Podcasts about audio dharma

Gil Fronsdal explores the heart of Buddhist tradition by blending mindfulness with the transformative power of compassion and loving kindness.This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp & Dharma Seed:Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.Join Buddhist Teacher David Nichtern and Duncan Trussell for a conversation about finding our own voice, our own expression, and our own way of connecting with people. Learn more about this FREE online gathering - AUTHENTIC PRESENCE: FINDING YOUR OWN VOICEOn this episode of the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil gives a dharma talk on:Discovering how love is foundational in Buddhist tradition and spiritual practiceExploring the two wings of Buddhism: balancing compassion and wisdomUnderstanding why compassion is essential in both practice and realizationLearning how mindfulness can become fixated on the goal of enlightenmentShifting focus from attaining enlightenment to embodying compassionGil's journey of softening the heart and embracing inner sufferingInsights from the Buddha on cultivating loving kindness in daily lifeHealing inner conflict by embracing the parts of ourselves we often rejectPracticing meeting every experience with radical compassion and presenceLetting compassion bloom as a natural expression of inner peaceRecognizing shared suffering and connecting with others as equalsDiscovering how the dharma reveals itself through all aspects of life.Today's recording was originally published on Dharmaseed.orgAbout Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders' Council. In 2011 he founded IMC's Insight Retreat Center. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil's talks on Audio Dharma.“People will say, 'Oh she realized a really deep enlightenment'. But how often do you hear someone say 'oh I got compassioned' or 'that person, he reached the fourth stage of compassion, he was fully compassioned'? I think we all need more compassion than enlightenment—if we want to separate the two. If we don't separate the two, then compassion has to be an integral part of it." – Gil Fronsdal See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Recorded on April 19, 2025 at Boundless Mind Temple, Brooklyn, NY. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to Brooklyn Zen Center at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded on April 5, 2025 at Boundless Mind Temple in Brooklyn, NY. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to Brooklyn Zen Center at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded on March 29, 2025 at Boundless Mind Temple in Brooklyn, NY. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to Brooklyn Zen Center at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded on March 22, 2025 at Boundless Mind Temple, Brooklyn, NY. "What is the ground of my life? What am I really here for? What is the ground of our life together with all beings? How do I care for this ground?" The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to Brooklyn Zen Center at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded on March 8, 2025 at Boundless Mind Temple in Brooklyn, NY. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to Brooklyn Zen Center at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded on March 1, 2025 at Boundless Mind Temple, NY. "If we say there's a right, there must be a wrong? But if we say harmonious perspective, we can embody the middle path and we don't have to make others wrong. We have to figure out how we can be harmonious with other people that we interact with. It's a radically different approach. It's non-american, and if it's non-american, it means it's subversive. And if it's subversive, it means it could be transformative. And if it's transformative, it could be revolutionary." "Who are you? Are you who the society says you must be, or are you a miracle?" "I think Buddhism is at a crossroads. We can no longer sit on the sides and be observers of the pain of others. We must go into the marketplace with our truth: Causes plus conditions equals outcomes, impermanence, and shatter the illusions that have created destruction and hatred for generations." The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to Brooklyn Zen Center at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded on February 22, 2025 at Boundless Mind Temple, NY. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to Brooklyn Zen Center at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Considering how we relate to the world, Gil Fronsdal offers insight into freedom from our mental constructs through stillness of mind.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode, Gil Fronsdal offers wisdom on:The relationship between fundamental insight and fundamental happinessDividing the present moment into three parts (what's happening, our relationship to it, and the self)The Anicca Vata Sankhara chant, an important chant among Theravada BuddhistsSeeing happiness through stilling our mental constructionsObjective reality versus human-made conventionsUnderstanding the world of relatedness and settling it downBeing aware of the breath within the breathThe season of being in relationship and the season of letting things beThe ever-presence of awareness and the freedom it can bringBuddhist practice helps us see when something is a constructionSeeing the arising and passing of all mental activity We have all these conventions and they're useful, we play with them, they're antidotes, they settle things. It's also possible to relate to the breathing, to be present for the breath, without a convention, but present. The mind doesn't go towards the breath, the breath doesn't go to you, the breath arises in awareness. The awareness doesn't go anywhere.” – Gil FronsdalThis 2008 recording was originally published on DharmaseedAbout Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders' Council. In 2011 he founded IMC's Insight Retreat Center. Gil has an undergraduate degree in agriculture from U.C. Davis where he was active in promoting the field of sustainable farming. In 1998 he received a PhD in Religious Studies from Stanford University studying the earliest developments of the bodhisattva ideal. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil's talks on Audio Dharma.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Recorded on February 23, 2025 at Millerton Zendo, NY. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to Brooklyn Zen Center at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Renowned Buddhist teacher Gil Fronsdal outlines how a connection to the body is the gateway into the present moment.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal dives into:Reminding ourselves to be in the present momentFinding the dharma in the here and nowOur lived spaces of awakeningNot being in conflict with realityStaying aware and being able to trust ourselvesRelishing in our own uniqueness and allowing it to flowerThe importance of the body in Buddhist practiceWatching the rhythms in our bodyThe body as a royal road to the unconsciousThis episode is also brought to you by Dharma Moon. Join Buddhist teachers David Nichtern and Professor Robert Thurman for a free online event on Tuesday, March 4th at 6pm ET. Together, they'll explore the power of lineage, tradition, and the evolution of mindfulness practices. They'll also discuss Dharma Moon's renowned mindfulness meditation teacher training program. Visit dharmamoon.com/lineage for more info and to reserve your spot for the free online event with David Nichtern and Professor Robert Thurman!About Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders' Council. In 2011 he founded IMC's Insight Retreat Center. Gil has an undergraduate degree in agriculture from U.C. Davis where he was active in promoting the field of sustainable farming. In 1998 he received a PhD in Religious Studies from Stanford University studying the earliest developments of the bodhisattva ideal. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil's talks on Audio Dharma.This recording was originally published on Dharmaseed“The body is really like a meditation hall. So much unfolds. So much emphasis in Buddhism is made for practicing within the body, becoming embodied, where we feel like we are inhabiting our body rather than just pulling it around.” – Gil FronsdalSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Recorded on February 8, 2025 at Boundless Mind Temple in Brooklyn, NY. "The whole point of Buddhist practice is so we can help people. That's the whole point. We clean up our mess a little bit, open up our heart, and then we can extend our hand out into the world that is utterly insane. And we can go into the world without needing to dominate because we understand that we're not separate and that everyone is suffering. This is the wellspring of joy".  The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to Brooklyn Zen Center at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded on February 1, 2025 at Boundless Mind Temple in Brooklyn, NY. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to Brooklyn Zen Center at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded on January 25, 2025 at Boundless Mind Temple in Brooklyn, NY. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to Brooklyn Zen Center at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded on January 4, 2025 at Boundless Mind Temple in Brooklyn, NY. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to Brooklyn Zen Center at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Guiding us along the path, Gil Fronsdal shows how to develop spirituality into enduring inner strengths rather than solitary experiences.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode, Gil Fronsdal teaches listeners about:Developing personal, inner strengthsThe tendency of meditators to over-value spiritual experiencesWisdom as one of our inner strengthsThe clarity of awakening and seeing the functions of our heart and mindHow something arises and how something ceasesWhat it means to be awake in the here and nowRecognizing all of the times we are in the past or the futureShedding, letting go, and simplifying our experienceFinding the path in the present momentRemaining composed and settling our entire beingHow the Buddhist path does not have a destinationAbout Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders' Council. In 2011 he founded IMC's Insight Retreat Center. Gil has an undergraduate degree in agriculture from U.C. Davis where he was active in promoting the field of sustainable farming. In 1998 he received a PhD in Religious Studies from Stanford University studying the earliest developments of the bodhisattva ideal. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil's talks on Audio Dharma.This recording was originally published on Dharmaseed“The right attitude, the right intention, is to begin finding that way of being that simplifies our experience. One of the right intentions is the intention of letting go, of renunciation. You can't take a lot of baggage with you, even good baggage, if you want to walk the path.” – Gil FronsdalSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Recorded on January 18, 2025 at Boundless Mind Temple in Brooklyn, NY. "The meaning of life is not something I can get, think, attain, gain, own or grasp. And until I'm totally here, in this moment, there is something really deep and important that I'm not really appreciating about being alive." The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to Brooklyn Zen Center at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded on January 11, 2025 at Boundless Mind Temple in Brooklyn, NY. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to Brooklyn Zen Center at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded on December 1, 2024 at Millerton Zendo in Millerton, NY. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to Brooklyn Zen Center at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded on November 23, 2024 at Ancestral Heart Temple in Millerton, NY. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to Brooklyn Zen Center at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

In this retreat recording, Gil Fronsdal applies Buddhism to parenting and explains family life as one of the best forms of practice.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal explains:Buddhism as a training for all aspects of our livesFinding balance, freedom, and compassion in the day-to-dayFamily and children as one of the greatest forms of practiceEquanimity as the crown jewel of BuddhismHow children are more influenced by how we are rather than what we sayOur emotional presence as an integral part of our children's developmentHow anger and anxiety can pass onto our childrenStepping back and looking at our prioritiesTaking responsibility to show up for practiceControlling ourselves and staying presentBeing accepting and allowing our children to be themselvesMaking space when our children say hurtful thingsGil's own stories and examples as a fatherModeling equanimity and acceptance towards ourselvesAbout Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders' Council. In 2011 he founded IMC's Insight Retreat Center. Gil has an undergraduate degree in agriculture from U.C. Davis where he was active in promoting the field of sustainable farming. In 1998 he received a PhD in Religious Studies from Stanford University studying the earliest developments of the bodhisattva ideal. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil's talks on Audio Dharma.“We can't really control the world and there are enough times we can't control our children. But, we can control ourselves, or part of ourselves. When we can't control the situation around us, can we at least monitor ourselves enough so that we can stay balanced, not caught, not lost, not distracted, but really stay present in an effective way?” – Gil FronsdalSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Recorded on November 23, 2024 at Boundless Mind Temple in Brooklyn, NY. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to Brooklyn Zen Center at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded on November 17, 2024 at Millerton Zendo. Our practice is to turn around and welcome what hurts, and when we do that, that's healing—wholeness and healing. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to Brooklyn Zen Center at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded at Boundless Mind Temple in Brooklyn, NY on November 9, 2024. We're going to heal through a community that is grounded in our non-separateness, in our tender vulnerable, non-separateness. A community that values human life, period. A community that can grieve. A community that accepts that sometimes we're brokenhearted. A community that sees that the violence in our culture is not evenly distributed and that some of us are more vulnerable than others.  The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to Brooklyn Zen Center at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Through meditation and lecture, Gil Fronsdal outlines how the awareness of awareness is more important than the content of an experience.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal explains:Giving too much importance to our experiencesBeing mindful of whatever is present in a given momentThe authority we give to our fixationsDropping into the experience of the body breathingKnowing our feelings and thoughts and noticing when we are distractedA guided mediation from Gil to develop awareness of awarenessAbout Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders' Council. In 2011 he founded IMC's Insight Retreat Center. Gil has an undergraduate degree in agriculture from U.C. Davis where he was active in promoting the field of sustainable farming. In 1998 he received a PhD in Religious Studies from Stanford University studying the earliest developments of the bodhisattva ideal. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil's talks on Audio Dharma.“In some ways, it doesn't matter that much where you bring your attention, what matters is that you're using it. You can develop just as much clarity of mind and presence of mind on the rain sound as you can on your breathing, as you can on almost anything.” – Gil FronsdalSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Recorded at Millerton Zendo in Millerton NY on September 22, 2024. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to BZC at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded at Millerton Zendo in Millerton NY on September 8, 2024. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to BZC at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded at Boundless Mind Temple in Brooklyn, NY on October 26, 2024. "When buddhist modes of being becomes fused into the foundation, home becomes a refuge for healing." The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to BZC at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded at Boundless Mind Temple in Brooklyn, NY on October 19, 2024. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. Visit brooklynzen.org for more information. Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded at Boundless Mind Temple in Brooklyn, NY on October 12, 2024. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. Visit brooklynzen.org for more information. Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded at Boundless Mind Temple in Brooklyn, NY on October 5, 2024. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to BZC at brooklynzen.org under ‘Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded at Boundless Mind Temple in Brooklyn, NY on July 6th, 2024. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. Visit brooklynzen.org for more information. Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded at Boundless Mind Temple in Brooklyn, NY on June 15th, 2024. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to BZC here. Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded at Boundless Mind Temple in Brooklyn, NY on July 27th, 2024. The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to BZC at brooklynzen.org under 'Giving.' Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded as part of BZC's Fall Practice Period at Boundless Mind Temple The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to BZC here. Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded as part of BZC's Fall Practice Period at Boundless Mind Temple The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to BZC here. Thank you for your generosity!

Recorded as part of BZC's Fall Practice Period at Boundless Mind Temple The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to BZC here. Thank you for your generosity!

"What is saying a word, when our foundation is sitting? What do we say - can you hear it?" The BZC Podcast is offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. You can donate to BZC here. Thank you for your generosity!

“The faith comes afterwards. It's not like we have to muster a full body of faith until we go into practice. The practice and the faith happen together.”

"Practice, what's that? This is not practice, this is their lives, this is not just their way of living, this is the life that wells up within, the life that's forming and moving in the world. Your practice is your life. This is you living."  This talk was offered as part of SZBA's Celebrating the Voices of Women in Buddhism series.

The Teaching of Thus: the Avatamsaka Sutra as a Root of Zen Practice

The Teaching of Thus: the Avatamsaka Sutra as a Root of Zen Practice

The Teaching of Thus: the Avatamsaka Sutra as a Root of Zen Practice

The Teaching of Thus: the Avatamsaka Sutra as a Root of Zen Practice

The Teaching of Thus: the Avatamsaka Sutra as a Root of Zen Practice

Gil Fronsdal discusses having confidence in what the Buddha represents within ourselves and being a refuge for all beings.This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal explains:How the Buddha defined confidence and fateInstructions from the Buddha on making oneself a refugeBeing a refuge and support for all beingsPersonal worth and finding yourself in communityThe benefit of having confidence in ourselves and in our practiceThe imperfections that stain the mindHaving confidence in that which the Buddha represents within ourselvesReflecting on the times when our minds are not caughtHow the dharma is visible here and now, not there and thenThe balance between responsibility and allowing natural unfoldingAbout Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders' Council. In 2011 he founded IMC's Insight Retreat Center. Gil has an undergraduate degree in agriculture from U.C. Davis where he was active in promoting the field of sustainable farming. In 1998 he received a PhD in Religious Studies from Stanford University studying the earliest developments of the bodhisattva ideal. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil's talks on Audio Dharma.This 2014 talk was originally published by Dharmaseed.“The reference point for having confidence or faith or trust in the Buddha is not in the great power and wisdom of the Buddha, but rather something that we can know for ourselves, that we realize is reflected in the Buddha.” – Gil FronsdalSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"How is what it means to be human transformed, or expanded, by allowing or imagining another perspective?"

Distinguishing commentary from direct experience, Gil Fronsdal helps us break free from the conventions and comparisons that the mind makes.Today's episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode, Gil Fronsdal speaks to listeners about:Paying homage to those who have purified their heartsDirect experience versus attempting to describe thingsThe way that comparison arisesSelf-image and appreciating our own suchnessResting in the part of ourselves that is not an idea or a conceptThe conditioning that can happen from societyWisdom from sitting with physical painLiving in the present moment instead of the stories we tell ourselvesLetting things be as they areSeeing God in our simple, direct experiencesComing back to the breath and practicing all throughout the dayThis 1998 talk was originally published on DharmaseedAbout Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders' Council. In 2011 he founded IMC's Insight Retreat Center. Gil has an undergraduate degree in agriculture from U.C. Davis where he was active in promoting the field of sustainable farming. In 1998 he received a PhD in Religious Studies from Stanford University studying the earliest developments of the bodhisattva ideal. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil's talks on Audio Dharma.“Most of us know the wonderful smell of a rose, but if you could try to describe in words what that fragrance is, you'd have a hard time I think. The actual sense, the direct experience of smell, is something we can all experience; seeing this flower as it is. In Buddhism, there is a lot of emphasis on seeing things as they are.” – Gil FronsdalSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"Let the rage and the hurt and the righteous anger be one of the things that we affirm in this wide, life affirming embrace."