Audio Dharma Talks
From 1998 until the end of 2013, Phillip Moffitt gave a dharma talk to the Marin Sangha nearly every Sunday evening. Many of those talks, as well as some that were recorded at Spirit Rock are available for downloading from the dharmawisdom.org audio library. New talks are posted frequently, so check back often to hear recent ones.
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Audio Dharma Talks
The Four Noble Truths was the Buddha’s first teaching after he found freedom from his own suffering. Understanding the meaning of these Noble Truths—that your life contains moments of dukkha; that the cause of your dukkha is clinging to desired objects and states of being; that you can release dukkha
by letting go of clinging to those desires; and that there is an Eightfold Path to freedom from dukkha that you can follow in order to accomplish all this—is the foundation of Buddhist wisdom. If you give yourself the chance to investigate your suffering more deeply, you will discover that being “with” your pain can lead to wisdom and happiness. But without compassion one can fall into judgment. Phillip explains the difference between "penetrative wisdom" (the path to freedom) vs "vast wisdom" (the compassionate response to what is).
How do we free ourselves from an attitude, a misperception, that time has so much power that it can be a tyrant in a human life? In this moment, do you wish to be available? What's born into time, dies into time.
Discover Sri Swami Balyogi Premvarni's teachings on the Nine Bodies system of wisdom which explores the wholeness of a human being—mind, consciousness, body, spirit, and more. This system is based in ancient Tantric and yoga traditions combined with Balyogi's own understandings.
Learn more by reading my book, Awakening through the Nine Bodies and visiting www.ninebodies.com. The book constitutes my own insights regarding consciousness that have arisen from so many years of exploring these teachings. In it, I describe how it is possible to move beyond ordinary mind states into a new direct awareness of the nature of consciousness itself. I offer a detailed description of the nature of consciousness and how to explore the various qualities and energies of consciousness in meditation. In addition to this in-depth investigation of the nature of consciousness, the book also includes a series of teachings in the form of 20 beautiful, mysterious illustrations that reveal the subtle aspects of consciousness along with instructions in how to use the illustrations in your meditation practice. Balyogi says he created these illustrations during a period of intense Samadhi when he had a series of revelations and visions about the structure of consciousness. I offer detailed interpretations of each illustration along with precise meditation instructions intended to guide one toward a particular state of consciousness.
Equanimity (Upekkha) is a balanced state of mind that is characterized by a benevolent attitude toward all beings as well as an accepting attitude toward the ever changing conditions of life. You may not be distinguishing between calm and equanimity in your practice. It’s skillful to be calm in your practice, and you certainly want to cultivate the ability to be calm. However, equanimity is a steady quality of the mind that can receive any experience without being overcome by it, even such emotions as anger, anxiety, or fear. It is through equanimity that you are able stay with and examine difficult mind states and learn to release them.
What is time? As human beings we are forced to relate to time. Anything born in time ceases in time. We also live in a culture which is very time-based. We can see what's important to us when we look at how we spend our time.
In an age where there is such an absolute belief in data, how do we stay true to insight teachings?
Mood and attitude affect how our mindfulness works in daily life. Can we be conscious of what's happening in the current moment without being drawn away from aversion, desire, or disassociation?
In our society, January is a month of beginnings, changes and transitions. Throughout life you are faced with making choices about how you want your life to be and these choices involve making changes. All change is fraught with concerns, fears, and questions: How do I know if this change will make me happy? Is it meaningful? How do I know if I'm making the right decisions? How can I stay true to myself during this transition? Who am I anyway?
Whatever arises has to vanish. If you're living for the future achievement, you're missing the beauty of now. Goals tend to focus on an imagined future and are not necessarily concerned with what is happening to you in the present moment. Living from your intentions is quite different from living from your goals. It is not oriented toward achieving a future outcome. Instead it is a path of practice that is focused on how you are being in the present moment. Your attention is on the ever-present now in the constantly changing flow of life. You set your intentions by understanding what matters most to you and making a commitment to align your worldly actions with your inner values.
True generosity arises out of unconditional caring and compassion for another. Each of us is dependent upon others for our blessings. We flourish or perish together through interwoven acts of generosity arising from the benevolence and integrity of others, many of whom we shall never meet. This is the power of generosity. When we mindfully practice generosity, we come into contact with its joyful, healing power.
Practicing generosity is the intention to find release from attachment to gratifying our ego needs by giving freely of what we have that is of value. What we have to give may be material in nature, or it may be our time, energy, or wisdom. We practice generosity to eradicate the attachments that come from our feelings of scarcity and separateness. The practice of generosity allows us to see the world from the point of view of what we have and what we have to give, instead of seeing it from the perspective of what we don’t have and desperately want.
