Tea with Mara

"The Delicious Itch" is a Dharma talk and brief meditation inspired by the Sirens in The Odyssey and a lovely Instagram post I saw by a young man named Esteban. It's about the persistent voice insisting that happiness exists somewhere other than here. The Sirens sound remarkably like Māra to me. They don’t have to drag us away from our lives. They only have to tempt us enough to keep listening. So, in this talk we explore craving, regret, papañca, impermanence, Māra, and the Buddhist practice that lets us recognize the song without following it. I hope you enjoy the talk, and I think I'm done doing talks on The Odyssey now. Maybe.

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"Intention Is Everything" is a Dharma talk offered at Two Hands Sangha inspired by Christopher Nolan's recent movie The Odyssey. We had VR friends visiting from the MindfulnessVR community, and I asked what they might like to hear a talk on. They said anything in the ethics realm, and I prepared a talk. Then I saw The Odyssey, and was inspired to include some of that 3000 year old marvel. I tweaked the talk to include some about "Zeus' Law" and here we are. I hope this talk - which is largely about kindness, ethics, and intention - will give you some food for thought. Enjoy!

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"It's That Time Again" is a Dharma Talk offered in MindfulnessVR about birthdays and how they can sometimes get you down. A beloved community member recommended the topic because he struggles on his birthday, always leaning toward focusing on all that he has failed to do or not accomplished, instead of seeing all the good he has done and all the joys present in his life. We love him and did this talk with him in mind, but who can't use a reminder like this on every day of the year? I hope you enjoy the talk!

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"Jimothy Didn't Choose" is a Dharma Talk about free will, and whether or not we have it. I hope you'll find it helpful. Enjoy!

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"Loving Without Losing Yourself" is a Dharma talk and very brief guided meditation on the topic suggested by a community member of how to deal with a parent who is extremely hostile toward you. But in a broader way it's just about how to develop healthy boundaries and hold them, and how to find compassion for difficult people. I hope you'll find some fit in your own life for this one if you need it. Enjoy!

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"An Unfinished Life" is a Dharma talk inspired by a friend of mine who had a few questions. The common thread across them all, that I saw, was about growth, and about the perfection of imperfection. I don't know if this directly addressed all of her questions, but it definitely was a talk I enjoyed sharing. An Unfinished Life is also something we are all living out every day and may we always be treating it so! I hope you will find some help or inspiration within this talk, and I deeply thank my friend for sharing her questions and conversation with me. Enjoy!

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"Stretch Toward Giving Heed" is a Dharma talk offered at Two Hands Sangha inspired by the movie Disclosure Day. While I tried hard not to spoil any of it, the overall meaning - or at least my view of it - is shared. This talk is about paying attention, and I hope you will get some benefit from it. I believe it's something the whole world desperately needs right now. Enjoy!

https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

"Freedom Fighters" is a Dharma talk and super brief meditation on the five hindrances ("freedom fighters" because they fight our efforts to free ourselves!). It's hopefully a helpful look at the things that get in our way, and it was inspired by discussion following last week's talk. I hope you find it helpful. Enjoy!

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"Use Your Time Wisely" is a Dharma talk offered at Two Hands Sangha on the topic of doing non-doing. We talk about boredom and the benefits of sitting and doing absolutely nothing, instead of filling our time with habit driven busywork.I hope this will be useful in your practice. Enjoy!

https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

"The Agitation of Joy" is a Dharma talk and brief guided meditation on the topic of how even joy can sometimes feel painful, and an exploration of how that actually works. This topic was suggested by a community member who received great news, but then couldn't sleep all night which was the pain they endured. We discuss why and how to work with that. I hope you find it useful! Enjoy!

https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com