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Tempel Smith's Dharma Talks
Tempel Smith
Tempel Smith spent a year ordained as a monk in Burma and teaches Buddhist psychology and social activism in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is currently part of the IMS/Spirit Rock Teacher Training Program.
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2024-05-02 DPP7 - Three Nibbanas in Theravada 1:36:21
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Spirit Rock has blessed lineage from both Ven. Ajahn Cha and Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw. From our deep connection to these traditional lineages, we can see at least three different kinds of Nibbana: 1. Nibbana for Everyone; 2. Dealthless Awareness; and 3. Complete Zero. As a maturing community of western Insight practitioners rooted in several lineages, we have the benefit of many styles of practice and Buddhist understandings. We also have the challenge of there being so many practices, and experience to where they lead. Here in this talk we explore three common understandings of Nibbana and how the various traditions guide us to them.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  DPP7 Retreat #5
2024-04-30 DPP7: Four Stages of Awakening 1:35:37
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In the Pali Canon the process of awakening typically passes through four stages of awakening: Stream Entry, Once Returner, Non Returner, and Arhat. For lay people in the west the two most important are experiential Stream Entry and the aspiration of the full awakening of an Arhat. These four stages are most clearly laid out as the breaking of the 10 fetters.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  DPP7 Retreat #5
2023-03-02 Practical Instructions for Mindfulness of Vedanā (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 63:31
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With a wise expectation of the three kinds of vedanā, we steady our mindfulness to intimately connect with unpleasantness, pleasantness, and neutral experiences. This is the first step with vedanā. The second is to cool off the old habits of reactivity , and the third is seeing vedanā is not inherent in the objects of our attention. Vedanā arises due to contact with the 6 sense doors, and operates on its own independent conditinality. This is difficult to see in daily life, and a precious opportunity on silent retreat.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  March Insight Meditation One Month Retreat
2023-03-01 Vedanā: The 2nd Foundation of Mindfulness (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 61:31
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Key to all of our suffering and eventual freedom, mindfulness of vedanā disrupts our unconscious struggle to reject unpleasant experiences, crave pleasant experiences, and ignore neutral experiences. Since vedanā is a tone or aspect of every moment in the stream of our consciousness, it beocmes increasingly clear our agitation with life begins with reactivity to vedanā, and the training of a new kind of well being comes as we develop the ability to breath inside the stream with all three vedanās.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  March Insight Meditation One Month Retreat
2023-02-08 Instructions for mindfulness of mind 59:49
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Exploring the third foundation of mindfulness, including emotions and cognitive activities
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center :  Befriending the World through Mindfulness
2023-02-07 Third foundation of mindfulness: mind/citta 48:23
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In progressing through the four foundations, we come to my mindfulness of mind (citta). This includes emotions and cognitive states.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center :  Befriending the World through Mindfulness
2022-08-23 Breathing In and Out in All Conditions (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 60:11
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At the beginning of breath awareness practice we can feel our attention is either with the breath or distracted. As we deepen out faith and dedication to mindfulness of breathing we learn to breath in and breath out in all conditions. The breath becomes a sanctuary to accompany us in all conditions.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Cultivating Concentration
2022-08-22 Concentration and Insight (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 2:10:17
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In the detailed description of the 16 steps of anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing) the first 12 steps develop samadhi (concentration) as a basis for the last four steps (13-16) of insight practice. These are using in and out breathing to become sensitive to impermanence (anicca), and from impermanence to releasing the agitation (viraga) from trying to find security in a fluid and fluctuating world. The second to last step in relaxing into the completeness and thoroughness of endings (nirodha), as a support to the last step of fully letting go.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Cultivating Concentration
2022-08-18 Orienting Towards Breath Concentration (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 57:37
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After our initial work to begin meditation on in and out breathing we can further relax with total faith into immersion with breathing awareness. Some gentle supporting techniques of counting can be helpful, as well as welcoming an attitude of devotion and patience to support breathing as a sanctuary.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Cultivating Concentration
2022-08-17 12 Steps of Breathing Concentration (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 63:50
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When the Buddha taught detailed instructions for breath meditation he often used 16 steps from initial meditation to complete freedom. The first 12 steps on the common meditation guidelines to develop stable concentration and experience a mind temporarily free from inner turmoil.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center :  Cultivating Concentration

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