James Baraz's most recent Dharma talks (Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge)

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This talk is based on a teaching from Joseph Goldstein: "Not seeing dukkha is dukkha." It's humbling to realize that we are creating much of our suffering. But it's through clearly seeing this that we also create the possibility of truly waking up. We can change our whole relationship to seeing how we get caught by old habits and thought patterns from self-judgment to compassion and liberation.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Angulimala was a feared serial killer who was the scourge of the land--until he met the Buddha. We will explore his story and its relevance for our practice in learning to keep our hearts open to those who cause great harm. Why does the Buddha find it beneficial and how is this possible?

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This past week James felt very fortunate to be with one of his dearest friends in his final days died. This talk explores that life passage. How can we say goodbye to a loved one and grieve fully with the understanding that death is a natural part of the life cycle? How can practice help us through that process?

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Sylvia and James will have a conversation about death and dying something they have both been recently practicing with in their personal lives.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) When we develop a basic kindness towards ourselves we not only learn to accept the difficult parts, but in the process embrace our humanity and see more clearly the beauty that's inside. As we do that we allow our goodness and True Nature to shine through. This becomes a gift to everyone we meet, a healing energy that awakens the goodness in others as well.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Have you ever wondered how your mind can move from one thought to getting lost in a complex story without you knowing how you got there? The Buddha describes this process in his Honeyball Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya #19) where he explains the phenomenon of papanća or proliferation of thought. The more we understand this porcess and work with it as practice, the less we get caught up in the stories the mind creates.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) In the Mangala Sutta, the Discourse on Blessings, the Buddha teaches: "To be content and grateful is a blessing supreme." Gratitude is a particularly potent ally in awakening true happiness because it helps expand the mind as well as the heart. With a grateful heart we have a larger container and more space to hold the difficulties we encounter. When we pause to notice what we usually take for granted a new world of possibilities opens up. It's as if we've changed the station instead of being stuck on our own little "drama channel."

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) One of the lesser known lists are four different qualities of heart, The Four Iddhipadas, that are present in people with differing temperaments, that are powerful motivators for practice.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) The Buddha taught "Intention is karma". We will look at two manifestations of intention and how we can work with this powerful energy to increase well being.

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) Equanimity is the last of the 4 Brahma Viharas. It holds the other three--metta, compassion/karuna, and mudita--with spaciousness and balance. Equanimity reminds us to allow for life to unfold as it will. We can let go of control, which we never had in the first place, meeting life's up and downs with balance and the possibility of a wise, skillful response.