Sunday Dharma Talk

Being Here for Life

We practice meditation so that we can be here, present, and wake, and openhearted, for this life.  In this dharma talk, Peter Doobinin explains how we develop the resolve to be present ... and how the practice of breath meditation brings us to the present moment.  The talk was given in March 2024.

The Mind at Peace

When we develop the practice of breath meditation, we come to know ease, contentedness, tranquility, peace.  We have a mind that's at peace.  In this talk, Peter Doobinin describes how the steps of breath meditation bring us to this sublime state of peace.  The talk was given in August 2023.

To Understand Experience

Through the practice of awareness, we learn to understand our experience.  In this talk, Peter explains how through this practice of awareness we come to understand the obstacles to meditation ... and the obstacles to happiness in this life.  The talk was given in the summer of 2023.

The Journey to Self Love

In this dharma talk, given at a daylong retreat in the spring of 2023, Peter Doobinin describes how we make the journey to the heart and, in turn, learn to develop in self love.  As he explains, to move ahead in life, beyond fear, toward a greater happiness, we must learn to develop self love.  And this is something, if we follow the path, that we can do.

Ways of Acceptance

It's essential to learn acceptance, if we're going to know happiness in this life.  As Peter Doobinin explains, we all have the potential for acceptance; this potential has to be developed.  In the dharma talk, Peter describes keys elements of the skill for developing acceptance.  The talk was offered in June 2023.

Keeping the Mind Bright

It's essential, in meditation practice, and in life, to keep the mind bright.  The bright mind is imbued with gratitude and appreciation.  It's a joyful mind.  In this talk, Peter Doobinin describes the skill for keeping the mind bright.  And he explains why it's important to do.  The dharma talk was given on 2 July 2023.

Wisdom of Ardency

In practicing meditation, we develop the qualities of mindfulness, alertness, and ardency.  In this talk, given in September 2023, Peter Doobinin explains what ardency comprises and why it's essential to the development of meditation practice.  As he tells us, ardency is a function of wisdom.  And love.

The Goodness of the Silence

In the goodness of the silence, we know the dharma.  In a noisy world, we're asked, as dharma students, to cultivate silence.  Externally and internally.  Ultimately, through our practice of meditation, we're able to develop inner silence.  This is our task, to develop silence, to know silence, to know the goodness of the silence.  The dharma talk was given in the winter of 2024.

The Blessing of Patience

In following the path toward a greater happiness, we need to have patience.  It's an essential quality, one of the ten paramis, that we're asked to develop.  In this talk, Peter Doobinin explains how we cultivate the skill of patience; and why patience is an element of our goodness, a blessing.  The dharma talk was given in November 2022.

Shaping Your Life

As the Buddha teaches, we shape our lives, in the direction of a greater happiness, by learning to use thinking in a skillful way.  As Peter Doobinin explains in this dharma talk, if we can learn to skillfully shape our meditation, we can shape our lives.  We can know a greater happiness.  The talk was given in August 2022.