Part 3: GBF 2023 Fall Retreat. How do we embody in our lives the practices we learn and the qualities we develop on retreat? In this talk, Donald Rothberg examines how we can 'bring the retreat home' with us and make our practice real in everyday life. He suggests key methods for accomplishing this, including:  Become grounded in one's body. Meditate on a different quality each week, such as impermanence, reactivity, non-self, Commit to engaging in one heart practice daily: loving-kindness,...

Part 2 - GBF 2023 Fall Retreat Most spiritual traditions and religions speak about the value of compassion, but Buddhism seems to be the only one with specific practices for developing this quality and opening our hearts. In this talk, Donald Rothberg explores the challenges we face when opening our hearts. Once we do, how do we integrate this compassion with wisdom? What challenges do we face when we try this?  He also identifies how traditional gender roles can hinder opening our hearts...

Part 1: GBF 2023 Fall Retreat. Our teacher for the weekend, Donald Rothberg, informs us that the purpose of Buddhist practice is to move beyond techniques and teachings, into a deep state of resting in one's own being. There we can experience insight into Impermanence, Dukkha, and Not-Self that informs our behavior in daily life. A 45-min dharma talk is followed by a 45-min Q&A and group dialogue. ______________ Donald Rothberg, Ph.D., a member of the Teachers Council at Spirit Rock...

As queer/non-conforming individuals, how do we claim our unique way of living, but also let go of our attachment to an identity? In this talk, JD Doyle explores how we can re-orient ourselves to our lives, and connect with the non-human aspects of our world, such as other life forms and the natural world. As we witness so many attacks on various categories of people, it's easy to begin thinking of our world as fragmented. Instead, we can re-member, or bring together, the various parts of...

Can we see the extraordinary in the ordinary? How can we discover the sacred in the mundane? In this talk, Tetsugan Tom Baker examines how we can come to realize that we already have everything we need to experience the sacred in our lives. He looks at the common desire for transcendence that underlies most spiritual pursuits, whether Bhakti yoga or Zen practice.  Both are deeply rooted in sangha and employ a chanting practice. Bhakti is an exuberant expression of devotion, reciting the...

How can we use the experience of anxiety to understand the Buddhist concept of emptiness? Dale Borglum shares that our understanding of emptiness is necessary for conscious living and conscious dying, the subject of his life work. Just being on the spiritual path can lead us into anxiety at times, because we are letting go of our identity. This anxiety can be a difficult experience because it becomes so persistent in the background that we no longer recognize it. This makes it difficult...

Do we have the ability to laugh at ourselves?  Bill Weber shares that this is a terrific way to work with one of the foundations of Buddhist wisdom: the concept of Non-self. The allure of our sense of self can easily lead us to become overly attached to our identity. We become competitive, demanding, and obsessive about the way we are treated.   To counter this, Bill encourages us to instead find humor in the demands that our ego makes of us (and others). If we observe our mind playing...

What does the Third Noble Truth really promise when it speaks of "an end to dukkha?" Does it mean an end to unpleasant experiences?  In this rich talk, Donald Rothberg shares that the end of dukkha actually means the cessation of our REACTIVITY to unpleasant experiences. He relates the analogy of "the second arrow" to our reactivity (both clinging and aversion) rather than the typical translation of "suffering."  He introduces 10 guidelines for working with reactivity:  Understand the...

In this eye-opening and provocative yet humorous talk, John explores the views of celibacy and abstinence in the Tibetan tradition. He also shares insights into the intimacy and channeling of sexual energy that he observed, specifically in the rigorous and austere environment of Tibetan monasteries. Listen as he explains how the norms in these environments are very different than those we experience in the West.  ______________  John Jupt is a journalist and a member of the Mahayana "Yellow...

In her signature humorous fashion, Ryuko Laura Burges shares wisdom from her latest book: "The Zen Way of Recovery: An Illuminated Path Out of the Darkness of Addiction." Listen in as she reveals her insights on: How recovery can unshackle the mind to deepen one's practice The healing power of forgiveness, of self and othersWe don't have to be limited or defined by the ways in which we have been hurt______________ Ryuko Laura Burges, a lay-entrusted dharma teacher in the Soto Zen tradition,...

Can compassion serve as an antidote to the judgmental messages in our hyper-capitalist society?  Told we must justify our worth, we begin clinging to self-righteousness and perceive the world through only our physical senses. Metta practice disrupts this energy that keeps us emotionally stuck. It allows us to see the interconnectedness of all conditioned things and realize that we can't truly take credit for our accomplishments that depend on so many others around us.  In this talk, Kevin...

Do we truly understand the world around us that we encounter, and the true nature of reality? In this talk, Zerdan explains that the highest wisdom teachings in Buddhism center on Emptiness - realizing the true nature of reality that we experience. To understand the place of Emptiness in Buddhist teachings, Zerdan examines the Three Poisons, or obstacles to enlightenment, along with their associated 'ANTIDOTES': Greed (Attachment) - LOVEHatred (Anger) - PATIENCEDelusion (Ignorance) -...

In Part 3, René Rivera looks at how we connect intimacy with self and others to the whole of our life. He examines how we can become more aware of, and present to, the world around us. ______________ René Rivera is a meditation teacher, restorative justice facilitator, and leader, working and learning in all the spaces in-between race, gender, and other perceived binaries, as a queer, mixed-race, trans man. René teaches heart-centered, trauma-informed meditation, at the East Bay Meditation...

After first exploring intimacy with ourselves in Part 1, we now look at how the dharma informs all our relationships: Intimate, friends, family, colleagues, society, and even the natural and unseen world - ancestors, guides and deities.  In this talk, René Rivera reminds us that we can become more grounded in our relationships using the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, which are awareness of: 1. The physical body 2. Feelings and sensations 3. Thoughts and consciousness 4. The dhammas -...

Welcome to EPISODE 800! Most Buddhist practices, such as loving-kindness and compassion, begin with ourselves. So it is with the concept of intimacy, which Daigan describes as "being authentic in the experience of the moment." (One sangha member frames Intimacy as "In-to-me-I-see") In this first of a series on intimacy, Daigan posits that we must become connected to ourselves if we are to appreciate and enjoy our connectedness with all things. He asks us to explore questions such as: What...

How does joy arise in our lives? Do we notice our experience of joy or do we minimize it as merely a fleeting good feeling?  In this talk, Alistair notes that we tend to naturally dwell on the negative, so it's important to welcome and anchor the joy we encounter in life to incline ourselves toward it more and more in each present moment.   Recent science tells us that our brain is shaped by what we rest our attention on. This confirms what the Buddha said: "Whatever you think and ponder...

In this talk, John Martin shares that our practice can lead us to a peace that is not dependent on the conditions of the outside world. It is cultivated by our internal practice and inner peace means freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts and emotions. Peace arises in those times when we are not fixated on the past or the future but on the current moment. Accepting the present moment allows us to make peace with this moment and thereby with the entire world, just as it is. "World...

In this interactive talk, Prasadachitta reflects on the practice of chanting and then leads the sangha in a few chants. In the Triratna tradition, chanting engages the imagination, which helps counterbalance the more cognitive aspects of the dharma teachings that engage the rational mind. He describes how chanting and imagery can help us open up to all aspects of the present moment, the vast world around us, and our own being. In one, he introduces the figure of Green Tara from the South...

How do we respond when we witness suffering? In this talk, Devin Berry reflects on passages from the Dhammapada related to compassion for others and ourselves in the face of dukkha. He shares that the Buddha described compassion as "the trembling of the heart in response to suffering." Especially in marginalized communities, we practice to create a refuge of belonging, which requires opening our heart. However, the habit of seeing those we encounter as 'other' can constrain our...

In this talk, Melvin Escobar encourages us to meditate on two Koans: "What is your original face?" and "What was your original face before your parents were born?" He offers the perspective on aspects of the 3 Jewels: The Buddha - representing the Oneness of all things; The Dharma - representing the Diversity of all things; The Sangha - where Oneness and Diversity merge in harmony. He reminds us that our authentic self is shaped by all of our past experiences, including the experiences of...

Three members of our sangha, Jeff Lindemood, Michael Murphy, and Cass Brayton, recently participated in a month-long meditation retreat in Bali, Indonesia. The retreat was small, only four people, with no teacher per se, so they were able to intimately explore the dharma, and its role in their lives. The three speak about how they structured their daily schedule and prepared dharma talks. They describe the unique retreat villa near Ubud, Bali where they were able to engage in an intense...

In this rich talk, punctuated with wise quotes, David Lewis examines the nature of the mind and shares that our practice can be much easier than we make it out to be. Often we just need to relax and settle in to what is happening in the moment. Tilopa, the teacher of Naropa who founded the Vajrayāna tradition, offered these simple practice instructions:  "Don't recall, imagine, think, examine, or control; just relax." David advises that the mind is not one thing, but comprised of two...