Tea with Mara

"The Dharma of Star Wars" is my annual May 4th Star Wars Day Dharma talk offered at Two Hands Sangha. We had BB-8 rolling around and chattering during our silent meditation space while sitting for this one, we discussed many correlations between the Dharma and Star Wars, informed by Matthew Bortolin's excellent dharma book and my own nerdery (and my bad voice acting). And if you were present for the talk in Sangha, you should know I added some more today in honor of May 5th (Revenge of the Fifth). Enjoy!

https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

"Take Five and Breathe" is a dharma talk on the unique timing signature of life. We want life to be in 4/4 time, but life is a jazz musician, and will throw in 5/4 time whenever it gets the urge. Luckily the Buddha taught us to flow with whatever quirky timing life threw at us. This talk invokes everything from Dave Brubeck to Sleep Token, from Tron Legacy to The Little John Beecher Orchestra and more, all in the name of helping us handle the vicissitudes of life a little better. I hope you enjoy this talk in honor of International Jazz Day and Dave Brubeck Day! Also, I included a Spotify Playlist of a few jazz songs that inspired tonights topic.

"A Quiet Place to Practice" is a Dharma talk offered at Two Hands Sangha on Chapter 30 of Old Path White Clouds, discussing the five precepts for lay-practitioners, and a story from the Jataka Tales. Primarily this talk points at how the first four precepts provide us with a quiet place (our mind) to practice, and how the fifth precept supports those like a foundation for that place. I hope you'll find something beneficial to your practice here. Enjoy!

"We Listen And We Don't Judge" is a Dharma Talk and brief guided meditation that looks at how we can show up and support people when they are grieving or scared of losing a loved one. We talk often about death, and about fear of it, but I wanted to talk about how to support someone when they are the ones facing it. May you find something of value in this.

https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

"Water Rises Fire Burns" is a Dharma talk from Two Hands Sangha exploring the themes of Chapters 26 and 27 from Old Path White Clouds. This talk follows the transformation of Kassapa, a fire-worshipping ascetic whose meeting with the Buddha shifts his path entirely. We reflect on the power of presence, the fire of craving and ignorance, and the steady stream of insight that can rise within us all. This also marks the point that the Sangha grew from 50+ to 500+! I hope you'll find value in this! Enjoy!

https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

"Karma and Coffee" is a Dharma talk and guided meditation exploring how the Dharma shows up in the most unexpected places—like a "Cozy Fantasy" novel (called "Legends & Lattes" by Travis Baldree) about a coffee shop run by an orc. We reflect on wise livelihood, karma, equanimity, and the power of choosing peace over conflict, all through the lens of a surprisingly insightful little story. It’s about how the Dharma is always brewing—right under our noses, in every act of kindness, every small decision, every moment we choose to live with intention. Enjoy!

https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

“The Sangha Grows” is a little different from our usual episodes—this one is actually two in one. In our local sangha, we’ve been exploring the Buddha’s life after his awakening, drawing primarily from Thich Nhat Hanh’s Old Path White Clouds. This week, I read Chapter 24, continuing from where we left off last time. I had planned to read Chapter 25 as well, but then I remembered that I had already recorded a talk on it back in 2022—before the Tea With Mara podcast began—and had never released it. So tonight, following Sunday's talk on Chapter 24, I’ve included that earlier talk along with a guided meditation originally recorded in Virtual Reality. I hope this combined offering is meaningful and supportive for you. Enjoy!

https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

"If It Ain't Broke..." is a Dharma talk and brief guided meditation about learning to pause and reflect before leaping into action to fix something that may not need to be fixed. People tend to tweak and tinker in the effort to improve, and often they end up creating problems where there were none. Then we try to tinker our way back to stable footing. It rarely works out well. The Buddha said to pause and notice. Maybe we don't need to meddle with things so often. I hope you find something useful in this one. Enjoy!

https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

"Yasa and The Boodles" is a Dharma talk offered at Two Hands Sangha on the story of Yasa who gives up his life of drunken debauchery to find peace in this lifetime with the Buddha's teachings. So what is a Boodle? Mostly just me mis-speaking which I was going to edit out, but I decided it was to silly and fun to cut. Or maybe "Yasa and The Boodles" is the name of my band. I don't know. I hope you get some laughs AND some dharma out of this wonderful story. Enjoy!

https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

“Forgetting to Remember” is a Dharma talk and brief guided meditation inspired by a conversation about those moments when the mind just won’t cooperate—when the harder we try to remember, focus, or figure something out, the more stuck we feel. This talk explores why that happens, what the Buddha had to say about clinging and effort, and how letting go—not giving up—can open the door to clarity. I hope it offers you something useful. Enjoy!

https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com