Podcasts about brahma viharas

(Vallecitos Mountain Retreat Center) Exploring the Brahma Viharas in Nature

(Cloud Mountain Retreat Center) Guided meditation using the chant from the Pali Sutta text for the Divine Abidings (Brahmaviharas)

(Cloud Mountain Retreat Center) Guided meditation using the chant from the Pali Sutta text for the Divine Abidings (Brahmaviharas)

(Vallecitos Mountain Retreat Center) Exploring the Brahma Viharas in Nature

During this talk, Peter provides an overview of the four Brahma Viharas, with focus on how lovingkindness mantra repetition can be integrated with mindfulness of breathing meditation, adding additional attention to the middle of the chest as part of the practice.  He describes how the vagus nerve connects the brain with various organs in the body, including the heart, linking what happens emotionally with the selfing story.  He also describes how contemporary integrative research regarding the interactions between mindfulness and lovingkindness is beneficial for well-being. Here are the notes accompanying the talk:  Reviewing The Brahma Viharas This talk can be associated with a guided meditation that preceded the presentation entitled “Guided Wisdom of Lovingkindness Meditation”, found in the audio archive.

in this talk, Andrew talks about the Wisdom of Boundaries. as a part of wise view, boundaries help us uphold our wisdom of relating to the world with clarity and sometimes, directness. enjoy! Last day to register for the WHMC retreat is TODAY! (6/10) - https://givebutter.com/summer26 Wild Heart Meditation Center in a non-profit Buddhist community based in Nashville, TN. https://www.wildheartmeditationcenter.orgDONATE: If you feel moved to support WHMC financially please visit:https://www.wildheartmeditationcenter.org/donateFollow Us on Socials!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildHeartNashville/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildheartnashville/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wildheartmeditation

Equanimity unfolds as we find a wise balance and spaciousness in the midst of this living, dying world. This series reflects on four primary expressions of an awake, wise heart: lovingkindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. In each talk we explore the habitual patterning that blocks our full realization of these innate capacities, and the understandings and practices that nurture their unfolding. In this talk, Tara explores how equanimity—the spacious, awake presence that can hold life just as it is—is an essential foundation for love, compassion, and joy to fully flourish.  Drawing from Buddhist teachings on the Brahmaviharas, we reflect on how equanimity is not indifference or passivity, but a courageous openness that allows us to stay present with pain without hardening into blame or fear. Through stories, poetry, guided reflection, and practical meditation instruction, she invites us to discover the freedom of becoming "the ocean" that can hold all the changing waves of experience with compassion and care. In this talk, you'll discover: How equanimity creates the inner balance that allows love, compassion, and joy to mature and deepen The difference between true equanimity and emotional withdrawal or indifference How mindfulness and kindness help us move from reactivity into wise, compassionate presence The practice of "being the ocean, not the waves" when facing fear, conflict, or uncertainty How equanimity supports healing, courageous action, and a heart that is "ready for anything" A guided meditation for working with difficult emotions and relationships with awareness and compassion This talk is especially supportive for anyone seeking emotional balance, mindfulness, self-compassion, spiritual awakening, healing relationships, and finding peace in uncertain times. Our introduction music is from "Opening" by Adrienne Torf, © 2025 ABT Music

(Vallecitos Mountain Retreat Center) Guided Loving-kindness instruction after a brief description of the potential of the Brahmaviharas in daily life.

(Vallecitos Mountain Retreat Center) Guided Loving-kindness instruction after a brief description of the potential of the Brahmaviharas in daily life.

(Gaia House)

(Gaia House)

(Gaia House)

Episode #535: “Meditation kind of lost its traditional sense of going really deep to finding Nibbana,” says David Johnson, a longtime practitioner and senior teacher at the Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center, describing what he sees as a drift away from the Buddha's original intention. Johnson has always had an interest in spirituality. He joined his first retreat in his teens, and at nineteen, he left college to follow his teacher, the monastic Sujata, to the Still Point Meditation Center in California. He cooked, cleaned, and lived among young seekers there for years in what he remembers as a “golden era,” when teachers like Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield, and Munindra passed through. After Still Point closed, Johnson entered the emerging world of Silicon Valley. Fast forward a number of years, and he learned that a Bhante Vimalaramsi was trying to find him. He found out that this monastic had been a lay acquaintance long ago at Still Point, and who had since become a monk after extensive training in Asia. Visiting him in Missouri, Johnson encountered a method centered on relaxation, kindness, and direct reliance on the suttas. He eventually left his tech career to join Dhamma Sukha, convinced that this approach preserved what the Buddha actually taught about the mind's capacity for liberation. Meditation at Dhamma Sukha is based in the Brahmaviharas, and taught as a gentle, natural process grounded in relaxation rather than force. The emphasis is on tranquilizing bodily and mental tension, allowing awareness to open easily, and letting the mind move through increasingly calm states without strain, effort, or suppression. Johnson says that neuroscience is validating the higher states that meditators in that tradition can reach. He ends by affirming his confidence in the Buddha's path and the transformation it brings. “There is a way out of suffering!” he affirms, expressing the same hope for others that began his own journey.

5 May 2026 Venerable Ananda joins the Armadale Meditation Group online live.  Armadale Meditation Group (AMG) teaches you about meditation. The classes generally begin with chanting the Metta Sutta, meditation instructions, meditating together, asking questions, and, if time allows, a Dhamma talk. These weekly Tuesday night teachings are via Zoom from Bodhinyana or Dhammasara Monastery. For the AMG zoom link and more details: https://bswa.org/location/armadale-meditation-group/ Support us on: https://ko-fi.com/thebuddhistsocietyofwa BSWA teachings are available:  BSWA Teachings BSWA Podcast Channel BSWA DeeperDhamma Podbean Channel BSWA YouTube

Host Michael Taft interviews meditation teacher Wystan about teaching awakening outside a strict lineage framework, cultural translation of Buddhist practice, why awakening does not “come with a Buddhist label,” the tension between preserving traditional forms and adapting them for modern students, devotion as a powerful but often avoided dimension of practice, the heartbreak of compassion as barriers of separateness break down, the importance of turning toward suffering rather than distracting from it, gratitude and forgiveness as possible “neo-Brahmaviharas,” why shamatha and vipashyana training can prepare students for more direct nondual practices, and Wystan's encouragement that awakening is real, possible, and worth pursuing.Wystan is a meditation teacher threading together influences from training in Theravada, Zen, Vajrayana, Dzogchen, and Shinzen Young's systematic secular approach in service of awakening.Learn more at https://www.wystantbs.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

(Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge)

(Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge)

(Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge)

As many of you may have heard, we did have a fire at our Tassajara monastery, and the meditation hall burned down. I'll talk a little bit about what's going on there at the beginning of the meeting tonight. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and the fire was contained and did not spread beyond the meditation hall. Tonight's topic will be the second half of the Brahma Viharas: empathetic joy and equanimity.Tassajara Zendo Fire Late at night on March 26, a fire broke out in the Tassajara zendo. While no one was hurt, the entire building burned to the ground. To help keep the community informed, a blog post was created as a central source for information on the fire and where we are going from here. It will be updated with new information as it becomes available, including the impact on the Summer Guest Season and Summer Student Program. Deep bows of appreciation to all who have sent in their heartfelt condolences, memories, and donations. Visit the Tassajara Zendo Fire Blog Updates. Fire Donation Bramaviharas - part 2 empathetic joy and equanimity Young Urban Zen

How can we maintain a compassionate heart in a world defined by conflict? Sean Feit Oakes shows us how we can use the Brahma Viharas—the "immeasurable" states of love, compassion, joy, and equanimity— to provide an internal sanctuary from the "poisons" of greed and hatred. He explains that the Buddha taught these practices as the essential foundation for wisdom, inviting us to radiate a boundless friendliness that offers an escape from suffering within our own hearts.Using the story of the "wounded king" Ajata Satu, Sean illustrates how even those burdened by terrible past actions can find solace through ethical living and metta (friendliness). He suggests transforming our "inheritance of toxicity" by leading with warmth in all areas of life:Universal Friendliness: Bringing a "benevolent" heart to every mundane interaction.Compassion: Allowing the heart to "quiver" or shatter in response to suffering rather than turning away.The Difficult Person: Wishing ease even for those who cause harm, acknowledging their basic desire for happiness.Self-Kindness: Shifting one's internal dialogue to be tender and supportive—even calling oneself "sweetheart"—during difficult inner work.By invoking this "boundless" friendliness, Sean argues that we can heal our own internal karma and ripple that change out into the community.______________Sean Feit Oakes, PhD (he/him, queer, Puerto Rican & English ancestry, living on unceded Pomo land in NorCal), teaches Buddhism and somatic practice focusing on the integration of meditation, trauma resolution, and social justice. He received teaching authorization from Jack Kornfield, and wrote his dissertation on extraordinary states in Buddhist meditation and experimental dance. He teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, East Bay Meditation Center, Insight Timer, and locally. See SeanFeitOakes.com ______________  To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/There you can:   Donate  Learn how to participate live  Find our schedule of upcoming speakers  Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy over 900 recorded talks dating back to 1995CREDITSAudio Production: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

(Barre Center for Buddhist Studies)

(Parayana Vihara) A Dhamma perspective on how we got to where we are right now in the world, and how we might use the Brahma Viharas to meet these times with greater skill.

(Parayana Vihara) A Dhamma perspective on how we got to where we are right now in the world, and how we might use the Brahma Viharas to meet these times with greater skill.

(Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center) In the receptive awareness style of practice taught by Sayadaw U Tejaniya, people often ask how the Brahma Viharas fit in to the practice. This talk describes several ways the BVs connect with this style of practice.

(Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center) In the receptive awareness style of practice taught by Sayadaw U Tejaniya, people often ask how the Brahma Viharas fit in to the practice. This talk describes several ways the BVs connect with this style of practice.

(Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center) In the receptive awareness style of practice taught by Sayadaw U Tejaniya, people often ask how the Brahma Viharas fit in to the practice. This talk describes several ways the BVs connect with this style of practice.

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) Describing the Relationship Between Metta, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, and Equanimity.

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) Describing the Relationship Between Metta, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, and Equanimity.

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) Describing the Relationship Between Metta, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, and Equanimity.

How can we cultivate a heart that remains open and loving regardless of the external circumstances we face? In this talk, Sean Feit Oakes explores the Brahma Viharas, also known as the "divine abodes" or states of the heart, as a comprehensive framework for answering this question. He explains that while the Buddha is often associated with wisdom, these practices of love are foundational for both laypeople and monastics to access extraordinary states of consciousness. He describes these four qualities not as separate entities, but as the "song" love sings depending on the context it encounters:Loving-kindness (Metta): The quintessential quality of friendliness and unbounded, impersonal love.Compassion (Karuna): What happens when loving-kindness encounters suffering and pain.Empathic Joy (Mudita): Also referred to as "celebration," this is love encountering well-being or beauty.Equanimity (Upekkha): A balanced, resting state of love that exists beyond specific objects or conditions, helping to prevent love from turning into grasping.Sean weaves together diverse influences, from the devotional lineage of Neem Karoli Baba to modern poetry, to illustrate how a dedicated practice of love can cut through everyday neuroses and anxiety. He emphasizes that love inevitably brings us into contact with both beauty and the "heartbreak" of the world's suffering, yet it remains the primary vehicle for healing and waking up. Drawing on the Kalama Sutta, he encourages listeners to test these practices for themselves through direct experience rather than blind faith. He invites us to "turn on" the quality of love within the heart and allow it to lead one's movements and perceptions in daily life, suggesting that communities moving from a place of love have the power to ripple out and change the world.______________Sean Feit Oakes, PhD (he/him, queer, Puerto Rican & English ancestry, living on unceded Pomo land in NorCal), teaches Buddhism and somatic practice focusing on the integration of meditation, trauma resolution, and social justice. He received teaching authorization from Jack Kornfield, and wrote his dissertation on extraordinary states in Buddhist meditation and experimental dance. He teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, East Bay Meditation Center, Insight Timer, and locally. See SeanFeitOakes.com ______________  To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/There you can:   Donate  Learn how to participate live  Find our schedule of upcoming speakers  Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy over 900 recorded talks dating back to 1995CREDITSAudio Production: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

(Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center) Evening chanting of the Suffusion of the Brahmaviharas followed by toning with Sabra on the shruti box

Asoka and I explore identity, self-exploration, and a 120-day Peace Walk by Buddhist monastics promoting inner peace and compassion. We emphasize themes like non-duality, ethical practice, and the importance of inner peace as a foundation for external harmony, alongside challenges in modern society, including technology and political conflicts.

Explaining how the four immeasurables are taken as objects for cultivating serenity and dhyanas in the Pali tradition, teaching from Chapter 9.

A talk by Thanissaro Bhikkhu entitled "The Brahmaviharas Aren't Enough"

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center)

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center)

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center)

01/07/2026, Sozan Michael McCord, dharma talk at City Center. Sozan Michael McCord explores how waiting is not necessarily patience. And it is not a passive default. In this talk, the subject of patience is explored as one of the Buddhist "paramitas" (perfections) that are both fruits of practice and an area of one's life that is actively cultivated.

This talk was given by Gil Fronsdal on 2026.01.05 at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA. ******* A machine generated transcript of this talk is available. It has not been edited by a human, so errors will exist. Download Transcript: https://www.audiodharma.org/transcripts/24304/download ******* For more talks like this, visit AudioDharma.org ******* If you have enjoyed this talk, please consider supporting AudioDharma with a donation at https://www.audiodharma.org/donate/. ******* This talk is licensed by a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License

This talk was given by Gil Fronsdal on 2026.01.05 at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA. ******* A machine generated transcript of this talk is available. It has not been edited by a human, so errors will exist. Download Transcript: https://www.audiodharma.org/transcripts/24304/download ******* For more talks like this, visit AudioDharma.org ******* If you have enjoyed this talk, please consider supporting AudioDharma with a donation at https://www.audiodharma.org/donate/. ******* This talk is licensed by a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) An overview of Equanimity: why it holds a special place in all the qualities of mind, its relationship to the other 3 Brahma Viharas and how it is cultivated.

(Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge)

(Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge)

(Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge)

This week-ahead reading for Oct 20-26, 2025 is an excerpt from this week's⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Somatic Space class⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Renee Sills. For the full-length forecast and embodied practice for this week,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠purchase the recording here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. In this week's session, we engaged in seated meditation with the Brahmaviharas, or the four immeasurables, as points of contemplation for what, to Renee, feel like the most healing potentials of Libran energy in their guidance on equanimity, compassion, loving-kindness, and joy for others. 

10/11/2025, Shosan Victoria Austin, dharma talk at City Center. Shosan Victoria Austin teaches that we can deepen our understanding of the causes and cures of dispute, and practice with a unifying value of kindness that has the power to transform our conflicts to occasions for mutual curiosity, intimacy, and growth.

In this episode Jennifer Wang gives a dharma talk on boundaries and how they relate to the brahma viharas (loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity). Enjoy!  Wild Heart Meditation Center in a non-profit Buddhist community based in Nashville, TN. https://www.wildheartmeditationcenter.orgDONATE: If you feel moved to support WHMC financially please visit:https://www.wildheartmeditationcenter.org/donateFollow Us on Socials!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildHeartNashville/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildheartnashville/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wildheartmeditation

08/17/2025, Doshin Dan Gudgel, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Doshin Dan Gudgel explores how feeling the preciousness of life can support deep practice, kindness and gentleness.

09/10/2025, Doshin Dan Gudgel, dharma talk at City Center. Doshin Dan Gudgel discusses gratitude and devotional practices, using his personal altars as examples, and reading “The Angel Handed Me a Book” by Paul Valéry.

07/13/2025, Gengyoko Tim Wicks, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Gengyoko Tim Wicks explores cultivating joyful energy in times of crisis, with reference to Eihei Dogen Zenji and the Dhammapada.