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Retreat Dharma Talks

Insight Meditation Retreat, February Month long

An extended period of retreat offers the rare opportunity for sustained and dedicated practice. This retreat emphasizes quieting the mind, opening the heart, and developing profound clarity and depth of insight practice. Instruction will follow the traditional four foundations of mindfulness combined with training in lovingkindness and compassion, through a daily schedule of silent sitting, walking, dharma talks and interviews.

2012-02-01 (29 days) Spirit Rock Meditation Center

  
2012-02-16 Dharma Practice as a Path of Happiness 69:41
James Baraz
2012-02-17 Patterns of Becoming 3: Unentangled Knowing 63:18
Guy Armstrong
This third in a series of talks explores the formation of self through the chain of dependent origination, a detailed description of how we suffer. It then outlines approaches in meditation that let us step out of the chain of suffering and into a state of "unentangled knowing" in which we discover the possibility of freedom here and now.
2012-02-18 The Four Noble Truths 58:06
Sally Armstrong
Richard Gombrich, a Buddhist scholar, called the Buddha a brilliant and original thinker on the level of Plato and Aristotle. But the Buddha wasn't interested in just speculative philosophy, but to understand why we suffer, and how to find freedom. The Four Noble Truths is his direct teaching on just that.
2012-02-19 Generosity: A Foundational Practice for Awakening 60:57
Carol Wilson
Similar to previous talks, although some new examples
2012-02-20 Fear as Practice 60:16
James Baraz
2012-02-21 Patterns of Becoming 4: Karma and Rebirth 64:42
Guy Armstrong
This fourth in a series pf talks on the formation of self explores how volitional actions, known as karma, occur in repetitive patterns and lead to lawful consequences in this life and even in a future life through rebirth. once we understand them, we can use these patterns to shape our lives in the direction of happiness.
2012-02-24 Transcendent Dependent Arising: The Path to Freedom 58:55
Sally Armstrong
This powerful teaching form the Upanisa Sutta shows us how suffering when understood with wisdom leads to faith and is the beginning of a natural unfolding of beautiful qualities of the heart which provide the foundation for the mind to turn to awakening.
2012-02-25 Mindfulness and Full Awareness 62:00
Carol Wilson
This talk explores the Buddha's teaching on Clear Comprehension also called Full Awareness. The commitment to see our motivation in our mind, moment by moment, without glossing over, leads to happiness and purification. By clarifying our greater aspiration we create a mindful container to see our habitual thinking arise without acting upon it and the result is living of life of non-harming.
2012-02-26 Patterns of Becoming 5: the End of Karma 57:38
Guy Armstrong
The fifth and last in a series of talks discusses the troublesome patterns of mind and volitional action that we identify as self, and how we can step out of them with the tools of dharma practice. The Buddha said that one who is fully awake has found an end to karma, and end to compulsive formations.
2012-02-27 Contentment 59:02
James Baraz
The Buddha called contentment "the greatest wealth." Contentment, "santutthi" in Pali, supports many other wholesome states including, renunciation, equanimity, peace, gratitude and generosity. We can cultivate contentment on and off the cushion while not being complacent or lazy in our dharma practice.
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