Category: Lay Practitioner
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The Power of Kindness: Sharon Salzberg
Length: 26 minutes, 17 seconds. Memorable Quote: If you really want to be a rebel, be kind. If you really want to break away from the narcissistic expectations of society and be bold, be kind. Synopsis: Sharon sees kindness and compassion not simply as a tool for seeing for clearly, but also the culmination of…
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There is a Body: Joseph Goldstein
Memorable Quote: “This is not an effort of struggle, but an effort of remembering. When the mind is lost in a thought, we simply come back.” Synopsis: “Be mindful, there is a body, to the extent necessary, for clear knowledge, and continual mindfulness.” Joseph urges us to make a simple mental note, “there is a…
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Damnit Dukkha: Ruth King
Length: 14 minutes, 31 seconds Memorable Quote: “The mind has no shame. It will do anything to get your attention.” Synopsis: Ruth contrasts the “big” dukkhas (suffering), such as illness and death, with the smaller kinds of dukkha, those moments when you say “Damnit!” These smaller sufferings are moments of not getting what you want,…
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Anticipation: Ines Freedman
Memorable Quote: “It’s important as we look at the life desire that moves us forward, and we keep a balance between forward movement and having a really strong presence in the now.” Synopsis: Ines points out that, although we often think of mindfulness as being in the present moment, we should also pay attention to…
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Empathy: Rick Hanson
Length: 12 minutes, 2 seconds Memorable Quote: “Ask yourself: what’s the hurt underneath the anger, what’s the vulnerability under the defensiveness, what’s younger, underneath this adult surface?” Synopsis: In order to treat others well, Rick tells us, we need to understand what is going on with them. We can’t simply treat them with generic kindness;…
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Working with Habits: Gina Sharpe
Length: 22 minutes, 50 seconds Memorable Quote: “Many habits that we’ve built up that are habits that create short-term pleasure; in the long-run, these habits are unhelpful and destructive.” Synopsis: Gina encourages us to be open to exploring the countless ways we can define “who we are” and “who we might become.” She points out…
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Wise Speech: Pablo Das
Length: 25 minutes, 10 seconds Memorable Quote: “Mindfulness is silent honesty. Honesty is mindfulness out loud.” Synopsis: Before approaching right speech we must cultivate right intention, says Pablo Das. The three right intentions are to be kind, to be compassionate and to renounce that which stands in the way of seeing clearly. The Buddha discusses…
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The Conceit of Self: Marcia Rose
Length: 10 minutes, 22 seconds. Memorable Quote: We need to recognize our inner goodness, not for prideful purposes, but in order to generate the respect, confidence, and sense of well-being that’s essential and natural to the awakening mind. Synopsis: In this talk, Marcia discussed the “conceit” of self. One of the most pervasive ways this…
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What Freedom Looks Like: JoAnna Harper
Length: 25 minutes, 38 seconds Memorable Quote: “I want to have the full richness of life. I hope I get to do that without getting slammed and torn every time something happens that I like a lot or want to push away.” Synopsis: JoAnna starts her talk by asking a hypothetical question: what would it…
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Tempel Smith: Freedom through Understanding Dukkha
Length: 28 minutes, 49 seconds Memorable Quote: You cannot control your experiences, all day, all week, all month, all year, so that you never have to deal with unpleasant things. You have to mature enough so that you’re not disappointed when unpleasant things happen. Synopsis: There’s no way to live a human life and avoid…