Podcasts about Dharma talk

We are, by nature, discriminating beings. We develop taste — for art, food, fashion, architecture. We learn to tell what is real from what is imitation, what is durable from what is fleeting. We become connoisseurs of culture, cuisine, aesthetics.   So what happens when that same discriminating capacity is turned inward?   This is what yogic philosophy demands. It says: if you can be discerning with worldly things, how much more precious — how much more urgent — is it to become a connoisseur of consciousness?   Instead of savoring flavors, we savor states of mind. Instead of curating experiences, we curate clarity. Instead of acquiring possessions, we acquire purity — śuddhi. And instead of merely enjoying the world, we seek to understand the enjoyer — the bhoktā — and realize its unity with the impeller, preritā.   The Yoga Sūtras speak of viveka-khyāti — the dawning of discriminative wisdom — as the final stage before liberation (YS 2.26–2.28). This viveka is not cynicism, nor cold analysis. It is the ability to discern puruṣa from prakṛti, the eternal from the transient, the seer from the seen.   Haṭha Yoga trains the body and prāṇa to become instruments of precision. But the real fruit of yogic effort is the flowering of this inner viveka: the clear, unmistakable knowledge of who we are and what we are not.   And this is where the teachings of the Upaniṣads and the Gītā converge: in showing us how to become refined enjoyers — not those trapped by the senses, but those who, through purification, become capable of tasting the divine in everything.   The yogin becomes, in this light, not a renouncer of life, but its most discerning participant — one who recognizes the unity of all three and acts accordingly, with wisdom, love, and purpose.   So let us ask ourselves: in the vast buffet of worldly things, we often become sophisticated. Can we become as refined, as nuanced, as discerning in the domain of the sacred?   Let us become connoisseurs of the spirit — cultivating taste not only for truth, but for the way it reveals itself subtly, mysteriously, intimately — in the breath, in silence, in scripture, and in selfless action.   To know Brahman, the Upaniṣad says, is to know everything worth knowing. That knowledge is not collected. It is tasted.   And the one who tastes it, becomes — śuddhir bhoktā — the purified enjoyer of the eternal.   Practice LIVE with me exclusively on Omstars! Start your journey today with a 7-day free trial at omstars.com.   Limited time Offer: Sign up for an Omstars+ membership and Get my FREE course: Ashtanga Mechanics. Sign up Here!   Stay connected with us on social @omstarsofficial and @kinoyoga Practice with me in person for workshops, classes, retreats, trainings and Mysore seasons. Find out more about where I'm teaching at kinoyoga.com and sign up for our Mysore season in Miami at www.miamilifecenter.com

2025 07 15 | Dharma Talk | Way Seeking Mind | Sarah Webb by Appamada

In this talk, David explores the depth and application of this teaching to our modern lives. He notes, “We often do not appreciate that the three poisons is a profound

Recorded on April 27, 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!

Reverend Keizan Shaffer gave this Dharma Talk on June 1st, 2025. In it, he explores the meaning of simply showing up and how preoccupation with self can get in the way. When fixated on acheiving certain results, getting things right or having it our way, we lose the flex and flow of life that unfolds just as it is. 

2025-07-08 | Dharma Talk | Living the Paramitas in Troubled Times | Ellen Hippard by Appamada

In the sacred journey of yoga, the figure of the guru—the teacher, the revealer—is not merely someone who instructs us in techniques. The guru is the light that removes darkness, the presence that dispels confusion, and the voice that calls us back to the Self. The Sanskrit word guru itself is formed from gu, meaning darkness, and ru, meaning remover. The guru is not the source of light—but the one who points us toward it, until we recognize it within.   Grace, or kṛpā, is not a transaction. It's not earned. It flows freely, when the heart becomes soft enough to receive it. The final verse of the Guru Stotram offers this reflection:   dhyānamūlaṁ guror mūrtiḥ pūjāmūlaṁ guror padam  mantramūlaṁ guror vākyam mokṣamūlaṁ guror kṛpā   The root of meditation is the Guru's form. The root of worship is the Guru's feet. The root of mantra is the Guru's words. And the root of mokṣa, liberation itself—is the Guru's grace.   This grace isn't limited to moments of instruction or dramatic realization. It flows in silence. It is in the way the teacher holds space. It is in the presence that awakens something long forgotten. It is in the unspoken transmission of śakti—spiritual energy—that begins to shift the very axis of the student's life.   This is the dance of grace and effort. The student bows, asks, serves—and the guru, moved by love, offers the truth that sets us free.   So what is our work as students, as seekers on this path? It is to recognize grace, to receive it with reverence, and to never forget that the true guru is not limited to any form. The ultimate guru-tattva lives in the heart of all beings—as śraddhā (faith), as viveka (discernment), as that subtle inner pull toward the light.   In honoring the guru, we honor the light of wisdom itself—formless, eternal, and infinitely compassionate.   Tasmai śrī gurave namaḥ — Salutations to that glorious Guru.   Practice LIVE with me exclusively on Omstars! Start your journey today with a 7-day free trial at omstars.com.   Limited time Offer: Sign up for an Omstars+ membership and Get my FREE course: Ashtanga Mechanics. Sign up Here!   Stay connected with us on social @omstarsofficial and @kinoyoga Practice with me in person for workshops, classes, retreats, trainings and Mysore seasons. Find out more about where I'm teaching at kinoyoga.com and sign up for our Mysore season in Miami at www.miamilifecenter.com

Recorded on May 10, 2025 at Boundless Mind Temple, NY. Guest Speaker, Willie Mukei Smith gave a powerful talk on based on the Bearing Witness to Racism Retreats in Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, asking what kind of people of "the way" are we going to be? We are honored to share a recording of his talk on our podcast Willie Mukei Smith is a Senior Student and Novice Zen Priest at The Village Zendo. He leads The People of Color Group at The Village Zendo and is a Member of the Buddhist Council NYC. Mukei is a Board Member of Zen Peacemakers International and leads Bearing Witness to Racism Retreats in Alabama. 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 May 3, 2025 at Boundless Mind Temple in Brooklyn, NY. The ground that we're on, all the time, is one that has wounds in it. There are bodies in it, there are stories in it, there are injuries in it, wherever we're moving.  The ground of our sangha has wounds in it. We're going along, we think we're fine, and then we trip, and there's a gash in the ground. Our country, this country, the ground of this country has wounds in it. Big holes, gaping gashes in it. (…) What if we become all about this? What if we become all about healing of these wounds in our sangha. What if that becomes the lighthouse? What if that becomes the compass?  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!

2025-05-25 | Dharma Talk | Maylie Scott Meets Loneliness | Joel Barna by Appamada

2025-05-18 | Dharma Talk | Vow and Joy | Jess, Liya and Darcy by Appamada

Finding the Silence that doesn't depend on conditions. Dharma Talk by Sensei John Pulleyn.  Automated Transcript The post Beyond Words and No Words appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

Dharma talk given by Ven. Geshe Lobsang Tseten, May 11, 2025. Music by Barefoot Bran Music.

"The Motherly Heart" is a Dharma Talk and brief guided meditation in honor of Mother's Day, that talks about the full spectrum of motherly love, and explores the difficulties that many experience on this holiday and how our practice can transform that suffering. I hope you will find value in this offering. Enjoy!https://www.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) Meditation & Dharma Talk

"Fields are greener in their description than they are in their actual greenness." - Fernando Pessoa "Yes, we want to clarify the stories that are keeping us separate and maybe causing harm for ourselves and others. That doesn't mean that we don't need stories that support community that keep us in touch with ancestors that help us make meaning of the world. I think Pessoa is talking about the power of our descriptive faculty, our imagination to make meaning of greenfield that we experience. So I want to lift up both of those aspects of stories." "I started thinking about what is the power of community at this moment, when there are so many forces that are driving us to isolation and being siloed. I enter into a situation with my own description of "the field" in a community like this where we share an intention, and I can have that description of the field bounce up and open up to your descriptions of the field. Simultaneously in those moments, I am shown how I create my own world and I can feel like the suffering of my own grasping onto my idea of the field. There's also a relief and wonder in the realization that I'm involved intimately involved in the creation and expression of worlds. And then collectively, I can imagine there's a field of possibility that gets plugged into the context of a community like this. That feels really necessary and powerful at this moment." Texts referred to: Fernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet. Genjokoan text from Dogen Zenji Recorded at Millerton Zendo in Millerton NY on April 6, 2025. 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!

You don't me to tell you that the world as we know it is burning to the ground. This makes teaching yoga hard, important and strange. A few episodes back I answered the question, “Should we talk about current events in our yoga classes?” By essentially saying, “maybe… but most likely YES.” In that episode I talked about how important it was to have an understanding and point of view about what the yoga teachings would say about current events. I received a ton of great feedback about that episode, and also a lot of questions. So we are diving deeper into those questions with my friend Hari-Kirtana Das.  Hari-kirtana das (he/him)  is a yoga teacher, spiritual mentor, and the author of two books on yoga philosophy: Journey Into the Bhagavad Gita: A Guide to Exploring Timeless Principles of Transcendental Knowledge and Integrating Them Into Your Life and In Search of the Highest Truth: Adventures in Yoga Philosophy.  Hari has been practicing devotional and other yogic disciplines for over 40 years, has lived in yoga ashrams and intentional spiritual communities, worked for Fortune 500 companies and Silicon Valley start-ups, and brings a wide range of spiritual knowledge and life experience to his classes, workshops, and presentations. He's on the faculty of numerous Yoga Teacher Training programs, offers live online workshops and courses throughout the year, and his mission is to illuminate the many ways in which the yoga wisdom tradition can guide us toward meaningfully transformative spiritual experiences. In this episode, you'll hear: why it makes sense for yoga teachers to talk about current events and politics in class how  teachers can start to make the connections between current events and yoga philosophy Hari's formula for delivering a great dharma talk ideas to help teachers integrate philosophy into asana class And stay tuned for Part 2 of this conversation coming soon! Learn More From Hari-kirtana Das: Hari-kirtana das' website Hari-kirtana das on Facebook and Instagram Hari-kirtana das' book Journey Into the Bhagavad Gita Free Dharma Talk EBook Free Community Conversations On-Demand Workshops and Other Free Resources This episode is brought to you by OfferingTree, an easy-to-use, all-in-one online platform for yoga teachers that provides a personal website, booking, payment, blogging, and many other great features. If you sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor, you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan)!  OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up. I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) Meditation & Dharma Talk

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) Meditation & Dharma Talk

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) Meditation & Dharma Talk

In this episode of The Blooming Spirit Podcast, Nola Bloom explores the sacred stillness found in the pause between breaths, thoughts, and moments. Drawing from yogic philosophy and her own teachings, she guides us into awareness of the four parts of the breath—inhalation, exhalation, and the two quiet pauses in between. Through a gentle dharma talk and a calming guided meditation, discover how the space between becomes a gateway to presence, integration, and inner peace.

In this talk, David explores the idea of refuge. To take refuge is to run away to a hiding place…Is that what we should do? Please consider supporting Mountain Cloud

Zen is a practice to deeply explore and fully live our true Self. Might the Koan about the stone deep down in the sea of Ise be a helpful pointer

Dharma Talk given Sunday, May 4, 2025.

2025-05-04 | Dharma Talk | The Wholehearted Way | Sandra Medina Bocangel by Appamada

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) Meditation & Dharma Talk

(Gaia House)

Recorded on March 16, 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!

The intersection of mindfulness and the Bodhisattva practice of patience, as a physical, somatic practice. Recorded at Millerton Zendo in Millerton NY on March 2, 2025. 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!

2025-04-27 | Dharma Talk | oy and Practice | Jess by Appamada

(Uncontrived)

(Uncontrived)

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - ZMM - 4/25/25 - Skillful means, “Upaya,” are forms that the teachings take throughout our practice. How do we take up everything, including the edges that appear, rather than fight against them? How do we use our practice to explore and expand our capacity to be alive, fulfilled, and responsive to the world? - Dharma Talk during the Apple Blossom Sesshin 2025 Fusatsu Ceremony.

In this talk, Shana takes us right into “don't know mind” as a portal to discovering our true nature and the freedom inherent in simply being alive. By tasting this

Monday 14th April 2025 Monday Night Meditation at the Cambodian Buddhist Society of WA (CBSWA) with Ajahn Kassapa. These weekly teachings give an introduction into meditation and some guidance and basics into the practice of the Buddhist Path. They usually consist of a short talk, thirty minute meditation and then questions & answers. Chapters     00.00.00    Metta Sutta     00:03:53    Meditation     00:39:00    Dharma Talk     01:08:05    Blessing Chant     01:11:35    Close If you wish to support the BSWA, please use this link Ko-Fi BSWA teachings are available from: · BSWA Teachings · BSWA Podcast Channel · BSWA DeeperDhamma Podbean Channel · BSWA YouTube Teaching retrieved from CBSWA please visit to find out how to attend the monastery in person.

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!

April 2025 Sesshin, Day 2 A commentary on Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away (Ajahn Chah). High ideals and daily frustrations- a story; Comments on Ajahn Chah's meditation instructions; and Keep at it. Dharma Talk by Ven. Trueman Taylor.  Automated Transcript The post Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

April 2025 Sesshin, Day 1 Commentary on Throw Yourself into the House of Buddha (Tangen Harada Roshi) and Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away (Ajahn Chah). Tips on zazen posture & practice; Working with pain in sesshin; Biography of Ajahn Chah; Comments on impermanence and practice. Dharma Talk by Ven. Trueman Taylor.  Automated Transcript The post Throw Yourself into the House of Buddha appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

Monday 07th April 2025 Monday Night Meditation at the Cambodian Society of WA (CBSWA) with Venerable Kassapa. These weekly teachings give an introduction into meditation and some guidance and basics into the practice of the Buddhist Path. They usually consist of a short talk, thirty minute meditation and then questions & answers. Chapters     00.00.00    Metta Sutta     00:03:45    Meditation     00:35:30    Dharma Talk     01:02:45    Blessing Chant     01:05:00    Close If you wish to support the BSWA, please use this link Ko-Fi BSWA teachings are available from: · BSWA Teachings · BSWA Podcast Channel · BSWA DeeperDhamma Podbean Channel · BSWA YouTube Teaching retrieved from CBSWA please visit to find out how to attend the monastery in person.

In this early spring talk, Valerie turns to the way of awakening, discovered and explored as this world – in the midst – just as it is. Not-two. The talk

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) Meditation & Dharma Talk

Monday 31st March 2025 Monday Night Meditation at the Cambodian Society of WA (CBSWA) with Venerable Kassapa. These weekly teachings give an introduction into meditation and some guidance and basics into the practice of the Buddhist Path. They usually consist of a short talk, thirty minute meditation and then questions & answers. Chapters     00.00.00    Metta Sutta     00:03:15    Meditation     00:36:32    Dharma Talk     01:05:05    Blessing Chant     01:07:21    Close If you wish to support the BSWA, please use this link Ko-Fi BSWA teachings are available from: · BSWA Teachings · BSWA Podcast Channel · BSWA DeeperDhamma Podbean Channel · BSWA YouTube Teaching retrieved from CBSWA please visit to find out how to attend the monastery in person.

Monday 24th March 2025 Monday Night Meditation at the Cambodian Society of WA (CBSWA) with Bhante Saddhavihari. These weekly teachings give an introduction into meditation and some guidance and basics into the practice of the Buddhist Path. They usually consist of a short talk, thirty minute meditation and then questions & answers. Chapters     00.00.00    Introduction     00:02:19    Metta Sutta     00:05:18    Dharma Talk     00:14:36    Meditation     00:41:49    Dharma Talk continues     00:48:58    Blessing Chant     00:51:21    Close If you wish to support the BSWA, please use this link Ko-Fi BSWA teachings are available from: · BSWA Teachings · BSWA Podcast Channel · BSWA DeeperDhamma Podbean Channel · BSWA YouTube Teaching retrieved from CBSWA please visit to find out how to attend the monastery in person.