Undefended Dharma with Mary Stancavage (Mary Stancavage)
Explore every episode of Undefended Dharma with Mary Stancavage
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07 Feb 2022 | It's All In the Mind | 00:23:44 | |
When we get overwhelmed or caught up in all the things going on in our lives, the Buddhist teaching of papañca, or proliferation of thought, is a wonderful way to bring ourselves back to the present. It's extraordinary how we carry so much around, yet most of it is simply in our minds and if we make the effort to let go, there will be a spaciousness that allows us to work with each moment as it comes - not everything all at once. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 15 Feb 2022 | It's All Real | 00:30:22 | |
The concept of samvega in Buddhism means that we come face to face with the realization that often we're stuck in attachment and aversion and ignorant of the true nature of existence. It can be a shocking wake-up call, but if we are willing to embrace the truth of impermanence and cultivate a kind and loving heart it will lead to clarity and confidence as we move through our lives. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 21 Feb 2022 | A Wise Heart | 00:28:24 | |
With a nod to Jack Kornfield's book of the same name, Mary discusses the luminous quality of the mind before it is dulled by all of our attachments. Wisdom is training the mind to wake up to be fully present to reality. This clarity allows for the blossoming of a kind and compassionate heart. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 26 Mar 2019 | Working with the Insanity of the World | 00:34:59 | |
Our world can seem upside down at times. In this talk Mary discusses how to hold the reality of what's going on. We can come to it both from a place of love, and a place of engagement. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 01 Mar 2022 | Feeling All the Feels | 00:28:07 | |
One more time the moments we're living through are extremely turbulent and it can be easy to be overcome with emotions. The practice the Buddha offered us is a way to be with the world it its ugliness and its beauty without being taken over. Mary discusses how to tend to the emotions that are present and to meet he world with kindness and compassion. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 08 Mar 2022 | The First Training Precept | 00:32:45 | |
Starting with this talk Mary will look at the Five Training Precepts. The Precepts are the Buddha's advice to lay people on how to live in harmony with the world. The first one asks us to not take a life intentionally, or cause harm. Implicit in this is an invitation to live a kind and compassionate life. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 14 Mar 2022 | Opening Up to Difficult Moments | 00:33:48 | |
FROM THE ARCHIVES: This talk, recorded almost five years ago, is still timely today. How do we deal the the excruciating moments that can happen in our lives? How do we deal with grief, loss, fear and so on with compassion and equanimity? Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 05 Apr 2019 | Working with the Defilements | 00:28:01 | |
The defilements are anything the clouds our mind and keeps us from being present with what actually is. Mary discusses how to work with these negative mind states. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 22 Mar 2022 | The 2nd and 3rd Training Precepts | 00:35:47 | |
The 2nd Precept is not to take what is not freely offered and the 3rd is to avoid sexual misconduct. In these teachings and admonitions, the Buddha was able to touch into behaviors that cause so much harm and suffering in our world. Mary discusses the broad invitation of these precepts and how to use them to move into a practice of generosity, honesty and equanimity. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 29 Mar 2022 | The 4th Training Precept | 00:36:01 | |
The 4th Precept is about being wise and careful not only with our speech, but with all our communications. In this day and age of instant connection it's especially imperative that we bring awareness and kindness to our interactions with others. Mary discusses the Buddha's teachings on this and applies them to our modern experience. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 11 Apr 2019 | Love Really Is the Answer | 00:38:40 | |
The Buddha said that hatred never ceases through hatred, but only through love. But this is so much easier said than done. This talk examines what keeps us from experiencing this love for ourselves and others and how we cultivate it in a challenging world. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 04 Apr 2022 | The Fifth Training Precept | 00:19:16 | |
The fifth and final of the lay precepts is about avoiding alcohol and drugs that lead to heedlessness. Mary discusses the differing viewpoints on this precept as well as how we can expand it out to include all the things we might ingest that lead to being mindless which can lead to causing harm to ourselves or others. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 11 Apr 2022 | The Brahma Viharas | 00:32:57 | |
Most of us are familiar with the traditional way the Brahma Viharas, or heart practices, are taught. However the usual phrases and categories of people we offer loving kindness, compassion, and joy to are first seen in the commentaries, not in the earlier suttas, or discourses. There, the Buddha offers a different way to embody these beautiful qualities and in this talk Mary discusses these teachings and how they can enrich our lives. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 18 Apr 2019 | Heart Practices - The Near Enemies | 00:34:02 | |
Each of the heart practices, lovingkindness, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity, have a what is called a near enemy. These are emotions or experiences that seem like they are the heart practices, but are neither beneficial or skillful. Mary discusses these and how to let these near, and far, enemies go. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 18 Apr 2022 | Joy | 00:32:36 | |
With the chaos in the world today it's really important that we don't lose sight of the joy that is available regardless of circumstances. In this talk Mary discusses the Buddha's teachings on joy and how to move towards it's awakening. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 25 Apr 2022 | You Don't Do the Dharma, the Dharma Does You | 00:26:15 | |
What does this even mean? What is the dharma? How do you do it? How does it do you? Mary reflects on this idea and how the practice, dedication to the teachings and the development of insight allow the dharma to work you. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 03 May 2022 | Don't Know Mind | 00:25:37 | |
If we can't let go of our preconceived notions or ideas, we're bound to stay stuck. The Buddha taught us to let go of our views and the teachings on 'don't know mind' or 'beginner's mind' address this help to address this and offers ways to get unstuck. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 26 Apr 2019 | Be a Buddha Not a Buddhist | 00:25:40 | |
The idea of what it means to be a Buddhist can be very rigid and not actually related to what the Buddha taught. Mary discusses letting go of this rigidity and using the Buddha's teachings to connect with our direct experience to move through the world in a wise and compassionate way. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 26 Apr 2019 | Living with an Undefended Heart | 00:30:01 | |
Recorded in February 2013, this is the first dharma talk in the Undefended Heart series. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 10 May 2022 | It's Tough Right Now | 00:18:02 | |
In this short talk Mary discusses the ongoing challenges of the world today and how we can utilize our practice to take care of ourselves. We need to watch our reactivity, be willing to step back, and take refuge in the sangha. How are you taking care of you? Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 17 May 2022 | Refuge in the Buddha | 00:29:56 | |
Taking refuge in the Buddha is part of what's known at the Triple Gem - Refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. In this talk Mary talks about how when we take refuge in the Buddha, we're taking refuge in awakening. The Buddha / Siddartha Gotama was a human being who was able to fully let go and become the Enlightened One. His teachings offer a way for each of us to move towards liberation. Taking refuge in the Buddha is an act of trust that this will work for us as well. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 24 May 2022 | The Brahma Viharas and the Undefended Heart | 00:41:48 | |
From the Archives: This talk is the second in the Undefended Heart series. Mary discusses how we can use the heart practices to chip away at the armor that has built up around our hearts and which keeps us from being fully present in our lives. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 30 May 2022 | 2022 and the Undefended Heart | 00:29:40 | |
The onslaught of violence, hatred, greed, and ignorance has been relentless and it's in these moments we ask how is it even possible to live with an undefended heart, and would we even want to. Mary discusses the challenges of today and how to use these teachings to be fully present and intimate with each moment, and to take care of ourselves. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 07 Jun 2022 | Why Love is So Important Right Now | 00:23:05 | |
Because the challenges we face these days are so daunting and seemingly endless, it is even more important to have love and connection as a foundation of both our practice and how we move through the world. In this talk Mary shows how the Buddha teaches that love must be a part of our practice and how we can bring it into our lives more fully. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 13 Jun 2022 | Thoughts Are Not the Enemy | 00:21:24 | |
In this short talk, Mary reflects on the the statement that thoughts are not the enemy, although often we think they are. It's not the thoughts as much as our relationship to them that are what we need to look at. How do we recognize thoughts? How do we tell the difference between thoughts and thinking? How do we relate to all our experiences and sensations? The invitation in this practice is to let go of any adversarial relationship we have to experience. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 21 Jun 2022 | The Delusion of the Hindrances | 00:27:19 | |
The Buddha taught about the five hindrances as what gets in the way of our liberation. Although we may have memorized the list, recognizing the subtle ways they show up in our lives is another matter. Mary talks about recognizing them and seeing how they work to keep us trapped in delusion. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 03 May 2019 | Guarding the Sense Doors | 00:42:29 | |
Our entire experience is lived through our senses and often we don't pay attention to what we're taking in. The Buddha advises us to guard the sense doors in order to be clear in how we interact with the world. This mindfulness leads to greater equanimity and a wise relationship to our surroundings. It's especially important in this day of influencers and subtle propaganda. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 05 Jul 2022 | Liberation | 00:34:15 | |
The Buddha taught the nature of suffering and the end of suffering. Then end of suffering is liberation. In this talk Mary discusses what liberation can mean in our lives right now and how to see what is getting in our way. What do we have to let go of to get free and how do we go about it? Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 11 Jul 2022 | The Importance of Connection | 00:27:18 | |
The importance of connection cannot be overstated and we are currently in a time of deep division on so many levels. In this talk Mary discusses the ways we are disconnected and how we use the practice to cultivate empathy, compassion and connection. The Buddha's teaching offer practical insights in how to move through this world in deep recognition of our interconnectedness. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 19 Jul 2022 | Turning the Wheel of the Dharma | 00:27:48 | |
When the Buddha gave his first teaching after his Awakening it is thought of as when the wheel of the dharma was set in motion. The Buddha taught the middle way between the two extremes of sensual indulgence and asceticism. Mary talks about the middle way and the first core teachings of the Buddha. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 25 Jul 2022 | Don't Believe, Live | 00:19:53 | |
In a recent talk, dharma teacher Larry Ward mentioned living rather than believing. Mary spends time unpacking what this might mean and how one could go about just being present without ties to fixed views and beliefs. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 07 May 2019 | Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys - The Practice of Letting Go | 00:29:47 | |
Letting go is an important teaching because the Buddha said that clinging is suffering. Sounds simple but how do we do it? How do we identify where we cling, and what are the steps to let go? Mary discusses what that might look like in this podcast. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 07 May 2019 | Live as Though the Truth Were True | 00:32:58 | |
How do we see clearly and stay present with our direct experience? How do we know what is real and what is fabrication? How do we live as though the truth were true? Mary examines these questions and what the Buddha taught about being present for reality. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 01 Aug 2022 | The Experience of Impermanence | 00:29:27 | |
The Buddha taught that impermanence is one of the three characteristics of existence yet so many of us struggle against it or live in denial of this fact. However, allowing the awareness of this impermanence to be part of our day to day lives is quite liberating and lets us live each moment fully. Mary discusses how this shows up and how we can embody this important teaching. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 09 Aug 2022 | My Human Condition | 00:33:18 | |
The Buddha talked about the nature of existence - how there is birth, death, illness - the human condition in other words. In this talk Mary takes a very personal look at how the teachings of the Buddha as well as examples from neuroscience and even baseball, allow her to experience the human condition with equanimity and joy. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 16 Aug 2022 | Setting Intentions with Integrity and Compassion | 00:42:58 | |
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Wise intention is necessary on a path to liberation and it is important to insure that our intentions are grounded in integrity and compassion. Intentions are not always wise and can often be driven by greed and aversion. In this talk from 2018 Mary discusses how to insure we're moving forward with truly wise intentions. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 22 Aug 2022 | Grief and Loss | 00:30:35 | |
Grief and loss are an inescapable part of the human condition but we're not always ready or able to deal with these emotions. In this talk Mary invites us to identify these feelings and, using mindfulness practices, turn toward them with compassion. She shares her journey in learning how to move toward this intimacy with these difficult emotions. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 30 Aug 2022 | Fourteen Years | 00:23:14 | |
Mary reflects on fourteen years of teaching a weekly dharma: where she and the world were in 2008, and the qualities of willingness, effort and determination which are necessary both for teaching a class and for growth and freedom in the practice. It's beneficial to check in with our spiritual practice every decade or so. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 05 Sep 2022 | All You Need is Love | 00:29:05 | |
In our world it seems that hate and anger are so prevalent it can feel overwhelming at times. As awful as that is, in our own lives, it's easy for us to slip into aversion and othering while finding it fully justified. In this talk Mary discusses the need to name love as a foundation of our practice. This foundation of love will allow us to fully open to the world and to ourselves, letting go of the need to other, and the need to create barriers. Turning towards love is the answer. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 13 Sep 2022 | The Path to Liberation | 00:31:41 | |
The Eightfold Path is what the Buddha offered as a path to liberation. In this talk Mary discusses the different factors with an invitation to find your way with them. Although the path is numbered 1-8, it's not linear. You can work with any or all of the factors at any time especially since they support each other. They grow in meaning and subtlety the more you practice. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 20 Sep 2022 | Meditation: Being in the Now | 00:29:40 | |
A guided meditation on being in the now. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 20 Sep 2022 | Dukkha Dukkha Dukkha | 00:29:28 | |
The Pali word dukkha is usually translated as suffering, but it can mean so many other things, including not being okay with the way things are. In this talk, Mary discusses the various understandings of the word and invites us to see how dukkha shows up in our life. We have to recognize it and be with it in order to let it go. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 27 Sep 2022 | Karma and Choice | 00:23:34 | |
Karma is often thought to be what happens to us if we do something bad. Instead karma in the Buddhist sense means action. In each moment we have the opportunity to move in a direction which takes us away from suffering and shift karma. In this talk Mary discusses the choice we have to break out of conditioning and move mindfully, and with intention, towards liberation. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 03 Oct 2022 | Kindness | 00:27:32 | |
It's vital to be reminded of the importance of kindness as a practice and as an intention. It's easy to be abrupt, to get on with things, be driven by so many deadlines that connecting with kindness falls to the background. In this talk Mary discusses how our mindfulness practice allows us to connect with kindness for ourselves and for others, and how it is an antidote to the greed and ill-will so prevalent in the world today. The Buddha reminded us to be kind and it's something we should practice every day. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 11 Oct 2022 | Wisdom and Suffering | 00:27:04 | |
The Eightfold Path is the path away from being stuck in our conditioning which is often not very helpful and can even be harmful. It is a path towards liberation and awakening and Wise View is the first factor of the path and points the way. It invites us to recognize where we get stuck and to begin to move in a different direction - one of wisdom rather than ignorance. Mary discusses Wise View and how we can begin to see more clearly as we live our lives. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 18 Oct 2022 | Obstacles to Awakening | 00:32:09 | |
Many of us are familiar with the teaching of the five hindrances, but how do they manifest in our lives and keep us from liberation. Mary discusses the nuanced ways that craving, aversion, restlessness, dullness and doubt can show up, how to recognize them, and how to let them go as we move towards awakening. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 24 Oct 2022 | Being in the World | 00:19:52 | |
The Buddha talked about greed, hatred and ignorance as the three poisons which we can often recognize in our own lives. In this talk, Mary discusses how pervasive they are in the world at large and what we can do to work against them and uproot them where we see them. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 01 Nov 2022 | Doing Good in the World | 00:31:07 | |
In the Eightfold Path, Wise Action invites us not to kill or steal or cause harm with our sexuality, however it's much more than just abstaining from doing things. It's also about cultivating a compassionate way of being which remembers that we are working for the benefit of all beings, not just ourselves. In this talk, offered at the Insight Community of the Desert, Mary discusses this teaching and what it means in today's world. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 15 Nov 2022 | Start Where You Are | 00:26:12 | |
FROM THE ARCHIVES: The invitation to start where we are reminds us that our practice starts right here right now. What gets in our way today? Where are we stuck right now? That is where the work is - in the present moment because what else is there anyway? Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 21 Nov 2022 | Mindfulness: Right Here, Right Now | 00:41:55 | |
The 7th Factor of the Eightfold Path is Wise Mindfulness and it is a foundational piece of the practice and the "direct path to realization". In this talk Mary breaks down what mindfulness is and takes us through the four foundations leading to liberation and freedom from suffering and discontent. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 28 Nov 2022 | Grief and Gratitude | 00:28:19 | |
There is so much bearing down on this these days, from the violence and tragedy so rampant in the world today to the concerns in our own lives. We can experience grief, sadness and other difficult emotions yet it is important not to let them overwhelm us. Gratitude is an important practice to keep balance in our world. With gratitude we don't lose connection with what is good and kind and also remain open to the present moment. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 23 May 2019 | Desire and Craving | 00:30:12 | |
People often think that desire is a dirty word in Buddhism, but the teachings point to two distinct types of desire. Tanha is the desire that leads to craving. Chanda is the wholesome desire that leads to contentment and well-being. Mary discusses the difference between the two in this dharma talk. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 06 Dec 2022 | The Water We Swim In | 00:30:32 | |
Our conditioning is so deep and ingrained that we don't even know it exists. In this talk Mary discusses the importance of seeing reality vs our perception of reality and how that leads to wisdom and liberation. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 13 Dec 2022 | Awakening, Volition and Neuroscience | 00:32:01 | |
In this talk Mary weaves together thoughts on the Buddha's awakening, volition and karma and the impact of meditation and mindfulness on the brain. The wisdom of the Buddha is still so clear 2600 years after he lived and presents us with a path to liberation that is accessible to all. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 20 Dec 2022 | Exploring Family Relationships | 00:23:08 | |
We are conditioned beings and the experiences we have in our families of origin are some of the most impactful we have. Often we don't even realize how powerful they were or how much we are influenced by what happened years ago. Additionally, our current relationships with family can be fraught with challenges that go back decades. How does the practice help us to navigate these relationships and how does it help us to disentangle from the conditioning that may not be very beneficial. In this talk Mary discusses how we can move towards healing and move towards freedom from old stories. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 26 Dec 2022 | Darkness and Light | 00:23:21 | |
At the Winter Solstice Mary reflects on the invitation to be with the darkness as well as the light. We may prefer one over the other, but we cannot do without either. How to be with each with friendliness and compassion is the practice. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 03 Jan 2023 | Rest in Being | 00:23:51 | |
Sati is usually translated as mindfulness but can also mean 'be with'. In this talk Mary reflects on the practice of resting in being - to be with each moment as it comes. It means letting go of our preconceived ideas and notions on how things should be, or should have been. Willingness and guarding the sense doors are how we move towards the equanimity we get when we rest in being. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 09 Jan 2023 | Walking Towards Awakening | 00:26:11 | |
How did each of us get started on this path of awakening, of meditation, of awareness? As Mary reflected on these questions she found that the Buddha's teaching on the Five Spiritual Faculties invites us into practice and offers us the tools to stay on our continuing journey towards wisdom. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 16 Jan 2023 | Three Dimensions of a Complete Life | 00:26:24 | |
After attending an interfaith event celebrating the Rev Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, Mary was inspired to look at how several faiths have so much in common in working towards ending suffering and supporting justice. Using Dr. King's talk on the Three Dimensions of a Spiritual Life, she reflects on how similar it is to the Buddha's teachings in the Eightfold Path especially sila. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 23 Jan 2023 | The Simplicity of Ajahn Chah | 00:28:32 | |
Our modern world has seen the glorification of experts in all fields and Buddhism is no exception to this. In this talk Mary juxtaposes the idea of expert and their rarefied knowledge to the wisdom, clarity and simplicity of Thai Forest Master Ajahn Chah's teachings. Ajahn Chah made the dharma accessible to anyone, maybe not easy, but simple. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 31 Jan 2023 | Greetings | 00:03:00 | |
After a week on retreat and no class or dharma class to upload as a podcast, Mary sends a few words of greeting to everyone listening with a reminder of compassion and care. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 07 Feb 2023 | Greet Everything with Compassion | 00:29:29 | |
Mary shares some of the teachings from the recent retreat she attended: greeting everything with compassion, discerning skillful and unskillful thoughts and responses, and the Buddha's invitation to go forth and care for the world. And then she shared how she tried to makes sense of these teachings when getting home and hearing about the violence, mass shootings and murder of Tyre Nichols. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 14 Feb 2023 | We Are of a Nature | 00:23:27 | |
The Buddha's teachings on the Five Remembrances invite us to deeply connect with our mortality and the mortality of all beings. It's a challenging reflection and what that is energetically denied by our society. How do we make peace with impermanence and fully embrace the human condition? Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 02 Jun 2019 | In the Moment | 00:33:15 | |
Our lives move from one thing to the next so quickly sometimes and slowly at others. Being with our experience is what the Buddha's teachings are all about. In this talk, Mary talks about all the things arising in the week: Brené Brown, Nonviolence, Intuitive Awareness and the Four Noble Truths among other things. Right now, it's like this. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 21 Feb 2023 | A Foundational Heart Practice | 00:23:34 | |
The Buddha's teachings on giving and generosity were clear - there is no liberation without it. If we knew how important it was we would not cling to anything. But we live in a society that tells us there is never enough which breeds craving and selfishness, whether conscious or not. This talk invites us to recognize what giving and generosity look like, and how to cultivate it as we walk through our lives. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 28 Feb 2023 | Snow Distractions | 00:06:26 | |
A brief reflection on how easily we're distracted from what our actual experience is by focusing on something out there. A blizzard during a retreat is a good way to recognize how this can show up. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 07 Mar 2023 | Distractions and Habit Energies | 00:31:07 | |
In this talk Mary discusses two ways the mind drags us away from being present for our experience, especially if it's something unpleasant or uncomfortable. Distractions and habit energies often work together to keep us on a path of craving and aversion and far away from freedom. Identifying our habits of mind and developing a willingness to let go is of paramount importance for our journey towards freedom. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 14 Mar 2023 | Women in Buddhism | 00:29:49 | |
Inspired by Women's Month, Mary talks about women in Buddhism going back to Mahapajapati, the first nun, and what women experience today. Buddhism is not immune from patriarchy and misogyny and a willingness to see where delusion lies is vital for the liberation of all beings. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 21 Mar 2023 | Death and Compassion | 00:22:18 | |
Every once in a while the reality of the human condition - of sickness, old age, and death - comes at us with full force. The question is always about how we greet the moment. In this talk Mary discusses the importance of wisdom and clarity and also about the compassion necessary to open our hearts to each moment. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 28 Mar 2023 | The Three Powers | 00:29:02 | |
Thought, word and deed: the Buddha talked about the importance of these three in how we communicate with the world. Teacher Larry Ward calls them the three powers. In this talk Mary discusses the necessity of paying attention to our thoughts because the impact on our lives is so meaningful and touches just about everything. You really want to be aware of something so powerful. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 04 Apr 2023 | Intention and the Paramis | 00:44:25 | |
Setting an intention is a wise and skillful way to move in a direction that takes us away from dukkha and towards liberation. The ten Paramis are qualities that Sylvia Boorstein calls the natural inclination of the heart. In this talk Mary discusses how the Paramis can serve as a beautiful container for our intention and a way to greet our day to day experiences with wisdom and compassion. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 18 Apr 2023 | Life Teaches Us How to Live It | 00:24:18 | |
This talk is an invitation to turns towards reality and the truth of our existence in order to move toward liberation. Reality is always present but we are trapped in our perceptions and viewpoints which may not necessarily be the best for us and may even be harmful. As Ayya Anandabodhi says, "The more we're attuned to the truth of the way things are, the more clear things are, the more okay things are, even in the most difficult situations." This way lies freedom. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 24 Apr 2023 | Generosity of the Heart - Mudita | 00:32:45 | |
Being happy for other's happiness is one of the hardest practices but one that is essential for our liberation. Mudita, or appreciative joy, is one of the Brahma Viharas and teaches us a true generosity of the heart. Breaking free from the culture of competitiveness, judgement and othering, mudita allows us to experience the joy of others as our own. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 01 May 2023 | Available to Experience | 00:24:19 | |
The practice of meditation invites us to be available to every experience that shows up, but we have been conditioned all our lives to react in certain ways which means we're not available. We may not even realize that we're turning away particular experiences. In this talk Mary discusses how we pick and choose what we will and won't be present with and how to break down these barriers. Even if it's scary, there is tremendous freedom in openness and availability. How do you hide? Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 14 Jun 2019 | The Eight Worldly Winds - A Practice in Equanimity | 00:38:14 | |
The eight worldly winds come and go and impact everyone. Pleasure, pain, gain, loss, praise, blame, fame and disgrace are things we're all familiar with, but our tendency is to hold on to the pleasant ones and work very hard not to experience the unpleasant.The Buddha says that the wise know how to hold each of these without getting bowled over and Mary discusses how to be with whatever arises. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 08 May 2023 | Follow the Path of Liberation | 00:29:18 | |
We sometimes hear the statement that someone is being a good Buddhist or a bad Buddhist based on some action. But does the concept of good or bad Buddhist even exist? In this talk, Mary examines the invitation to be a Buddha rather than a Buddhist. The Buddha offered a path to follow which takes us away from suffering and towards liberation and it's a personal journey based on our own experiences. It's easy to fall into rigid viewpoints even about the practice, but it's always about letting go and being present. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 15 May 2023 | You Must Be Present to Win | 00:15:01 | |
In this short talk, Mary reflects on words of wisdom from various teachers all inviting us to be, stay and return to the present because there is no other path to liberation. Simple phrases from Jack Kornfield, Rick Hanson, Sayadaw U Tejaniya and even a tea bag, remind us to be right where we are. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 23 May 2023 | Recognizing Delusion | 00:28:32 | |
Along with Greed and Hatred, Delusion is considered one of the Three Defilements or Three Poisons, in Buddhist teachings. These three underlie so much of the suffering in the world and need to be rooted out in order to be free. Delusion may be the most challenging to see because we're so unaware of it and it masquerades as many other things. In this talk, Mary shows us how delusion shows up in our lives and how to find clarity and wisdom. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 29 May 2023 | The Relevancy of the Dharma | 00:21:20 | |
On the third anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, Mary reflects on how powerful the dharma can be as we greet the world as it is, and work to end injustice and harm where we find it. The Buddha's enlightenment offers us a path to end suffering for all. As Reggie Hubbard says, "If your offerings don't speak to the cries of the people, what are you doing?" How does your practice help you show up and do the work that needs to be done? Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 05 Jun 2023 | Freedom Through Mindfulness | 00:34:54 | |
Mindfulness meditation is so common these days that many of us take it for granted and miss the incredible importance of this practice on the path to liberation. Mary discusses each of the four foundations in the Buddha's wise teaching. It is a path that offers a way to be fully present in each moment and to live with clarity, wisdom and compassion. Spend some time with this simple, yet subtle practice. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 12 Jun 2023 | A Slippery Slope | 00:23:03 | |
In this talk, Mary reflects on the Buddha's instruction to his son Rahula about the importance of truthfulness. He says that once you're capable of lying, there is no evil you cannot commit. This is a strong statement but underlies the Buddha's teaching that being fully present with reality is the path to freedom. Lies and delusion are how we disconnect ourselves and others from the way things really are and should be avoided at all cost. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 19 Jun 2023 | A Short Reflection on Equanimity | 00:17:13 | |
Equanimity - it's a million dollar word, but what does it mean and how do we experience it? In this brief reflection, Mary talks about her favorite definition of equanimity - "a deep intimacy with our experience without preference" and what that means in our day to day lives. The Buddha's teachings offered equanimity a quality necessary for liberation and a way to peace in this moment. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 27 Jun 2023 | Don't Know, Let Go | 00:21:33 | |
The idea of Beginner's Mind, or Don't Know Mind is a useful practice in letting go of our preconceived ideas about the world and how things should be. When we get stuck in should, what if and if only, we get stuck in the dukkha of craving and aversion. The willingness to let go of those ideas and the humility to say, 'don't know' is the route to liberation. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 04 Jul 2023 | The Protection of Lovingkindness | 00:28:56 | |
The Buddha's teaching on lovingkindness, or metta, is not just about throwing magic pixie dust on others, but is about developing a way of being in the world which allows us to live without fear. We let go of self and other and move through the world with wisdom, clarity, ease and friendliness towards all. Mary explains how mindfulness practice is essential for this transformation and liberation. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 22 Jun 2019 | Guardians of the World | 00:30:33 | |
The Buddha described how a deep foundation of integrity can serve us on our path to liberation. Hiri and Otappa are the guardians of this integrity and Mary discusses what they are and how we cultivate them. Hiri safeguards our personal integrity and Otappa guides us as we interact with the world. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 11 Jul 2023 | Put Down the Stick of Self | 00:24:07 | |
In this episode, Mary discusses a teaching from Sister Clear Grace Dayananda, the Traveling Nunk, who spoke about putting down the stick of self. This stick is when we see everything through a personal lens, through our own stories and craving or aversions. This stick is a stick of dukkha, or suffering, and when we learn to recognize it or put it down, we taste the freedom of just being. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 18 Jul 2023 | No One Gets Out of Here Alive | 00:19:32 | |
As much as we try to outrun old age, sickness, and death, each of us subject to these truths. We live in a culture of denial and telling us we're not doing it right if we "let" any of these things happen. Instead, as the Buddha teaches, we recognize the truth of our existence and make peace with the reality of the human condition. How do we deny and how do we become familiar with our reality in this moment? How do we greet it all with compassion? This is important work for our liberation. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 24 Jul 2023 | A Little Awareness, A Little Emptiness, A Little No-Self | 00:27:41 | |
Inspired by Sayadaw U Tejaniya's teachings on awareness and experience, Mary reflects on how to use these teachings in our practice and in everyday life to keep us from getting wrapped up in stories about tomorrow and yesterday. Instead, we are grounded right here which enables the growth of wisdom and clarity and the diminishing of craving and aversion. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 01 Aug 2023 | Joy Joy Joy | 00:30:25 | |
It's seems that joy takes a backseat when things are difficult or messy. The critical voices take over and tell us that now is not the time. However, it absolutely is the time. In fact, joy is one of the Awakening Factors and vital for our liberation. In this talk Mary discusses how to have joy in difficult times and how not to confuse joy with outside pleasures. Deep gratitude to James Baraz and his Awakening Joy class. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 07 Aug 2023 | Be Careful of Your Legacy | 00:19:42 | |
Inspired by a quote from Lama Rod Owens, Mary reflects on what legacy might mean in a Buddhist context. How do you live in this moment? How do you impact the world around you? Each action is our legacy and the invitation is to practice for the benefit of all. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 27 Jun 2019 | Facing Your Demons | 00:32:36 | |
Not many of us are interested in facing our demons. In fact, we've developed all kinds of ways to distract ourselves from what is really going on. Unfortunately, the longer we ignore them, the longer they hang around. The Buddha offers us a way to turn towards what makes us uncomfortable and make peace with what scares us. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 14 Aug 2023 | Impermanence & Uncertainty | 00:27:26 | |
We all want to figure something out and be done; we want to live happily ever after. Unfortunately, the reality of existence is just the opposite: everything is impermanent and life is uncertain. This does not mean we are doomed to experience fear of loss and change, but instead the Buddha invites us to acknowledge the reality of this which in turn leads to freedom as we're no longer chasing the impossible. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 22 Aug 2023 | Holding Emotions | 00:20:11 | |
Reflecting on a few hectic days of multiple emotions, Mary discusses how we can recognize and hold them with 'kindfulness'. How do you greet the moment since there really is nothing else. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 28 Aug 2023 | Not Permanent, Not Perfect, Not Personal | 00:24:17 | |
Using this wisdom from Ruth King as a framework, Mary looks back at 15 years of teaching and her experience with impermanence, imperfection and things not being all about her. It's been a journey of integrating the teachings and finding a foundation in the dharma leading to freedom. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 04 Sep 2023 | Wrong View | 00:26:51 | |
The Vipallasa Sutta is the Buddha's Teachings on Wrong View, or the distortions of the mind. We are taught about Right View as part of the Eightfold Path, but how do we recognize when the mind is caught up in views or stories that may be far from reality and in fact, which may cause harm to ourselves and others. Recognizing both personal and larger scale wrong view is vital in move towards liberation for ourselves and for all beings. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 26 Sep 2023 | Continuity of Mindfulness | 00:11:16 | |
A brief reflection on the way the practice informs how we move through the world. Even during times when we can formally sit, awareness allows to be fully present for the moments we experience. Let it all in. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 03 Oct 2023 | Everything is in This Moment | 00:19:38 | |
Reflecting on the passage of time and also how life is contained in just this moment, Mary discusses how we can be present for both. Awareness allows us to see both the big picture of our lives and still be intimate with each moment and emotion as it arises. She also touches on the Nine Contemplations of Atisha which offer a wise way of reflecting on death and the human condition. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 09 Oct 2023 | Generosity, Patience, Metta | 00:34:15 | |
Mary looks at three qualities in the Paramis, Generosity, Patience and Metta, that will enable us to love unconditionally, and with an undefended heart. These qualities are within reach of all of us and can be cultivated to move towards a freedom in how we move through the world. We learn to treat ourselves and others with deep kindness and open heartedness. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 16 Oct 2023 | Deep Intimacy with our Experience | 00:32:16 | |
A deep intimacy with our experience without preference is the essence of equanimity, however it's difficult to accomplish especially in the current moment when, once again, there is so much violence, suffering, greed, hatred and ignorance. There is so much grief and anger to hold. How do we sit with what is? How do we make space and become intimate with our feelings? Mary offers the Buddha's teachings on mindfulness as a path to equanimity. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||
| 23 Oct 2023 | Living the Dharma in Difficult Times | 00:19:41 | |
Continuing the conversation from last week, Mary discusses ways to stay present in the face of tragedy and the challenging moments we're walking through. Continuity of mindfulness, guarding the sense doors, skillful means, continuity of compassion and seeking connection with others are ways we can be present for this moment with wisdom and kindness. Send me a text with any questions or comments! Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings. | |||