at the Sunday Night Meditation class on November 1, 2015.