The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
 
Tara Brach's Dharma Talks at Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC
Tara Brach
A pervasive but often invisible source of suffering in our culture is self-aversion. We are a busy culture, and we move through our life feeling anxious and dissatisfied, but not fully conscious of how we neglect or judge our inner experience. We suffer from a lack of belonging: to our own bodies, to each other and to the earth. When we practice Buddhist meditation, we learn how to listen deeply and hold our life tenderly.
2008-02-06 Gateways To Happiness 1:12:45
While we all want to be happy, our habitual ways of pursuing happiness leave us dissatisfied. What prevents us from being happy? What is true happiness? How do we relax and open to the blessings of our life that are always and already here? Though these reflections we explore together our potential to live from a profound place of inner freedom, peace and happiness.
Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC IMCW Wednesday Evening Talks
2008-01-30 The Power Of Inquiry 65:26
Inquiry, or mindful investigation, is a direct way to deepen our attention and reveal the nature of reality. This talk explores the attitude, types of questions and practice of non-conceptual presence that awakens our deepest wisdom.
Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC IMCW Wednesday Evening Talks
2008-01-09 Touching Enlightenment With Our Body 1:12:33
We realize and inhabit the fullness of what we are through the gateway of our senses. This reflection includes how we dissociate from our bodies (hearts, each other, earth) and the pathways of belonging. The evening is dedicated to John O'Donahue, a teacher of the divine longing that carries us to belonging.
Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC IMCW Wednesday Evening Talks
2008-01-02 The Three Refuges 1:21:31
This talk reflects on the three gateways to liberating presence-- Buddha nature (our awakened heartmind); Dharma (the living moment, truth, nature of things) and Sangha (spiritual community.) The evening includes a ritual of "taking refuge" that invites our dedication to each domain of awakening and freedom.
Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC IMCW Wednesday Evening Talks
2007-12-19 The True Revolution 68:30
In Buddhism, lovingkindness is considered a divine abode, our true home. This talk explores how we can recognize the mask that covers insecurity, inhabit our essential goodness of Being, and let ourselves touch and be touched by love. This awakening into wholeheartedness is the true revolution.
Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC IMCW Wednesday Evening Talks
2007-12-12 Path Of Transformation 1:16:34
This talk investigates three core themes on the path of spiritual awakening: forgiveness, inner fire or aspiration, and the awareness of what we are...awareness itself. These living currents on the path are explored through an ancient Indian teaching story and guided reflections.
Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC IMCW Wednesday Evening Talks
2007-11-21 Gratitude And Generosity 1:16:09
When we feel grateful, there is a sense of homecoming. We are connected with what we cherish, and in that abundance, our natural response is generosity. This talk explores two pathways that directly give rise to gratitude and generosity: full presence, and the intentional remembrance of what we love.
Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC IMCW Wednesday Evening Talks
2007-11-14 Lovingkindness - Living With A Wise Heart 1:19:22
The Buddha taught that our fear is great, but greater yet is the truth of our connectedness. These two talks examine the often unconscious habits that generate the pain of separation, and the practices that allow us to realize and live from an awake heart.
Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC IMCW Wednesday Evening Talks
2007-10-31 Stress, Wakeful Relaxation And Freedom 1:11:20
We are designed to respond to stress with flight/fight/freeze and this can proliferate and then harden into our ongoing response to life. The practice of presence, of recognizing and relaxing with what is arising, can cut through this conditioning and gift us with the realization of our true nature and the capacity to love fully.
Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC IMCW Wednesday Evening Talks
2007-10-17 The Three Refuges 1:22:30
Dharma, Sangha and Buddha - In Buddhism there are three, interdependent gateways to freedom. Called refuges, they are the expressions of truth that carry us home to the essence of what we are. These two talks investigate the way we take "false refuge"--habitual ways of trying to control experience--and the profound happiness and peace in discovering true refuge.
Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC IMCW Wednesday Evening Talks

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