Dharma Seed - James Baraz's Dharma Talks

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James Baraz's Dharma Talks

James Baraz

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I try to convey that the wisdom and compassion we are looking for is already inside of us. I see practice as learning how to purify our mind and heart so we can hear the Buddha inside. In doing so, we naturally embody the dharma and help awaken that understanding and love in others we meet.

I try to use the formal teachings as a doorway for people to see the truth in themselves. I feel I'm doing my job when people look into themselves to come to their own deep understandings of the truth, access their own inner wisdom and trust in their "Buddha-knowing," as Ajahn Chah called it, which is different from their intellectual knowing.

The Buddha-knowing is a deeper place, underneath the concepts, which is in touch with the truth, with our seed of awakening. I want practitioners to have more and more confidence in, and familiarity with, that deeper place of knowing. It is accessing this dimension of our being that becomes the guide to cutting through the confusion caused by greed and fear. We have everything we need inside ourselves. We do not need to look to a teacher when we remember who we really are.

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2012-10-04 No Credit, No Blame. 56:40	Download Listen
"In this world no one escapes from blame," said the Buddha. How can we deal with blame from others skillfully without getting crushed by criticism or react to it in a way that causes more suffering for ourselves and other? The key to not being lost in Praise or Blame is non-identification, not taking ownership of your experience. This includes not identifying with your body or mind. We can appreciate the gifts we've been given as well as our shortcomings without taking them personally. This is the natural by-product of understanding anatta, the selfless nature of existence.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley : IMCB Regular Talks

2012-09-27 No Place to Land 57:17	Download Listen
Advaita teacher H. W. L. Poonja spoke of emptiness as "No place to land." This follow-up talk on Praise and Blame, discusses how understanding the Buddha's teaching on Emptiness—the selfless nature of the process—we can appreciate the positive impact we have on others without taking personal credit when praise comes our way.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley : IMCB Regular Talks

2012-09-20 Praise and Blame 59:04	Download Listen
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley : IMCB Regular Talks

2012-09-13 Titrating our Dukkha. 54:40	Download Listen
Though mindfulness meditation instructions generally suggest paying attention to what is predominant, focusing on overwhelming emotions especially those rooted in trauma is often not beneficial. This talk, which includes the Buddha's teachings on working with difficult emotions as well as theory from Somatic Experiencing (SE)—an approach to working with trauma—explores how to work with intense emotions by touching them a little at a time.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley : IMCB Regular Talks

2012-09-02 Transforming Suffering into Happiness 64:22	Download Listen
The magic of mindfulness is how it weakens unwholesome (akusala) states of suffering and strengthens wholesome (kusala) states of well-being. This talk explains this process of alchemy: how greed, hatred and delusion are trnsformed into generosity, loving-kindness and wisdom.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center : Labor Day Retreat

2012-08-30 What Am I Doing Here and Why Am I Doing It? 56:49	Download Listen
How mindfulness practice works on retreat, the benefits that it produces and helpful attitudes that support intensive retreat practice.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center : Labor Day Retreat

2012-08-23 Teaching what we need to learn. 54:56	Download Listen
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley : IMCB Regular Talks

2012-07-19 Stewardship and Intention as Gaia Practices 52:25	Download Listen
This is part 4 of the series 'Appropriate Response at the Tipping Point' that began 6/14. In this talk, James discusses the last two of the five transformational commitments in Bob Doppelt's book From Me to We: 4. Acknowledge your trustee obligations and take responsibility for the continuation of all life 5. Choose your own destiny
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley : IMCB Regular Talks
In collection: Appropriate Response at the Tipping Point

2012-07-10 It's Really Possible! 60:32	Download Listen
To love ourselves, love others unconditionally to let in the love that comes our way, to realize more and more that love is our true nature -- these are tehe gifts of metta practice. With sincere intention and commitment, we can realize these fruits. We have everything we need to do this.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center : Metta Retreat

2012-07-05 Karma and Sila as Gaia Practices 53:57	Download Listen
This is part 3 of the series 'Appropriate Response at the Tipping Point' that began 6/14. In this talk, James discusses the first three of the five transformational commitments in Bob Doppelt's book From Me to We: 1. See the systems you are part of 2. Be accountable for all the consequences of your actions 3. Abide by society’s most deeply held universal principles of morality and justice
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley : IMCB Regular Talks
In collection: Appropriate Response at the Tipping Point

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