In the Buddha's wisdom he invited us to reflect regularly on our mortality which flies in the face of a society which tells us we can be immortal if we just do it all right.  The denial of reality and craving for the impossible causes so much suffering and disconnection. When we turn to face the reality of our lives and our shared humanity, we experience a freedom and a connection with others grounded in wisdom and compassion.
Recorded May 11, 2024 in the virtual world

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The Buddha's teaching on Wise Speech serves us well in these days of great polarization. We have our sides and spew our rhetoric, often without thinking about how we communicate can make a bad situation worse. The invitation, as always, is pause and think about the truth, necessity and kindness of how we connect with others. It does not mean we shy away from difficult conversations or keep quiet in the face of injustice. Instead, it asks us to really be present in how we show up. 
Recorded May 4, 2024 in the virtual world

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Bhikkhu Analayo suggests that the Buddha's teachings can be summed up in two words, "Let go." Ah, but if it were only so easy. Mary reflects on how the act of letting go gets more and more subtle and challenging the deeper we go and the longer we practice, but the freedom is worth the effort.
Recorded April 29, 2024 in the virtual world

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Grief seems to be a constant companion these days and making space for it is an important part of our practice. Grief can be scary and we're tempted to push it away instead of inviting it in. When we do acknowledge our grief, we reconnect with all of humanity and recognize we're not alone. Connecting with grief is empowering - allow yourself to feel and be open to this moment.
Recorded April 20, 2024 in the virtual world

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The teaching of impermanence is a core tenet of Buddhism and our ability to recognize the impermanence we meet each day is so important for us in order to be free. How we relate to shifting and changing experiences while staying in the present is the key. Mary discusses the places we get stuck and how we can let go.
Recorded April 13, 2024 in the virtual world

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Mary discusses this famous teaching of the Buddha. When we experience pain or something uncomfortable the tendency is to react it a way that mitigates the discomfort. The reactivity often just intensifies the initial pain rather than helping us be present with the discomfort. This reactivity is often subtle and deep and takes willingness and practice to uncover and let go of. Mindfulness allows us to see what's happening and to stay present.
Recorded April 6, 2024 in the virtual world

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Building on last week's talk about overwhelm, Mary discusses how vital it is to make the effort to come back from those places and stories that are not helpful an to make the effort to stay where we are. How do we let go and how do we stay present with whatever is showing up? And once we find place of equanimity, we realize that effort remains part of the practice. Effort is vital on our path to liberation.
Recorded March 30, 2024 in the virtual world

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When life gets busy, we can become overwhelmed by everything. Both our lives and the world can be too much. However, the invitation of practice is to be right where we are -- overwhelm occurs when we spend our time in the future or the past and being present is how we cope. It's overwhelming if we don't pay attention.
Recorded March 23, 2024 in the virtual world

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In this talk Mary discusses how important being grounded is in the present moment is to be open to gratitude. When we're stuck in thoughts about I, me and mine, it's a challenge to recognize how connected we are to the world and how gratitude arises naturally when we are.
Recorded March 16, 2024 in the virtual world

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When we practice for extended periods of time we find that our hearts become tender. But often we don't have the time to practice so intensely. The question becomes how can we cultivate a loving and compassionate heart right now, and in a world that can be challenging. Mary discusses the Buddha's invitation to move through the world with good will towards all and reads a poem by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel called For All Beings. We are asked to see what gets in the way of kindness and compassion.
Recorded March 9, 2024 in the virtual world

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