How? By inviting us to reframe our spiritual focus: true liberation doesn't come from trying to suppress negative emotions or forcing empty, feel-good affirmations, but from intentionally cultivating what is wholesome. Tom draws on Buddhist history, Mary Oliver's poetry, and his own experience recovering from a stroke to remind us that while evil and suffering are real, our brains are also hardwired with a "negativity bias"—acting like velcro for bad experiences and teflon for good ones. 

Additionally, when we fall into "survivor guilt" by believing that experiencing happiness during hard times is selfish or disloyal, we actually drain ourselves of the vitality needed to resist harm and care for others.

Tom offers several key insights and practices to help us counteract this bias and incline our minds toward genuine light and joy:

• Reframing Liberation: We learn that we aren't freed simply by turning away from greed, hatred, and delusion, but by actively cultivating wisdom, compassion, and love.
• Overcoming "Survivor Guilt": We recognize that letting ourselves experience happiness isn't an act of disloyalty to those who suffer, but a vital spiritual duty that preserves our well-being and capacity to serve.
• Taking in the Good: Guided by Rick Hanson's practice, we learn to linger on positive moments—such as the warmth of loved ones or supportive community—for at least 20 seconds so those feelings can truly register in our nervous system.
• Directing the Heart: We remember that we become whatever we focus on; by intentionally turning toward kindness, truth, and present-moment awareness, we anchor ourselves in an underlying stillness that outer turmoil cannot destroy.

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Tom Moon is a native San Franciscan who lives within walking distance of where he was born, with Craig Wenzl, his husband of 21 years. His engagement with Buddhism began in 1995 when he learned Vipassana and Metta meditation from Jack Kornfield. He is a psychotherapist who works primarily with gay men. and his professional commitment is exploring the interface between Buddhist practice and psychotherapy.

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Rather than an escape, a retreat serves as a vital "laboratory for daily life"—a container where the cloudy, stirred-up waters of our busy minds can finally settle so we can see the deep substrate beneath. By immersing ourselves in extended silence, noble heart practices, and simple daily rituals, we reconnect with a thousands-year-old lineage and experience the profound benefits of collective practice:

• Clearing Sensory Overload: Stepping back from constant stimulation allows our habitual mental chatter to quiet down, revealing clearer insights into how our minds work.
• Anchoring in Loving-Kindness (Metta): Focusing on simple phrases of goodwill—wishing that all beings be happy, healthy, safe, and free—transforms both sitting and walking meditation into a deep practice of love.
• Forging Deep, Silent Community: Sharing quiet meals, silent meditation, and heart-centered connection exercises builds an unseen bond of trust and intimacy across the Sangha without the strain of social performance.
• Transforming Everyday Moments: The clarity and patience we cultivate on retreat directly spill over into our ordinary lives, turning everyday delays—like waiting for the bus or sitting in traffic—into opportunities for mindfulness and generosity.

Ultimately, going on retreat gives us a powerful chance to "level up" our practice and return to our daily lives re-energized, softer, and more present. Whether we are chanting ancient Pali verses or engaging in heartfelt group sharing when silence is released, the gifts we receive on retreat naturally ripple out to benefit everyone around us. 

With our upcoming Fall Retreat September 25-27, 2026 featuring teacher Prasadachitta, we have a wonderful opportunity to step back into this transformative space, test these teachings in our own lives, and bring the Dharma vividly to life.

SPEAKERS:

• Cass Brayton
• Henry Rabinowitz
• Matthew Perifano
• Tom Bruein

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Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

We often focus our Buddhist practice solely on personal meditation, but Donald reminds us that true path-walking spans wisdom, meditation, and ethical care for the broader world. Looking back to early Buddhist history and figures like Emperor Ashoka, Donald shows us that spiritual practice has always held a vital social dimension alongside individual awakening. He offers a practical eight-part framework for modern times, guiding us to bring clarity, deep heart, and active care to today's complex landscape.

Donald outlines eight key principles to help us weave our spiritual practice into daily life and social action:

• Grounding in Vision: We stay connected to our core vision of wisdom, love, and awakening so we don't lose our direction during challenging times.
• Connecting Inner and Outer: We unite our personal meditation practice with outward care, integrating self-transformation with active service to others.
• Applying Wisdom to Society: We recognize how greed, hatred, and delusion operate not just within our own minds, but also as institutionalized forces in the wider world.
• Practicing with Difficult Emotions: Instead of turning numb to troubling news, we use mindfulness and group connection to process accumulated grief, anger, and fear.
• Maintaining Joy: We keep contact with wonder, music, and delight, remembering that joy is an inherent part of our being that sustains us through hardship.
• Grounding in Ethics: We practice non-harming in our personal relationships while taking active steps to address larger harms in our society.
• Grounding in Community: We cultivate meaningful, in-person connections to support one another and create a beloved community.
• Listening for Our Calling: We discover our own unique way to respond, focusing on what makes us come alive to meet the needs of the world.

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Donald Rothberg, Ph.D., is a member of the Teachers Council at Spirit Rock Center, a guiding teacher for the Marin Sangha in San Rafael, California, and a regular teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, California, Southern Dharma Retreat Center, InsightLA, and New York Insight.

He teaches retreats and groups on concentration and insight meditation practice, lovingkindness practice, transforming the judgmental mind, mindful communication, working skillfully with conflict, and socially engaged Buddhism.

He has practiced insight meditation since 1976, and has also received training in Tibetan Dzogchen, body-based psychotherapy, and trauma work. He has helped guide many six-month to two-year training programs in socially engaged spirituality, both Buddhist-based and interfaith, and is the author of The Engaged Spiritual Life: A Buddhist Approach to Transforming Ourselves and the World, and the co-editor of Ken Wilber in Dialogue.

Learn more at https://donaldrothberg.com

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Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

John defines Buddhist faith not as blind adherence to dogmas or rigid beliefs, but as pasada—a radical, wholehearted trusting of our own direct experience. He reminds us that true freedom isn't dependent on having perfect health, ideal finances, or flawless circumstances, but on cultivating an inner contentment that cannot be shaken by the ups and downs of the world. Instead of running away from difficult emotions or physical discomfort, we are invited to turn toward our direct experience with mindfulness and self-compassion, discovering that when we stop fighting reality, peace is immediately available right here in the present moment.

John outlines several core practices and insights that illuminate how this deep trust in the heart can transform our daily lives:

• Pasada vs. Dogma: Rather than adopting a set of external rules or beliefs, Buddhist faith is the freeing process of letting go of fixed opinions so we can show up fully to whatever is arising right now.
• Turning Toward Difficulty: By directly meeting challenging emotions like anger or physical pain with bare awareness, we realize they are temporary, conditioned arisings rather than fixed parts of our identity.
• Releasing Reactivity: Suffering occurs in the friction between what is happening and what we wish were happening; as our mental reactivity drops away, we stop creating the "second arrow" of self-inflicted pain.
• The Four Manifestations of Faith: Trust naturally unfolds when we step into the fullness of who we are, commit to non-harming and service, gain direct insight into the Four Noble Truths, and lean into the supportive warmth of community.

By leaning into this practice together, we can cultivate an unshakable refuge within ourselves and navigate life's inevitable shifts with an open, compassionate heart.

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John Martin teaches Vipassana (Insight), Metta (Loving Kindness) and LGBTQIA+ meditation retreats. He leads an ongoing weekly Monday evening meditation group in San Francisco. He serves as Co-chair of the Guiding Teachers Council for Spirit Rock. His practice has been supported by twelve years as a hospice volunteer, including five years at Shanti Project during the AIDS crisis and seven years with the Zen Hospice project.
Find his upcoming events at: https://calendar.spiritrock.org/event-speaker/john-martin/

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

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How do we take ancient, highly analytical Buddhist teachings and make them truly land in our everyday, modern lives?

In this warm and deeply personal talk, Prasadachitta helps us imagine what it must have been like to be in the presence of the Buddha, hearing him speak directly to us in language that is easily understood. He invites us to step away from academic perfectionism and instead embrace the Buddha’s “come and see” invitation to experience a colloquial relationship with the Dharma.

Prasadachitta explains that he isn’t concerned with strict historical or translation accuracy. Instead, he feels empowered as a practitioner to make these teachings real in his own life, letting the translated phrases of the Karaniya Metta Sutta shift and be rephrased depending on how they “hit” him, trusting that actual practice will naturally self-correct any misunderstandings. To remind us that the Dharma is built to be accessible, he shares the traditional qualities of teaching from the Dharma Vandana, proving that the truth is always meant to be practical:

• Intelligible and Well-Communicated: The Buddha always met people where they were, using everyday language and lived experiences (like those of farmers or kings) so we can actually do something with what is being communicated.
• Experienced Here and Now: It is a testable path that we can start practicing and verifying in our lives immediately.
• Perennial: Its core truths are timeless, surviving any historical or cultural change.
• Open to Investigation (Ehipassiko): It functions as a personal “come and see” invitation rather than a rigid system demanding blind belief.
• Progressive: It leads us onward, continuously unpacking new layers of wisdom as we engage with it.
• Individually Verifiable: It is ultimately validated through our own direct experience, turning us into the wise ones who know peace for themselves.

With this open-minded, personal approach, Prasadachitta guides us directly into the Karaniya Metta Sutta as a highly practical roadmap for our spiritual growth. Rather than treating its instructions as abstract rules, he encourages us to relate to them through our own physical, lived experiences.

• When the sutta asks us to be upright but “flexible,” he illustrates this with a wonderful story about a flight attendant who playfully deputized snack-stealing kids to help her hand out peanuts, transforming a potential moment of conflict into an act of community.
• To make the sutta’s famous instruction to love “as a mother cherishes her only child” real for himself, he connects it to his own mother’s “rough” but deep, physical hugs that he can still feel in his body today.
• By bringing our own imagination and personal memories into the practice, we learn to cultivate a fierce, boundless goodwill that moves us from everyday “eminence” to spiritual “transcendence”.

Ultimately, Prasadachitta promises that as we rest in this unlimited kindness, we naturally let go of our rigid views, become spontaneously ethical, and experience a quiet, complete sense of freedom.

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Prasadachitta was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in 2011 and he became the Chair of the San Francisco Buddhist Center in April 2022. He was born on a “back to the land” commune in rural Northern California and that background has inspired his engagement with others in building the SFBC’s rural meditation center called Dharmadhara. He also helped to establish a community of sangha members who support the retreats there. He supports himself as a documentary filmmaker and photographer but his real life’s work is training others who want to practice Buddhism within the Triratna Buddhist Community.

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Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

We can easily get caught wishing for ideal conditions—whether waiting for smooth traffic, perfect relationships, or orderly cupboards—rather than meeting the messy reality of the present moment. Recalling a phrase from Emily Dickinson, that we "believe and disbelieve a hundred times an hour," Eli explains that this constant back-and-forth doesn't mean we are failing; rather, it keeps our minds flexible and serves as a living, nimble form of faith in an unpredictable world.

To help us step out of the trap of postponing our lives until things are flawless, Eli shares several practical insights for navigating uncertainty with greater heart:

• The Buddha’s Earth-Touching Courage: Meeting uncertainty with the humble honesty of the Buddha facing Mara under the Bodhi tree, adopting the spirit of "I don't know how to do this thing called life, and I'm going to do it anyway".
• Shifting from Separation to Connection: Moving away from a tight, defensive mindset ("this happened to you") toward a shared, relational heart ("we're in this together"), much like Eli experienced while walking among the fire-scarred trees at Point Reyes.
• Relational Mindfulness: Bringing our attention inward when triggered by others—investigating what hurts in us rather than reacting—and gently acknowledging our underlying sadness or fear.
• Resting in the Breath: Using the simple process of breathing, as highlighted by teacher Ajahn Sucitto, to feel held and anchored whenever our minds feel chaotic.
• Practicing Wise Discernment: Remembering that mindfulness is not about forcing ourselves to endure harmful situations, but exercising discernment to make compassionate choices for ourselves.

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Eli Talen has practiced insight meditation for a couple of decades and has taught meditation in prisons and free communities for the past ten. Mindfulness is for him an innate awakening to the present and a refuge from fear and self-centeredness. He is inspired to engage with others who are open to building faith in the here and now and are oriented toward an ethical care and intimacy with the world. He lives in Berkeley, California, works as a psychotherapist, plays the organ. In prior lives he also served as an attorney and professor of German literature.

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this uplifting talk, JD Doyle invites us to explore mudita—traditionally translated as appreciative, altruistic, or relational joy—as one of the four essential heart practices (brahma viharas) in Buddhism. 

Opening with the Persian poet Hafez's poem The Sacred Dance for Life, JD reminds us that joy is not a performance or something we must force, but an inherent capacity of the heart waiting to be uncovered when we step out of our habitual anxiety. Drawing on Thich Nhat Hanh's insight that happiness has the nature of "interbeing," JD emphasizes that mudita is fundamentally relational—shifting us away from the narrow, individualistic "what's in it for me?" mindset and inviting us to take genuine delight in the well-being of others and the world around us.

To help us navigate the mental habits that block this natural warmth, JD breaks down the traditional frameworks and practical obstacles we encounter on the path to joy:

• The Measuring Mind: How our constant comparing, ranking, and obsessing over what we lack creates fear and closes the heart to present-moment delight.
• The Near Enemy (Exuberance & Frivolity): How bubbling excitement can tip us forward into overconsumption, or how frivolity—as Norman Fischer describes—acts as a superficial attempt to cover up life's inevitable sorrows rather than savoring beauty amidst hardship.
• The Far Enemy (Jealousy & Resentment): How envy creates a painful sense of separation, which JD illustrates through a personal story of overcoming resentment when a colleague received a job promotion JD had expected.
• "Messy Joy" & Entanglement: Citing "The Book of Delights" by poet Ross Gay, JD highlights that real joy is not separate from heartbreak, but emerges from how we care for one another through suffering—a resilience deeply familiar to the queer community.
• Cultivating a "Delight Radar": Practicing gratitude for simple "non-problems" (like a headache-free day or a working toilet) trains our attention so that, as Ross Gay noted, the more we study delight, the more delight there is to study.

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JD Doyle serves as a core teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center (EBMC) and has served as a board member and was the cofounder of the LGBTQI meditation group. JD is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Meditation Center teacher-training program and was in the Dedicated Practitioner Program (DPP2) and the Community Dharma Leader Program (CDL4). JD has practiced Buddhism since 1995 in the U.S., Thailand, and Burma.

For over twenty-five years, they worked as a public school teacher focusing on issues of equity and access. JD holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Cornell University and a master’s degree in Language and Literacy and Sociocultural Studies from the University of New Mexico. JD identifies as gender non-conforming. They are committed to celebrating the diversity of our human sangha, addressing the impact of racism on our communities, expanding concepts of gender, and living in ways that honor the sacredness of the Earth.

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Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Laura demonstrates the profound weight our speech carries, by drawing on a tender story about giving her hundred-year-old mother permission to let go, as well as an ancient tale of the Sufi weaver-poet Kabir whose gentle prayers calmed a sick child while his sharp words exposed a priest's rage. 

She frames Right Speech—one of the foundational spokes of the Noble Eightfold Path—not as a set of rigid restrictions, but as an encouraging mental guide to ease suffering for ourselves and others. Laura shows us how mindful communication is woven through all ten traditional Buddhist precepts, warning against the subtle ways we can "kill" someone's enthusiasm with harshness, "steal" time through repetitive complaining, or use slander to elevate ourselves above others.

To help us navigate our everyday conversations with greater integrity and compassion, Laura offers a clear roadmap for reflection before we speak. She encourages us to pause and examine our inner motivations, highlighting several key practices for bringing our speech into harmony:

• The Four Filters of Speech: Pausing to ask ourselves whether what we are about to say is timely, true, helpful, and kind—noting with a smile that by the time we ask all four questions, it might be too late to say anything, which is often for the best!
• The Loving Inner Witness: Extending Right Speech inward by replacing our harsh, judgmental inner narrative with the voice of a supportive friend who guides us with tenderness.
• Guarding Our Thoughts: Remembering the ancient teaching from the Dhammapada that thought manifests as the word, the word as the deed, the deed into habit, and habit into character.

By cultivating a mindful pause through meditation, Laura reminds us that we can catch our habitual reactions and choose words that foster connection, ease ragged hearts, and bring genuine peace.

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Ryuko Laura Burges is a lay entrusted dharma teacher in the Soto Zen tradition, teaching and leading retreats in Northern California. A longtime educator, she co-founded the Meditation in Recovery programs at San Francisco Zen Center.

Her books include Wisdom Stories of Tibet (2025), the first volume in a three-part series that will also feature wisdom stories from India and Japan, The Zen Way of Recovery: An Illuminated Path Out of the Darkness of Addiction (2023), Zen for Kids (2023), and Buddhist Stories for Kids (2022)

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Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Roshi David Blackwell walks us through what happens when we transition from years of formal spiritual training back into the texture of ordinary daily life. Reflecting on his own journey after stepping down from a Zen training center, David introduces us to an ancient Tang Dynasty framework known as the "Five Ranks of Merit" or "distinguished service". Rather than focusing solely on mystical realization, David shows us how this time-honored system offers a practical, compassionate roadmap for leading an upright, supportive, and useful life in service of those around us.

As David breaks down these five stages, we get to see how our spiritual journey naturally matures from initial curiosity to ultimate simplicity:

1. The Shift: The initial turning of our heart toward practice when we feel a deep need to explore what is most real and important.
2. Submission: Radically accepting reality exactly as it is, letting go of our rigid, narrow ideas of self to align with life as it unfolds.
3. Achievement: The stage where dedicated practice ripens into genuine insight, wisdom, and an understanding of non-duality.
4. Collective Achievement: Expanding our perspective so realization is no longer a private trophy, asking instead how we can help sustain our sangha and serve others.
5. Absolute Achievement: Shedding even the conceptual trappings of "enlightenment" to simply return to being our ordinary selves—truly at home in our own skin.

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Roshi David is a Soto Zen teacher in the White Plum lineage. He received Dharma Transmission and the lineage name Tenryū Jōkai (天龍浄海) from Charles Tenshin Fletcher Roshi in 2014, and Inka — final seal of approval and independence — in 2022.

Originally from Wales, Roshi David moved to Southern California in 2000 to train full time. His teaching is grounded in traditional Zen forms and woven into the texture of ordinary life. He emphasizes the direct experience of awakening using contemporary language and time-honored methods.

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Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Trip invites us to join him in "reimagining" what Pride and liberation can mean over the course of a lifetime. Journeying back to his very first Pride parade in San Francisco in 1985, Trip shares his own early struggles with internalized homophobia, vulnerable self-worth, and a defensive relationship with the world. 

He beautifully pairs these personal memories with a classic non-dual quote from Indian guru Nisargadatta Maharaj: "Mind creates the abyss, love crosses it". Through this lens, we are invited to explore how our minds build walls of separation and clinging, while our hearts hold the power to bridge those gaps and bring us home to ourselves.

To show us how this plays out, Trip guides us through the touching story of Kisa Gotami, a mother driven to temporary madness by the sudden death of her young son. When she begs the Buddha for a cure, he gently sends her on a quest to gather a mustard seed—but only from a household that has never experienced death. As she knocks on doors, she realizes that loss is a universal human thread, an insight into impermanence that brings her immediate, immense relief. Trip maps this ancient parable directly onto our modern queer journey, sharing several key lessons we can take to heart:

• The Illusion of the Outside Fix: Just like the death-free mustard seed, the idea that an external cure will "fix" or "straighten us out" is a mirage; true healing begins when we stop trying to fix ourselves and instead accept who we are.
• The Medicine of Community (Sangha): Gotami's sanity returned when she realized she wasn't alone in her grief. Similarly, stepping into a vibrant, visible community shows us that our struggles are shared, reminding us that we are not crazy or isolated.
• Releasing Rigid Identities: When we cling too tightly to a single identity—such as a grieving mother or a defensive ego—we obscure the vast, beautiful reality of who we actually are.
• Pride as Love Crossing the Abyss: Ultimately, Trip redefines Pride not as an ego-driven comparison, but as a deep sense of honor in our shared journey and a celebration of love crossing the mental divides of separation.

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Trip Weil has been practicing in the Theravadan tradition since 2004. He is a graduate of Spirit Rock’s Community Dharma Leader and Dedicated Practitioner programs. He is a psychotherapist in private practice in San Francisco and a former attorney.

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Here Daigan Gaither invites us to look at how we often dismiss our own pain by comparing it to "first-world problems" or the greater struggles of others. He shares his own journey with a "neurospicy" brain and rejection sensitivity, explaining that when we tell ourselves our feelings "aren't real" just because they have a biological cause or aren't "logical," we’re actually distancing ourselves from our lived experience. Daigan reminds us that if we feel it, it is real, and our practice is about learning to "experience the experience" while we’re actually in it, rather than getting lost in exhausting layers of thoughts about our feelings.

To help us move closer to the front of that mental "train," Daigan offers several key insights into how we can soften our self-judgment and live more authentically:

• Kusala and Akusala: We can look at our thoughts and actions through the lens of whether they lead us toward liberation or away from it.
• The Healing Power of Noticing: Just as a physical wound heals when we stop picking at it, our emotional wounds can begin to pass when we simply notice them without trying to weigh or force them into something we think we "know".
• "What Else is There?": Instead of making our entire lives about one feeling of rejection or pain, we can practice asking what else is present in the moment—like the air on our skin or the sounds around us—allowing us to be a whole person having a whole experience.
• Fluidity of Self: By understanding that "no-self" means we are constantly changing, we can stop trying to hold onto a version of ourselves that no longer exists and instead break up the "concrete" of fixed views that keep us stuck.

Ultimately, he encourages us to stop using our practice as a way to increase judgment on ourselves and instead simply allow ourselves to "have a day," trusting that each moment is a new chance to connect with reality.

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Rev. Daigan Gaither (he/him) began Buddhist practice in 1995 in the Vipassana (Insight) tradition, then began studying Zen in 2003. He received Lay Ordination in 2006 where he was given the name Daigan or “Great Vow,” and received Priest Ordination in July 2011. 

Daigan speaks internationally on a variety of topics particularly around gender, sexuality, social justice, and their intersections with the Dharma. He also sits or has sat on a number of boards and committees that serve community needs and further social justice causes.

Daigan has a BA in Philosophy and Religion from San Francisco State University, and an MA in Buddhist Studies (with a chaplaincy certificate and a certificate in Soto Zen Buddhism) from the Graduate Theological Union and the Institute of Buddhist Studies. He lives in San Francisco, CA and identifies as a disabled, queer, white, cis male. Learn more at https://queerdharma.net

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this heart-opening talk, Bill Weber shares how a powerful Qigong practice called the "Six Verses" helped him dissolve the "tightness" he carried for years, particularly the isolation often felt by gay men. 

He reminds us that while we often feel solid and separate, we are actually 99.99% empty space—and if we crushed the entire human species down to pure matter, we’d fit inside a single sugar cube! By shifting our perspective from being isolated individuals to "cosmic chemistry" made of stardust, we can learn to navigate the irritations of daily life with a much greater sense of spaciousness and ease.

Bill Weber walks us through the Six Verses, a short meditation that encapsulates a path toward freedom and joy:

• Internal Awareness: We start by going inside our bodies to find the emptiness and spaciousness within, letting any tension melt away.
• Universal Expansion: We then expand our awareness outward, moving from the room to the city and finally becoming one with the limitless universe.
• Returning with Peace: We draw that awareness back into our bodies, bringing a sense of calm and peacefulness with us.
• Reverence (Gongjing): We open back up to the universe with a sense of "utmost gongjing"—a deep, humble respect for being part of the whole.
• Nurturing the Heart: We allow the bright universe to fill our hearts with unconditional love and compassion, which Bill describes as a richness unlike any love we've known.
• Harmonious Flow: We conclude by feeling relaxed and free, allowing our "Qi" (energy) to flow smoothly and joyfully through our entire being.

By practicing these verses, we can begin to see that we aren't just walking in nature; we are nature, and the boundaries between us and the world around us are just an illusion.

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Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Here he explores the concept of mudita—often translated as unselfish or appreciative joy. He dives into how this practice, one of the four "divine abodes" or Brahma-viharas, helps us break out of the Western individualistic trap and realize that our happiness is deeply interconnected with everyone else's. 

Melvin reminds us that even when we feel stuck in aversion or judge ourselves for "not doing it right," those very feelings are actually the path to joy; by noticing what we are reflexively pushing away, we create the space for a more authentic, humanized connection to the world around us.

He guides us through several ways we can cultivate this "immeasurable" joy in our daily lives, moving beyond the idea of it being a separate, lofty goal:

• The Path of Purification: We learn that mudita is often found right in the middle of our aversion. Instead of fighting our negative thoughts, we can see them simply as "sensations" and use that awareness to melt the "stone" of indifference.
• Integrating Our Life Stages: We reflect on how our capacity for joy evolves from the "bundle of joy" we were as infants, through the traumas of adolescence, and into a more "distilled" version of ourselves as we age and learn to laugh at our own forgetfulness.
• Sati (Remembering): We practice the intention of "remembering" our Buddha nature and the path, realizing that once we’ve seen the truth of interdependence, we can never truly "unsee" it.
• The "Buddha Smile": We are invited to try a physical practice—the slight upward turn of the lips—that helps us stay present and serious about our spiritual work without losing our sense of lightness.
• Service as Joy: We see that humanizing each other is an act of joy, and through service, the separation between "who is serving who" begins to dissolve.

By practicing mudita, we find the "safety valve" that allows us to experience the world's beauty and suffering without crumbling under the weight of it all.

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Matthew shares how he began weaving together the wisdom of the Dharma with the timeless plays and sonnets of William Shakespeare. He describes how his relationship with these texts evolved from a daunting college requirement into a vital mind-body practice that eventually helped him navigate the devastating losses of the AIDS epidemic. He suggests that when we lend our own voices and bodies to these words, we can discover that we are never alone in our suffering, finding a profound sense of compassion—or karuna—that transcends time and space.

Matthew illustrates how the insights of the Buddha are often hiding in plain sight within the Bard's greatest works, offering we several "Shakespeare Dharma" keys to unlock our own understanding of reality:

• Finding Refuge in Grief: He explains how Sonnet 30 helped him move through personal loss by revealing that our "precious friends hid in death’s dateless night" connect us to a universal experience of suffering, turning art into a path through pain rather than just an escape from it.
• Presence in the Ordinary: Drawing from his own "transcendent experience" while washing dishes and the poetry of Layman Pang, he reminds we that spiritual activity is found in the most basic daily affairs, like drawing water or carrying wood.
• The Trap of Papancha: He uses the jealous rants of King Leantes from The Winter's Tale to demonstrate papancha, or mental proliferation—the tendency of our minds to spin "nothing" into a suffocating storm of obsessive, illusory thoughts.
• Life as a Dream: He concludes with Prospero’s famous speech from The Tempest, which he calls "Shakespeare’s Diamond Sutra," to help we contemplate how all conditioned things are essentially "such stuff as dreams are made on".

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Audio Production: George Hubbard
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How can we find lasting peace when everything in our lives—from our favorite shops to our own bodies—is constantly changing? In this talk, Walt Opie explores impermanence, the "bedrock" of Buddhist teaching, showing us how our suffering often comes from fighting a reality we cannot change. He explains that our brains are hardwired to look for "signs"—characteristic marks that help us recognize things—which trick us into believing life is more permanent than it really is. Through poetry and the wisdom of teachers like Ajahn Chah, Walt illustrates that when we accept "the glass is already broken," we create a "safety valve" for our hearts that prevents them from bursting when life shifts.

Walt offers several concepts to help us wake up from the "dream state" of daily life:

• Equanimity: Being in harmony with the way things are instead of fighting reality.
• Signlessness: Intentionally ignoring the "signs" or labels we usually construct from our senses, which helps us stay focused during meditation.
• Bare Awareness: Training ourselves so that in the seen there is "just the seen" and in the heard "just the heard," stripping away the mental layers that cause us stress.
• The Present Moment as a Gate: Using the image of a simple sandwich to remind us that liberation is found by fully showing up for whatever is happening right now.

By following his lead, we can learn to be "neither here nor there," allowing the world to catch our hearts off guard and blow them wide open.

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The concept of prajna (wisdom) is not an abstract theory, but as an interactive way of being that honors our lived experiences. Liên breaks down the traditional three levels of wisdom and maps them onto the queer journey, showing how we move from simply seeking information about our identities to reflecting on our shared stories and, finally, to an embodied presence. The "perfection of wisdom" is found in how we carry ourselves—without defensiveness or shame—fully alive in the moment and comfortable in our own skin.

Drawing on her own history—from navigating the "cluelessness" of her youth to finding belonging in the queer Vietnamese community of the Bay Area—she describes the transition from being an "object" defined by society to reclaiming oneself as a "subject". 

Liên emphasizes that the heart of meditation practice is discernment, which allows us to recognize the stories we tell ourselves and choose a path of kindness instead. She invites listeners to view their queerness as a gateway to understanding the interdependence of all things, highlighting several key frameworks for this development:

Three Levels of Wisdom:

• Learning/Knowledge: Absorbing information and searching for representation.
• Reflection: Processing experience through shared coming-out stories, community symbols, and discussion.
• Meditation (Bhavana): Developing an "embodied wisdom" that allows one to live fully and authentically without apologies.

Subjectivity and Value: Moving beyond the internalized idea that being "different" is bad, and instead realizing that all phenomena—including ourselves—are worthy and valuable subjects.

Non-Egocentric Awareness: Practicing a "looseness" of self where our queerness is seen as both deeply personal and part of a larger, collective whole.

Discernment as a Tool: Using mindfulness to notice when we are becoming reactive and instead consciously "turning toward" kindness and friendliness

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Liên Shutt (she/they) is a priest lineage holder in the Shunryu Suzuki tradition. Born to a Buddhist family in Vietnam, she received her meditation training in the Insight and Soto Zen traditions in the U.S., Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam. She was a founding member of the Buddhists of Color in 1998 and currently is the guiding teacher of Access to Zen, an inclusive, anti-oppression sangha and non-profit in the SF Bay Area. She lives on Ohlone land, currently called Oakland, with her partner, exploring waterways and forests as often as they can. Visit https://accesstozen.org/ for ways to connect and practice together.

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Eve offers a roadmap for navigating the obstacles to well-being while actively "inclining the mind" toward joy. Much of our distress arises from the "Eight Worldly Winds," the fluctuating pairs of praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and pain, and fame and shame. To move toward a "lightness of being," we must learn to hold all of these without being swept away. Several practical shifts help with this:

• Regulating Despair: Cultivating joy to balance the human tendency to fall into "doom," which she describes as a state of being out of alignment with reality.
• Identifying Obstacles: Recognizing "foreboding joy" (the fear of experiencing joy because it might end) and the "shoulds" of societal conditioning that block self-compassion.
• The Power of Gratitude: Actively acknowledging simple gifts—such as the many hands involved in bringing food to a plate—to neurologically prime the brain for well-being.
• The Bliss of Blamelessness: Living a life of integrity and non-harming, which creates a sense of safety for others and a lightness of spirit for oneself.
• Mindful Presence: Using mindfulness as a foundation to stop reacting to discomfort and instead rest in the "sweetness of loving ourselves."

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Eve Decker has been practicing Insight Meditation since 1991, and has taught groups, daylongs, and short retreats since 2006, particularly at Spirit Rock, the East Bay Meditation Center, and elsewhere in the Bay Area. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley and of Spirit Rock’s Path of Engagement and Community Dharma Leader training programs, and has been trained in the Hakomi approach to body-based psychotherapy. 

Eve is also a singer/songwriter who has combined the power of music and dharma practice. Her most recent CDs are “In: Chants of Mindfulness & Compassion,” and “Awakening Joy - The Music.”
Find her at https://evedecker.com/

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Drawing on the wisdom of The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu, she argues that joy is an internal ease that remains independent of external circumstances. By embracing her personal mantra, "right now it's like this," Mary invites us to meet the present moment—whether it holds a beautiful sunrise or deep grief—with intimacy and kindness, rather than reactivity or denial.

Mary provides a roadmap for navigating the obstacles to well-being while actively "inclining the mind" toward joy. She explains that much of our distress arises from the "Eight Worldly Winds"—the fluctuating pairs of praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and pain, and fame and shame—which we must learn to hold without being swept away. To move toward this "lightness of being," she suggests several practical shifts:

• Regulating Despair: Cultivating joy to balance the human tendency to fall into "doom," which Mary describes as a state of being out of alignment with reality.
• Identifying Obstacles: Recognizing "foreboding joy" (the fear of experiencing joy because it might end) and the "shoulds" of societal conditioning that block self-compassion.
• The Power of Gratitude: Actively acknowledging simple gifts—such as the many hands involved in bringing food to a plate—to neurologically prime the brain for well-being.
• The Bliss of Blamelessness: Living a life of integrity and non-harming, which creates a sense of safety for others and a lightness of spirit for oneself.
• Mindful Presence: Using mindfulness as a foundation to stop reacting to discomfort and instead rest in the "sweetness of loving ourselves."

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Mary Stancavage has practiced meditation, yoga, and cultivated a spiritual practice for over 35 years and in 2009 was empowered to teach Buddhadharma. She teaches classes, retreats, coaches and mentors individuals and has facilitated several Year-to-Live groups. She has served as a volunteer hospital chaplain and been involved with leadership in several non-profit organizations over the years both in meditation and in the social justice arena. 

She is currently a member of the Guiding Teachers Council for Insight Community of the Desert, and is a Board Member of both Meditation Coalition and CLUE: Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice. For the last several years, Mary has investigated what it means to live with an undefended heart and more information on this can be found on her website, https://marystancavage.org  

Fun fact: Mary has an MA from UCLA and spent several seasons working as an archaeologist in Syria.

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Joe Goode addresses this by arguing that while political or social resistance is necessary, the act of opposition can unintentionally cause us to harden, losing touch with the vulnerability where love and intimacy live. He suggests that instead of trying to "fix" ourselves or bypass suffering, we should practice loving the "broken bits" of our own minds—our regrets, meanness, and anxieties—much like a parent loves a mischievous or hurting child. By shifting away from the idea of a "fixed" or isolated self, Joe explains that we can cultivate a soft heart that nurtures interdependence rather than individuality.

To move these concepts from the mind into the body, Joe leads a series of experiential practices that blend breath, sound, and movement to serve as a "balm" for the "imperfect and vulnerable" self. He teaches that the aging or incomplete body is not a problem to be solved but a tool for deepening our connection to reality. His framework for this embodied practice includes:

• Tender Attention: Holding a finger to represent a specific negative thought or recurring doubt, breathing into that "vulnerable body" and offering it special care rather than animosity.
• The Soothing Sway: A side-to-side rocking motion used as a "universal calming action" to quiet the mind and accept the "fearful, broken, or less-than self".
• Interdependent Sound: Vocalizing specific tones (such as "m," "ah," and "ee") to feel the physical vibration in the bones while simultaneously "pouring" one’s sound into the collective "envelope" of the room.
• Receptive Clearing: Using the heat of the hands to clear "extra thoughts" from the eye sockets before opening the palms to receive "spacious thinking" and "fresh possibilities".

Ultimately, Joe suggests that by treating the body as a "single sensing organ," we can discover that being fully present in our physical form and movement is no different than meditation itself.

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Joe Goode is the artistic director of The Joe Goode Performance Group, and a professor in the Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies at UC Berkeley. He has had a meditation practice since 1979, and has incorporated Buddhist principles and meditation practices into his choreographic works. His work blends theater, dance, and spoken word, to focus on the fallibility and imperfection of being human, believing that the creative impulse is a step toward the alleviation of suffering.

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René Rivera shows us that equanimity is not mere "composure" or "evenness of temper" -- a misunderstanding that can lead to suppressing anger in order to remain perfectly calm.

Drawing on a three-month retreat in South Africa, René suggests that true equanimity (upekkha) is better understood as a "balanced heart" or "steadiness" that allows for a deep intimacy with everything we experience. In this way practitioners can find a grounded base that holds both waves of grief and anger and the stillness of a settled mind.

To navigate these turbulent internal and external landscapes, René provides a framework for distinguishing genuine balance from its common obstacles and identifies the qualities that cultivate resilience:

• The Far Enemy (Reactivity): The direct opposite of equanimity, characterized by craving, aversion, and an attachment to specific outcomes.
• The Near Enemy (Indifference): A "spiritual bypass" that looks like calmness but is actually a form of avoidance or detachment that refuses to feel.
• The Lesson of "Old Survivor": An 800-year-old redwood tree in Oakland that survived a "tree apocalypse," serving as a metaphor for the capacity to endure cycles of loss and radical change.
• The Balanced Heart of the Brahma Viharas: Equanimity acts as the container for loving-kindness, compassion, and joy, creating an "abundant" and "immeasurable" heart capable of holding the fires of social struggle and personal grief.

Ultimately, René suggests that equanimity is not a solo practice of isolation but a relational one—a radical "yes" to experiencing the reality of the present moment with full presence and awareness.

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René Rivera is a meditation teacher and restorative justice facilitator working and learning in all the spaces in-between race, gender, and other perceived binaries, as a queer Latinx trans man.

René teaches heart-centered, trauma-informed meditation, as a core teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center. He offers classes and retreats for many Buddhist centers and groups, with a focus on supporting LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC practitioners. He leads trainings on how to create spaces that are inclusive and accessible to transgender, nonbinary and gender expansive people. René is a facilitator in training for the School of Consent and a restorative justice facilitator, working to heal sexual and gender-based violence.

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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.

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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

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He explores the phrase "it's okay to not be okay" as a living practice rather than a mere platitude. Drawing on his experience as a Zen priest and long-time activist, Daigan explains that the Buddhist commitment to "not turning away" from suffering can sometimes lead to a state of being "overpowered" by the sheer volume of global crises. He argues that practitioners must learn to differentiate between the information they truly need and the noise that causes unnecessary overwhelm, while also paying close attention to "internal consumption"—the rigid thoughts, judgments, and expectations we impose upon ourselves.

Daigan emphasizes that being "okay" is not a static state achieved through knowledge or following rules, but a continuous process of returning to the present moment. He suggests that the heart of practice is the ability to sit still amidst whatever is happening and connect with the raw reality of one’s own body and mind, rather than the stories we tell about them. To cultivate this resilience, he highlights several key approaches:

• Mindful Consumption: Recognizing that thoughts, media, and opinions are forms of consumption that can create a cycle of anxiety if not monitored.
• The Pursuit of Joy: Actively seeking out "pockets of safety" and small moments of delight—such as videos of babies laughing or the support of a community—to avoid falling into hopelessness.
• Investigating the Body: Viewing mind and body as inseparable and investigating where emotions live physically (such as shallow breath or tightness) to transform abstract "big feelings" into manageable sensations.
• The Power of the "Return": Accepting that 90% of practice is simply the act of settling back into awareness whenever the mind wanders into "not being okay".

By viewing this internal struggle as a koan to be investigated, Daigan invites listeners to find a sense of liberation that doesn't require the world—or themselves—to be perfect.

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Rev. Daigan Gaither (he/him) began Buddhist practice in 1995 in the Vipassana (Insight) tradition, then began studying Zen in 2003. He received Lay Ordination in 2006 where he was given the name Daigan or “Great Vow,” and received Priest Ordination in July 2011. 

Daigan speaks internationally on a variety of topics particularly around gender, sexuality, social justice, and their intersections with the Dharma. He also sits or has sat on a number of boards and committees that serve community needs and further social justice causes.

Daigan has a BA in Philosophy and Religion from San Francisco State University, and an MA in Buddhist Studies (with a chaplaincy certificate and a certificate in Soto Zen Buddhism) from the Graduate Theological Union and the Institute of Buddhist Studies. He lives in San Francisco, CA and identifies as a disabled, queer, white, cis male. Learn more at https://queerdharma.net

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Victoria Austin introduces us to the concept of a "posture of peace," which she defines not merely as a physical sitting position but as an enduring internal state. Drawing on stories of individuals facing extreme challenges—from the early days of the HIV/AIDS crisis to recovery from traumatic accidents—Victoria suggests that while feelings of love may fluctuate, an internal posture of peace allows us to remain grounded in our "vulnerable humanity." This posture serves as a cornerstone for action in the world, enabling practitioners to meet their "inmost request" and fulfill their unique work without being overwhelmed by external circumstances.

To build this foundation, she provides a framework for understanding and transforming internal reactions, particularly those related to conflict and "unwholesome" impulses. She argues that peace is not passive but requires an active engagement with our emotions and the ethical consequences of our choices, such as avoiding the "three ways to be evil": acting directly, colluding, or condoning. 

Victoria categorizes the messages behind our primary struggles and the paths to meaning as follows:

• Anger: Acts as a signal for unmet needs or violated boundaries; when safely held, its energy becomes a resource for change.
• Fear: A call for support and allies, often requiring the courage to ask for help.
• Sadness and Grief: States that require time and the nurturing care of others—symbolized by "soup"—to be fully processed.
• Three Ways to Live: she describes existence through the ultimate (the big picture), the relative (historical and familial connections), and the skillful (the ability to move between the two for meaning).

By recognizing that "all experiences come from the mind," she concludes that an internal posture of love is contagious, impacting everyone we meet and offering a stable way to manifest love in an unsettled world.

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Shōsan Victoria Austin started practicing Zen in 1971, and is a Dharma heir of Sōjun Mel Weitsman. To help increase the accessibility of Zen practice in the West, she became an Iyengar yoga teacher in 1988. She has served in many roles at San Francisco Zen Center’s urban temples and Tassajara Monastery, including President, Head Cook, and Tanto (Head of Practice). Victoria currently teaches meditation and yoga in diverse settings throughout California and serves as an International Teacher (Kokusaifukyōshi) of the Sōtō School.

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• Navigating the Kleshas: Mary identifies aggression as a "cold, critical, and fixed" mind and encourages practitioners to acknowledge this and other destructive emotions (pride, craving, jealousy, and ignorance) rather than skipping over them
• The Wisdom of Manjushri: She uses the imagery of the bodhisattva Manjushri and his sword to illustrate how wisdom can be "cutting" and clear without being aggressive, provided it is used with a "pure heart" to perform appropriate actions
• Practical Tools for Peace: A number of actionable methods for maintaining a peaceful internal posture during conflict are discussed, such as the STOP practice (Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed) and Pema Chödrön’s guidance to remain "embodied, present, and kind."
• Transforming Personal Conflict: Through personal stories of facing workplace hostility and homophobic harassment, Mary demonstrates how meeting aggression with awareness and sadness—rather than counter-aggression—can prevent the creation of negative karma and lead toward wholeness and relationship

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Onryu Mary Stares first arrived at Tassajara in the summer of 2000, following a period of residential practice at Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia, Canada. After a number of years of coming and going she requested priest ordination and with that request committed to live and work in residence at San Francisco Zen Center for a number of years. Mary has lived and practiced at all three of the SFZC temples and has lived in a number of other Buddhist communities since 1999. A carpenter by trade, Mary was ordained as a Zen priest in 2010 by Arlene Lueck and Myogen Steve Stücky. Mary was Shuso (Head Student) for the Winter 2015 Practice Period at Tassajara. She most recently served as Director of City Center and is currently Tanto (Head of Practice) at City Center.

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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.

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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

______________ 
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But this presents a paradox: while noble friendships are described as the entirety of the holy life, the Buddha also warns that deep attachments can lead to suffering and grief. Drawing from his extensive background in 12-step recovery and the Dharma, Kevin argues that practitioners must find a middle way between isolation and codependency. Insight arises through the practice of being present with others so long as we maintain the wisdom to let go of clinging.

The discussion concludes with a peer-led dialogue where participants reflect on balancing self-reliance with the need for compassionate, empathetic support systems.

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Kevin Griffin is a Buddhist teacher and author of 9 books known for his innovative work connecting dharma and recovery, especially through his 2004 book One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps. He has been a Buddhist practitioner since the 1980s and a teacher for three decades. He reaches a broad range of audiences in dharma centers, wellness centers, and secular mindfulness settings.

Kevin's latest book is Living Kindness: Metta Practice for the Whole of Our Lives, published in 2022. To learn more and to see his teaching schedule, visit http://kevingriffin.net

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this talk, Beth Mulligan explores equanimity as a living practice rather than a distant ideal. She frames equanimity as the quiet strength that allows a person to meet experience without collapsing into overwhelm or tightening into resistance. Speaking with warmth and clarity, she describes how this quality grows not through detachment, but through intimacy with our own moment‑to‑moment experience—especially the parts we’d rather avoid.

Beth highlights several practical doorways into equanimity, each grounded in mindfulness and compassion. She explains how the mind’s habitual reactions can soften when we learn to recognize them early, and she offers simple ways to steady attention when emotions surge. Key themes include:

• Understanding the difference between indifference and balanced presence
• Recognizing the “eight worldly winds” and how they shape reactivity
• Using the body as an anchor when the mind becomes turbulent
• Allowing joy and difficulty with equal care

The result is a talk that invites listeners to see equanimity not as a final achievement, but as a trustworthy companion that grows each time we meet our lives with honesty and kindness.

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Beth Mulligan has completed all steps of the professional Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher training program through the University of Massachusetts under Jon Kabat-Zinn PhD and his colleagues and is a certified MBSR teacher. She teaches Mindfulness at many major medical centers, Universities, schools, non-profit organizations and corporations. She also trains professionals in mindfulness-based interventions and participates in research on the benefits of mindfulness. 

With her partner Hugh she is the co-founder of Mindful-Way Stress Reduction programs which serves diverse populations across the country and in England. Learn more at http://mindful-way.com/

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Steven Tierney invites us to look closely at the narratives that shape our experience—especially in moments of grief and fear. Reflecting on the recent loss of Jeff Lindemood, he shows how the mind rushes to create stories about unfairness, danger, and identity, and how Buddhist practice helps us pause long enough to see these stories clearly. He reminds us that grief itself is a Buddha, a natural expression of love and impermanence, and that we can choose which stories truly support our well‑being.

We can widen that lens to the suffering in the world so we do not shut down, but respond with compassion and grounded action.

• Begin meta with yourself—“I am a beautiful human being deserving and worthy of love.”
• Choose stories that benefit you and others, releasing those that cause harm.
• Recognize all emotional states as Buddhas, each impermanent and worthy of attention.
• Let service and connection guide you, even when the world feels heavy.

Steven reminds us that the world needs what only we can offer.

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Steven Tierney (Kai Po Koshin) is a Dharma transmitted teacher in the lineage of Suzuki Roshi. Steven has a new Sangha: Oceans Compassion Sangha and also practices with Gay Buddhist Fellowship, Meditation in Recovery at SFZC, Great Spirit Sangha, SFLGBTQA Sangha, and the Hartford Street Zen Center.

Steven believes that we can find wisdom, compassion and awakening wherever good people come together for practice, healing, service and joy. Dr. Tierney is a psychotherapist in private practice and Professor Emeritus in Counseling Psychology at CIIS.

He is a Certified Addiction Specialist and has been named a Diplomate in Clinical Mental Health by the American Mental Health Counselors Association. He is also a certified suicide prevention and intervention trainer, providing workshops, classes, and consultations. Steven can be reached at 415-235-1061 or steventierneysf@gmail.com

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In Part 2, Ian Challis continues his exploration of the journey from samsara (the spinning wheel of greed, hatred, and delusion) toward nibbāna—not as a far-off trophy, but as an orientation we can practice right here.

He frames refuge (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha) as a real-time source of strength rather than a hiding place: community, ethics, and wise effort become the “places we gather power” when life feels dystopian or overwhelming. He leans on the bodhisattva spirit—awakening that’s incomplete unless it includes others—and points out that freedom isn’t withdrawal; it’s relationship, mutuality, and shared responsibility. 

Ian also makes liberation practical and strangely familiar: most people already know its taste. He calls these moments “free samples”—brief flashes when the mind isn’t clinging (maybe in nature, art, a quiet walk, or simply watching the breath). The practice is to study what’s present and absent in those moments, and to lean into the “via negativa” of the Dharma—freedom revealed by letting go. Along the way, he offers a handful of memorable handles for the path:

• “Letting go” scales: let go a little → a little peace; a lot → a lot of peace; completely → complete freedom (Ajahn Chah).
• A Marie Kondo test for the mind: if a thought, habit, or story doesn’t support the wholesome, can it be released? (Although it’s easier with closets than with resentment.)
• Five grounding views for hard times: trust the path, trust one’s capacity, remember support/lineage, hold that all beings deserve compassion (including oneself), and remember that actions matter.
• A deeper inquiry beneath “the heart wants what it wants”: through the five aggregates, Ian points to how the survival-driven “I-making” process can run the show—until practice begins to dissolve the hard sense of “me,” revealing a deeper heart that longs for connection and true freedom. He closes by treating nibbāna with humility and faith—something the Buddha described beyond ordinary categories—and reminds listeners that the work is gradual: many small acts of integrity, mindfulness, and wisdom that keep turning the wheel toward stillness.

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Ian Challis is a student and teacher in the Insight Tradition of Buddhism. He is a teacher, founding member, and past guiding teacher of Insight Community of the Desert in Palm Springs.

Ayya Khema, Leigh Brasington, Narayan Liebenson, Larry Yang, and Arinna Weisman are key teachers who have inspired and illuminated his practice.

Serving Queer community is a passion. 2025 marks his co-teaching of the 9th annual Queer retreat at Dhamma Dena Retreat Center with Leslie Booker. He is also a qualified teacher of MBSR, a graduate of Spirit Rock’s Community Dharma Leader teacher training, and was formally invited by Arinna Weisman to teach in the lineage of U Ba Khin and Ruth Denison.
Find him at ianchallis.com

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Ian Challis invites us to first take a grounded look at samsara—the restless, exhausting cycle of craving, aversion, and wandering that shapes so much of human experience.

Ian describes samsara not as a moral failing but as the natural turbulence of being human: the push and pull of desire, fear, habit, and cultural conditioning. Through vivid stories—including a moment of panic while snorkeling—he illustrates how easily we’re carried by currents stronger than our intentions, and how transformative it can be to “put our feet down” and reclaim stability. Drawing on the Buddha’s teachings, he explains samsara as the momentum of ignorance and craving, continually renewed by cultural messages of scarcity, competition, and “if only.” Ian emphasizes that these forces operate both internally and collectively, and that recognizing them is the beginning of wise view—the first step on the Noble Eightfold Path.

So how do we respond once we do see samsara clearly? He describes saṁvega, the spiritual urgency that arises when the heart recognizes suffering and refuses to keep passing it along—whether through inherited family patterns, cultural conditioning, or our own unconscious habits. From this urgency comes a shift in view: a willingness to let go of unhelpful opinions, identities, and stories that keep the wheel spinning. Ian shares the five views he’s chosen to center on this year—each beginning with “I trust…”—as a way of simplifying and clarifying his path:

• I trust the dharma.
• I trust myself enough to walk this path.
• I trust that I don’t walk it alone.
• I trust that every human being is worthy of kindness and safety.
• I trust that my actions matter.

He closes by reminding us that samsara isn’t just a cosmic cycle—it’s the moment‑to‑moment drift into fear, craving, outrage, or despair. Each time we notice and return to center, the wheel loses momentum. Each time we “put our feet down,” we move a little closer to freedom.

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Ian Challis is a student and teacher in the Insight Tradition of Buddhism. He is a teacher, founding member, and past guiding teacher of Insight Community of the Desert in Palm Springs.

Ayya Khema, Leigh Brasington, Narayan Liebenson, Larry Yang, and Arinna Weisman are key teachers who have inspired and illuminated his practice.

Serving Queer community is a passion. 2025 marks his co-teaching of the 9th annual Queer retreat at Dhamma Dena Retreat Center with Leslie Booker. He is also a qualified teacher of MBSR, a graduate of Spirit Rock’s Community Dharma Leader teacher training, and was formally invited by Arinna Weisman to teach in the lineage of U Ba Khin and Ruth Denison.
Find him at ianchallis.com

______________ 
To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/
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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Danadasa begins by grounding listeners in the Tibetan practice of tonglen—breathing in the suffering of oneself and others as dark smoke, and breathing out cool, healing moonlight. Rather than treating this as a grim or burdensome task, he reframes it through the imaginal realm: a space where metaphor, poetry, and visualization bypass the thinking mind and speak directly to the heart. Danadasa highlights how imaginal practices help counter our culture’s tendency to live “up in the head,” inviting a more embodied, heartfelt presence.

From there, he expands the teaching into a guided journey that blends traditional tonglen with Vajrayana-style visualization:

• Imagining the Buddha dissolving into light and taking residence in the “palace of the heart.”
• Breathing the world’s suffering into the Buddha within, allowing him—not the practitioner—to purify it.
• Exhaling moonlight that dissolves fear, anxiety, and emotional obscurations.
• Exploring tathāgatagarbha, the teaching that all beings carry the seed or “womb” of Buddhahood.

Danadasa also reflects on the role of the guru in Vajrayana practice, describing how a teacher’s presence can nonverbally transmit confidence, joy, and a felt sense of one’s own potential. He cites Mark Twain’s line—“the most painful arguments I’ve ever had are the ones that never happened”—to illustrate how imagination shapes experience, and how an illumined imagination can reshape it toward freedom. The talk ultimately becomes an invitation: to trust the creative mind, to soften into shared humanity, and to let the heart become a place where suffering is transformed rather than feared.

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Danadasa (he/him) began meditating and practicing Buddhism in 1993 and was ordained in the Triratna Buddhist Order in 2011 at the San Francisco Buddhist Center. At his ordination, he received his Buddhist name Danadasa which, in Sanskrit, means “servant of generosity”. In 1995, he developed a heart connection with the archetypal Buddha Amitabha, rooted in the Japanese Pure Land tradition Jodo Shinshu (known in the Western world as Shin Buddhism), and has been practicing an Amitabha sadhana (devotional practice) since 2011.

Danadasa is deeply passionate about teaching meditation, mindfulness and Buddhism in a somatic and embodied way, bringing the Buddha’s teachings to life in our imaginations through images and storytelling. Embodied practice is the path of getting out of our heads and into our bodies, for it is in our bodies that liberation reveals itself.

Over the past 20 years, Danadasa has held various administrative and leadership roles within the San Francisco Buddhist Center (SFBC). And in 2023, he resigned from all of his formal SFBC roles, as well as taking a break from teaching for a period of wandering in the wilderness, free from the external responsibilities, expectations and social norms of the monastery, following in the footsteps of the great “crazy wisdom” Mahasiddhas of the past. Since then, many lineage Masters and archetypal Buddhas have provided Danadasa with guidance and inspiration, including Tilopa, Naropa, Padmasambhava, Vajrakilaya, and Machig Labdron.

In 2024, Danadasa received Vajrayogini initiation and empowerment. Through Vajrayogini, the Mother of All the Buddhas, the meaning of the Buddha’s words is beginning to reveal itself.

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

That’s the thread David Lewis follows in this winter‑solstice talk, weaving together poetry, Buddhist teachings, and reflections on the natural world. He begins by exploring how solstice traditions mirror dharmic values: stillness, silence, and the movement from darkness toward light.

Drawing on images from Patricia Fargnoli’s poem Winter Grace, David invites listeners to recognize how truth often emerges in quiet, slowed‑down seasons. He then connects this to foundational Buddhist ideas—especially dukkha as “unreliability”—and explains how acknowledging life’s darkness is a necessary prelude to awakening. Along the way, he highlights traditional practices such as vassa (the monsoon retreat), uposatha observance days, and the universal human need for a Sabbath‑like pause.

David looks at cultivating peace of mind as both a personal refuge and a contribution to the wider world. He emphasizes that peace isn’t the absence of difficulty but the ability to remain steady within it:

• Letting go as the path to peace, illustrated through Ajahn Chah’s famous lines about releasing a little, a lot, or completely.
• Peace as the mind’s natural state, supported by the Buddha’s teaching on the luminous mind.
• Attachment and distraction as the opposites of peace, and the practice of gently releasing both.
• Gratitude as a happiness practice, echoing Aesop and modern monastics.
• Joy as the unfolding result of practice, expressed through Bhikkhu Analayo’s “progressive refinement of joy.”

David closes with a reminder from Dōgen that life is fleeting and awakening is always available now. His solstice wish for the community is simple and heartfelt: may they rest in the natural ease of body and mind, and may all beings be free from needless suffering.

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David Lewis has been following the dharma path for 50 years. He has a degree in comparative religious studies and is a graduate of Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Advanced Practitioners Program. David shares the dharma at several sanghas, including Mission Dharma, Insight Upper Market, and the Gay Buddhist Fellowship in San Francisco.

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this talk, Marcia Lieberman introduces us to the Japanese word kubari—a term for paying attention to others, as well as a twig used in flower arranging. 

Drawing from both cultural insight and Buddhist teachings, she shares how kubari expresses a kind of mindful generosity that is not transactional, but attuned and spontaneous. Through personal reflections and references to traditional stories, Marcia invites listeners to reconsider the depth behind acts of giving, suggesting that true generosity arises from awareness, not obligation.

Marcia discusses how kubari is rooted in presence and observation. One must first see what is needed in order to respond with kindness. She contrasts this with the Western notion of giving that often involves expectations, agendas, or a sense of scarcity. Key ideas she explores include:

• Kubari as a practice of attention: noticing the world around you and recognizing opportunities to give.
• Giving without attachment: letting go of the need for recognition or reciprocity.
• Everyday generosity: how small, thoughtful acts—like offering an umbrella or a warm meal—can become meaningful expressions of care.
• Cultural nuance: how Japanese values and aesthetics shape the concept of giving differently from Western frameworks.

Her message is a gentle reminder that generosity is not about quantity—it’s about heart, timing, and connection.

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Marcia Lieberman is a long-term Buddhist practitioner who has been affiliated with San Francisco Zen Center since 1989, having resided at all three practice centers. She was Shuso (Head Student) at Green Gulch Farm for the Spring 2017 Practice Period. As an artist, her affinity for beauty and form in ceremony has been a guiding part of her practice. 

Marcia taught in the photography departments at UC Berkeley and California College of the Arts. In her editorial work she was noted for photographing famous and noteworthy women. Having graduate degrees both in Fine Arts and Buddhist studies, Marcia is able to draw from both of these backgrounds in her work. She recently published her third photographic book, Clean Slate—Images from Dogen’s Garden, with commentaries by Dogen scholars.

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Instead, Jokai encourages listeners to cultivate a practice of surrender: of returning, again and again, to the grounded experience of the body, breath, and present moment. This embodied awareness becomes a gateway to wholeness — not a fixed state, but a dynamic unfolding that includes everything, even the messy and uncertain.

He outlines several key teachings to support this shift toward presence:

• Wholeness is not perfection: It's the capacity to include and be with whatever arises.
• Grasping and aversion fragment our experience: They reinforce the illusion of separation.
• The body is a reliable refuge: Returning to bodily sensations helps us drop into direct experience.
• Letting go is active, not passive: It's a courageous practice of turning toward, not away.
• Practice is relational: Awakening unfolds in connection — with self, others, and life itself.

Jokai’s words are both spacious and grounded, inviting listeners into a felt sense of trust — not in outcomes, but in the wisdom of showing up fully to the life that’s already here.

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Jokai moved to Southern California from the UK in 2000 to study residentially at Yokoji Zen Mountain Center. During his formal training, Jokai completed the full Zen koan curriculum. In 2014, he received Dharma Transmission (authorization to teach) in the White Plum lineage of Zen Buddhism from Charles Tenshin Fletcher Roshi, and Inka (final approval) in 2022.

Jokai emphasizes the direct experience of awakening using contemporary language and time-honored methods. He is the Guiding Teacher for Long Beach Meditation, and serves as a member of Insight Community of the Desert's Guiding Council. After completing 20 years of residency at Yokoji Zen Mountain Center, he now lives in Palm Desert with his family.

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Dorothy Hunt invites us to see awareness not as something separate from thoughts, feelings, or experiences, but as the very ground of being that is already present. Grounding her reflections in both tradition and poetry, she illustrates how awareness reveals itself in every moment, whether through beauty, suffering, or the ordinary flow of life. Her teaching emphasizes that awakening is not about bypassing human experience but about embracing it with intimacy and compassion.

Dorothy weaves together Buddhist wisdom, Zen stories, and personal reflections to show how awareness can meet even the most difficult aspects of life. She highlights key ideas such as:

• The two arrows: the unavoidable pain of life and the suffering added by our interpretations.
• Layers of experience: from rage to vulnerability, awareness can hold them all without judgment.
• Awakening and growing up: two sides of the same coin, integrating transcendence with human healing.
• The “pathless path”: each person’s journey is unique, made by walking.

Ultimately, she reminds us that awareness is not elsewhere—it is here, in the very act of living.

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Dorothy Hunt serves as spiritual director of Moon Mountain Sangha and was the founder of the San Francisco Center for Meditation and Psychotherapy. She is the author of Only This!, Leaves from Moon Mountain, and Ending the Search: From Spiritual Ambition to the Heart of Awareness, as well as articles published on nondual wisdom and psychotherapy.

She teaches at the request and in the spiritual lineage of Adyashanti, who invited her to share the dharma in 2004. Dorothy has a long and deep connection to the teachings of Ramana Maharshi and the nondual teachings of Zen, Advaita, and the Christian mystics. She invites a deep welcoming of the human expressions of the mystery. A licensed psychotherapist since 1967, Dorothy has now retired from her private practice. She is a mother and a grandmother. For more information, please visit: https://dorothyhunt.org or Dorothy Hunt - Moon Mountain Sangha on YouTube.

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Eugene Cash's warm, playful, and deeply sincere style invites us into a rich exploration of mindfulness, death, and the immediacy of life. Drawing from the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, Eugene emphasizes the experiential nature of awareness, encouraging us to feel our bodies, notice our breath, and recognize the fleeting nature of each moment. He shares personal stories, including a near-death experience and the dissolution of San Francisco Insight to illustrate how impermanence can be a gateway to freedom.

Eugene’s teaching is grounded in both classical Buddhist texts and lived experience. He references the Satipatthana Sutta (MN 10), Zen master Dogen, Longchenpa of the Dzogchen tradition, and Shantideva, offering poetic and powerful quotes that illuminate the path to awakening, focusing on:

• Mindfulness of posture, breath, and bodily elements (earth, air, fire, water)
• Awareness in all activities—“no one at Safeway has to know you’re meditating”
• The normality of death and the intoxications of youth, health, and life
• Awakening as “springing into being” and “the freshness of reality”
• The insight that freedom arises when we stop clinging to anything

He offers us a gentle nudge to wake up to the miracle of being here, now.

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Eugene Cash is the founding teacher of the San Francisco Insight Meditation Community of San Francisco which ended in October 2025 after more than 30 years. He now teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and leads intensive meditation retreats internationally. His teaching is influenced by both Burmese and Thai streams of the Theravada tradition as well as Zen and Tibetan Buddhist practice. He is also a teacher of the Diamond Approach, a school of spiritual investigation and self-realization developed by A. H. Almaas. Learn more at https://www.insightdharmacenter.org/

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Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In her signature style, Jennifer weaves music and story into the dharma, sharing mantras and songs that uplift and reconnect. She honors her late teacher Joanna Macy, an eco-philosopher and Buddhist scholar, recounting their journey to witness environmental devastation in Alberta and Macy’s profound teaching: “The heart that breaks open can contain the whole universe,” which embodies the bodhisattva Tara and her mantra as a call to compassionate action. Jennifer closes with a poem by Andrea Gibson and a song by Carrie Newcomer, reminding us that joy, beauty, and connection are radical acts of healing.

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Jennifer Berezan is a unique blend of singer/songwriter, producer, and activist. Over the course of ten albums, she has developed and explored recurring themes with a rare wisdom. Her lifelong involvement in environmental, women’s, and other justice movements as well as an interest in Buddhism and earth-based spirituality are at the heart of her writing. Find her at https://jenniferberezan.com/

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this highly engaging talk, Eve Decker explores in plain language how Buddhist teachings can help us deal with our daily struggles. By highlighting the intersection of Buddhist wisdom and neuroscience, she shows how ancient teachings align with modern psychological frameworks.

Eve emphasizes that the Buddha was, in many ways, a master psychologist—offering insights into suffering, habit formation, and emotional regulation that contemporary science continues to affirm. Eve draws on the work of Dr. Rick Hanson and Dr. Daniel Siegel to illustrate how mindfulness and compassion practices can rewire the brain, and she highlights how Buddhist teachings on awareness, intention, and ethical living are echoed in therapeutic models like Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Polyvagal Theory.

Eve also breaks down several key concepts that bridge Dharma and psychology:

1. Neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to change through repeated practice, supporting the Buddhist emphasis on intentional cultivation.
2. Negativity bias – our tendency to focus on threats, which mindfulness helps balance by training attention toward wholesome states.
3. Self-directed neuroplasticity – consciously reinforcing positive traits like gratitude and kindness, a core aim of both Dharma and CBT.
4. Internal Family Systems (IFS) – recognizing and compassionately working with different “parts” of ourselves, much like Buddhist teachings on non-self and multiplicity of mind.
5. Polyvagal Theory – understanding how safety and connection regulate our nervous system, aligning with the Buddhist emphasis on compassion and relational presence.
6. The role of repetition – how consistent practice strengthens beneficial traits, whether through meditation or therapeutic exercises.

Throughout the talk, Eve reminds us that transformation is possible—not through force, but through gentle, repeated attention. With warmth and clarity, she shows how both science and spirituality point toward the same truth: we can train the mind toward freedom.

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Eve Decker has been practicing Insight Meditation since 1991, and has taught groups, daylongs, and short retreats since 2006, particularly at Spirit Rock, the East Bay Meditation Center, and elsewhere in the Bay Area. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley and of Spirit Rock’s Path of Engagement and Community Dharma Leader training programs, and has been trained in the Hakomi approach to body-based psychotherapy. Eve is also a singer/songwriter who has combined the power of music and dharma practice. Her most recent CDs are “In: Chants of Mindfulness & Compassion,” and “Awakening Joy - The Music.”
Find her at EveDecker.com

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Here, Walt Opie shares personal stories and reflections on how difficult it can be to extend kindness toward ourselves, especially when we’re caught in patterns of self-judgment or perfectionism. Walt emphasizes that self-compassion isn’t selfish—it’s foundational. When we treat ourselves with care and understanding, we’re better able to show up for others and engage with the world from a place of balance and authenticity.

Walt also highlights several key practices and perspectives to cultivate self-compassion:

1. Mindful awareness – noticing when we’re being hard on ourselves and gently shifting our inner dialogue.
2. Loving-kindness (Metta) – directing phrases of goodwill inward, not just outward.
3. Common humanity – remembering that suffering and imperfection are part of being human.
4. Letting go of the inner critic – recognizing that harsh self-talk doesn’t lead to growth, but gentle encouragement might.
5. Taking refuge in the Dharma – using the teachings as a source of support and clarity during difficult times.

Throughout the talk, Walt reminds us that self-compassion is a skill we can build—not a personality trait we either have or don’t. It’s a practice of returning to ourselves with warmth, patience, and the willingness to be imperfect.

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Walt Opie was introduced to insight meditation in 1993 at Spirit Rock and attended his first residential retreat there in 2005. He is a graduate of both the Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leaders' (CDL4) program and the Sati Center Buddhist Chaplaincy program. Walt is a participant in the current Insight Meditation Society (IMS) Teacher Training program. He leads a monthly sitting group for people in recovery in Berkeley and serves as a volunteer Buddhist facilitator at Solano State Prison in Vacaville. In addition, he is the Executive Director of the Buddhist Pathways Prison Project (BP3).

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

He helps us reflect on living a meaningful and compassionate practice that is responsive to our unique life situations while benefitting both ourselves and others.

Steven defines integrity as aligning thoughts, words, and actions with core values while living for the benefit of others.

• Integrity means wholeness and completeness, derived from Latin meaning "whole"
• Encourages self-reflection and internal alignment with personal values
• Moves us beyond intellectual understanding to embodied practice

Practical Applications

• Replacing to-do lists with "to-feel" lists (focusing on desired feelings rather than tasks)
• Reducing doom scrolling and social media consumption
• Practicing "We Care" - balancing self-care with caring for others

Buddhist Practice in Daily Life

• Emphasizing that Buddhist teachings should be verified through lived experience
• Promoting engaged Buddhism that flows from contemplative practice
• Living the Bodhisattva vows through everyday interactions

Key Concepts

• Upaya (skillful means) - teaching in multiple ways to reach different people
• Nimbleness of spirit - knowing when to speak up versus when to listen
• Being present and compassionate rather than getting overwhelmed by external events

Steven concludes by referencing the Buddha's belief in the innate nobility and compassion of all beings, suggesting that negative qualities are learned rather than inherent.

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Steven Tierney (Kai Po Koshin) is a Dharma transmitted teacher in the lineage of Suzuki Roshi. Steven has a new Sangha: Oceans Compassion Sangha and also practices with Gay Buddhist Fellowship, Meditation in Recovery at SFZC, Great Spirit Sangha, SFLGBTQA Sangha, and the Hartford Street Zen Center.

Steven believes that we can find wisdom, compassion and awakening wherever good people come together for practice, healing, service and joy. Dr. Tierney is a psychotherapist in private practice and Professor Emeritus in Counseling Psychology at CIIS.

He is a Certified Addiction Specialist and has been named a Diplomate in Clinical Mental Health by the American Mental Health Counselors Association. He is also a certified suicide prevention and intervention trainer, providing workshops, classes, and consultations. Steven can be reached at 415-235-1061 or steventierneysf@gmail.com

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

When we feel overwhelmed by the state of society, Daigan Gaither suggests focusing on ethical behavior as a foundation for meaningful action. He reminds us that:

1. Buddhist practice comprises three interdependent trainings: ethical conduct (Shīla), concentration (Samādhi), and wisdom (Prajñā).
2. Ethical conduct demands we actively oppose oppression and intolerance rather than remaining neutral.
3. Meditation allows us to explore the lived experience of difficult emotions, allowing them to empower rather than control us.
4. Compassion does not require tolerating harmful behavior; sometimes it means setting boundaries or “loving from a distance.”
5. Sustained engagement requires self-care and community support, guided by the wisdom meditation cultivates.
6. Real-world Buddhist practice involves supporting justice work, educating oneself, and responding appropriately to present circumstances, even if outcomes are uncertain.

As we wrestle with the tension between compassion and confronting harm, Daigan encourages us to balance loving kindness with discernment. His dialogue with the sangha further explores how small acts, rooted in ethical intention, collectively contribute to change.

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Rev. Daigan Gaither (he/him) began Buddhist practice in 1995 in the Vipassana (Insight) tradition, then began studying Zen in 2003. He received Lay Ordination in 2006 where he was given the name Daigan or “Great Vow,” and received Priest Ordination in July 2011.

Daigan speaks internationally on a variety of topics particularly around gender, sexuality, social justice, and their intersections with the Dharma. He also sits or has sat on a number of boards and committees that serve community needs and further social justice causes.

Daigan has a BA in Philosophy and Religion from San Francisco State University, and an MA in Buddhist Studies (with a chaplaincy certificate and a certificate in Soto Zen Buddhism) from the Graduate Theological Union and the Institute of Buddhist Studies. He lives in San Francisco, CA and identifies as a disabled, queer, white, cis male. Learn more at https://queerdharma.net

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Finding Buddhist truths in stories from many cultures, Laura explores how fear shows up in our lives, reminding us that fear is universal, often rooted in uncertainty, and can feel overwhelming, especially in today’s unsettled world. She highlights that Buddhism offers tools to recognize and sit with fear rather than avoid it, including the practice of “staying” with fear, which helps us face it fully and find courage in the present moment.

Laura also weaves in reflections on bodhicitta—the awakened heart and mind—which invites us to soften rather than harden in the face of life’s challenges. Her overall message is that being present with fear makes it smaller and less paralyzing, using life's uncertainty and loss to help us awaken.

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Ryuko Laura Burges is a lay entrusted dharma teacher in the Soto Zen tradition, teaching and leading retreats in Northern California. A longtime educator, she co-founded the Meditation in Recovery programs at San Francisco Zen Center.

Her books include Wisdom Stories of Tibet (2025), the first volume in a three-part series that will also feature wisdom stories from India and Japan, The Zen Way of Recovery: An Illuminated Path Out of the Darkness of Addiction (2023), Zen for Kids (2023), and Buddhist Stories for Kids (2022)

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Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this talk, Matthew Brensilver reflects on the deep human need for belonging. Yet an unavoidable tension arises because no person or relationship can fully satisfy craving or end suffering. He explains that understanding this unsatisfactoriness helps us realistically approach relationships without expecting them to be perfect refuges.

Instead, we learn to welcome ambivalence, the coexistence of conflicting feelings like love and frustration, joy and grief, which naturally arises in all connections. This capacity to tolerate ambivalence is a sign of psychosocial maturity and is essential for developing equanimity—the balanced mind that neither clings to nor rejects experiences and emotions.

Matthew outlines several important points about equanimity in relational life:

• Equanimity involves opening the heart to the imperfections of others and ourselves, rather than controlling or suppressing difficult feelings.
• Interpersonal interactions act like a “stress test,” revealing our hidden mental habits (greed, hate, delusion) and opportunities for compassion.
• Compassion refined by equanimity becomes “love in the face of helplessness,” recognizing the limits of our ability to control or fix others’ suffering.
• Ambivalence is not always a symptom of confusion but sometimes a clear recognition of complexity; learning to live alongside it is a spiritual achievement.
• Emotional ups and downs, including anger and grief, often resist change because these states have a kind of inertia, requiring patience and mindfulness.
• The practice of equanimity supports forgiveness, especially when we face the pain and flaws of loved ones without defensiveness or control. Forgiveness can be thought of as the unofficial "Fifth Brahmavihara" because it flows naturally from the four states of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity

Ultimately, Matthew encourages embracing the vulnerability and uncertainty inherent in human relationships, using meditation and honest self-reflection to cultivate a steady, openhearted presence. This practice helps us stay with the discomfort of not knowing, being wrong, or feeling helpless—key conditions for genuine connection and compassionate love.

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Matthew Brensilver, MSW, PhD teaches retreats at the Insight Retreat Center, Spirit Rock and other Buddhist centers. He was previously program director for Mindful Schools and for more than a decade, was a core teacher at Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society.

Matthew worked as a clinical social worker, serving severely and persistently mentally ill adults and adolescents. He subsequently earned a PhD from the Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at USC where he was a Provost’s Fellow. His dissertation examined the mechanisms of risk and resilience in maltreated adolescents in a large, longitudinal study in South Los Angeles.

Before committing to teach meditation full-time, he spent years doing research on addiction pharmacotherapy at the UCLA Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine.

Each summer, he lectures at UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center on the intersections between mindfulness, science and psychotherapy. He serves on the Board of Directors at Spirit Rock.

Matthew is the co-author of two books about meditation during adolescence and continues to be interested in the unfolding dialogue between Buddhism and science.

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Larry Robinson invites us to find refuge and stability amid chaotic and uncertain times by leaning into the core Buddhist teachings and practices. He frames our current historical moment as a “dark age” where things seem to fall apart, but reminds us that history moves in cycles and renewal always follows. 

Larry highlights the importance of taking refuge in the Three Jewels—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—and cultivating the Brahma Viharas, the four divine abodes: 

1. Loving-kindness (metta)
2. Compassion (karuna)
3. Sympathetic joy (mudita)
4. Equanimity (upekkha)

These qualities help create “islands of order” amid disorder, which can attract and inspire new patterns of peace and understanding. He also shares a beautiful St. Francis prayer inviting us to be instruments of peace through love, pardon, faith, hope, and light.

Larry offers practical and heartfelt ways to cultivate equanimity in daily life, such as his morning walks connecting with nature, practicing gratitude by counting blessings, and embracing impermanence without resistance. He underscores the Buddhist insight that suffering awakens compassion and that compassion connects us to the community of all beings, not just the immediate Sangha. He encourages embracing uncertainty and “not knowing” as a profound spiritual practice, illustrated by the story of the Chinese farmer who responds “maybe” to life’s ups and downs, reminding us that what appears good or bad is never fixed. 

Through poems, personal stories of grief and joy, and reflections on impermanence, Larry gently guides us to open-hearted acceptance, reminding us that even in dark times, the earth always turns toward the morning light and that hope beyond hope—true faith—is found in trusting things as they are.

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Larry Robinson has been a practicing Buddhist for 47 years, mostly in the Zen and Vipassana traditions. He is a member of the Occidental Laguna Sangha in Sebastopol, studying with Bruce Fortin in the lineage of Suzuki Roshi. A long-time environmental and social justice activist, he is a retired ecopsychologist and former mayor of Sebastopol. He serves on the board of directors of the Center for Climate Protection and the board of trustees of Meridian University. 

His “large and foolish project” (in the words of Rumi) is to restore the soul of the world through reawakening the oral tradition of poetry. He is the founder and producer of Rumi’s Caravan https://rumiscaravan.com/ 

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this talk, Gary Ost explores a practical path to emotional freedom and authentic connection -- something that he developed on his personal journey into Tibetan Buddhism, especially through the Shambhala Lojong teachings and Tonglen. 

He shares how he discovered and embraced practices that cultivate compassion and wakefulness, and explains the often misunderstood aspects of Tibetan Buddhism—like mantras, mudras, and tantric elements— by relating them to familiar ideas such as the “high church” in Anglicanism, which helped him feel more at home with its rich, ritualistic style. 

Gary focuses on Lojong, a mind-training practice composed of 59 slogans designed to help us work with suffering and mental habits, emphasizing antidotes to self-centeredness and promoting compassion. He finds deep meaning in these slogans, such as viewing all phenomena as dreams, driving blame inward to oneself, and acting with the intention to benefit others.

Central to his talk is the introduction of Tonglen, a meditation practice of “sending and taking” that involves breathing in the suffering—both personal and collective—and breathing out compassion and healing intentions. Gary guides listeners through the steps of Tonglen, encouraging honesty about difficult emotions like shame and fear while cultivating a warm, open heart (bodhicitta). The practice invites a transformation of the habitual reactivity that traps us, shifting the mind toward generosity and connection rather than self-absorption. 

Gary’s message offers a powerful benefit: by practicing Tonglen and Lojong teachings, listeners can learn to meet their pain with kindness, gradually change their mental patterns, and open themselves to greater compassion for all beings. 

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Gary Ost is a retired Episcopal priest living in San Francisco. He began his study of the dharma in 2008, starting with the Shambhala school of Tibetan Buddhism. Since then he has practiced daily samatha-vipassana meditation. He has declared his aspiration to help Christians understand Buddhism better and Buddhists to understand Christianity better. Gary has taken informal bodhisattva vows, and is studying the Lojong teachings of the 11th Century Tibetan monk Atisha.

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Here David Lewis explores the timeless relevance of Buddhist teachings in our modern, often chaotic world. He begins by reflecting on how suffering ushers many people toward the dharma, yet his own initial curiosity was about the nature of reality and truth, which he found deeply resonant in Buddhism’s investigative spirit. 

David highlights the Buddha’s emphasis on self-reliance with his famous advice, “Be a lamp unto yourself,” encouraging us to seek refuge not outside but within our own experience. He unpacks the concept of taking refuge in the Triple Gem—Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—explaining that this means recognizing our own potential for awakening, leaning on supportive community, and embracing the truth as revealed through direct experience, not just intellectual belief. He stresses the importance of curiosity as the magnet of dharma practice, and how meditation and mindful attention help us simplify life amid today’s overwhelm, which he compares to a modern form of suffering or “unreliability.”

As the world competes for our attention, David advises grounding ourselves in reality through direct sensory experience, mindfulness, and meditation—a radical act of reclaiming our attention and cultivating peace. He encourages us to let go of what obstructs our happiness, describing renunciation not as a loss but gaining freedom from craving and distraction. He reminds us that the practice is less about acquiring something new and more about creating space for stillness and clarity. 

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David Lewis has been following the dharma path for 50 years. He has a degree in comparative religious studies and is a graduate of Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Advanced Practitioners Program. David shares the dharma at several sanghas, including Mission Dharma, Insight Upper Market, and the Gay Buddhist Fellowship in San Francisco. 

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this talk, Danadasa emphasizes that it’s actually about creating spaciousness in the heart and mind for deeper clarity and connection. It’s less about deprivation and more about redirecting our energy toward something more meaningful and peaceful.

He shares how, in the Buddhist path, renunciation helps loosen the grip of craving and habit energy, making space for genuine freedom. He describes how we often live on autopilot, and renunciation can be as simple as saying no to distractions or addictive tendencies that clutter our awareness. He offers personal reflections and encourages listeners to explore this not as a moral duty, but as a source of joy and liberation.

Danadasa also outlines three key insights related to renunciation:

1. Letting go is natural – Just like a child eventually lets go of toys they outgrow, our inner life can outgrow certain attachments too.
2. Renunciation reveals what’s already here – When we drop constant seeking, we begin to sense a quiet contentment that was hidden beneath our cravings.
3. It's supported by mindfulness – The more present we are, the more we see what’s wholesome to keep and what’s wise to release.

He encourages us to reflect without pressure, and to trust the unfolding of our own path.

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Danadasa (he/him) began meditating and practicing Buddhism in 1993 and was ordained in the Triratna Buddhist Order in 2011 at the San Francisco Buddhist Center. At his ordination, he received his Buddhist name Danadasa which, in Sanskrit, means “servant of generosity”. In 1995, he developed a heart connection with the archetypal Buddha Amitabha, rooted in the Japanese Pure Land tradition Jodo Shinshu (known in the Western world as Shin Buddhism), and has been practicing an Amitabha sadhana (devotional practice) since 2011. 

Danadasa is deeply passionate about teaching meditation, mindfulness and Buddhism in a somatic and embodied way, bringing the Buddha’s teachings to life in our imaginations through images and storytelling. Embodied practice is the path of getting out of our heads and into our bodies, for it is in our bodies that liberation reveals itself. 

Over the past 20 years, Danadasa has held various administrative and leadership roles within the San Francisco Buddhist Center (SFBC). And in 2023, he resigned from all of his formal SFBC roles, as well as taking a break from teaching for a period of wandering in the wilderness, free from the external responsibilities, expectations and social norms of the monastery, following in the footsteps of the great “crazy wisdom” Mahasiddhas of the past. Since then, many lineage Masters and archetypal Buddhas have provided Danadasa with guidance and inspiration, including Tilopa, Naropa, Padmasambhava, Vajrakilaya, and Machig Labdron. In 2024, Danadasa received Vajrayogini initiation and empowerment. Through Vajrayogini, the Mother of All the Buddhas, the meaning of the Buddha’s words is beginning to reveal itself.

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Here Mary Stancavage’s explores the profound practice of living what she has been investigating for years. She begins by acknowledging that we all build emotional armor as a response to pain and suffering, often unconsciously, to protect ourselves from further hurt. This armor manifests as fixed views, fear, judgment, perfectionism, and numbing behaviors, which ultimately isolate us and prevent authentic connection.

Mary emphasizes that this defensive stance is a denial of reality and contributes to suffering, echoing the Buddha’s teachings about clinging and the second noble truth. She shares that meditation and mindful sitting helped her face and welcome difficult emotions—grief, anger, sadness—with kindness and openness, revealing that embracing these feelings gently can transform fear and alienation into freedom and connection.

Mary then outlines a practical and compassionate path toward chipping away at this armor using the Buddhist Eightfold Path as a safety net. Key practices include:

• Wise speech—saying what needs to be said even when it's hard
• Compassionate intention
• Non-harming that extends beyond mere avoidance to active kindness and generosity.

She distinguishes between healthy boundaries and defenses, cautioning against “idiot compassion” that allows others to abuse us. Mary also highlights the importance of remaining present with whatever arises in the moment without resistance, cultivating equanimity as a deep intimacy with reality as it is.

Mary concludes by inviting listeners to reflect on the challenges and joys of this lifelong journey, reminding us that an open heart is an act of resistance in a world full of suffering and injustice, and that through love, kindness, and presence, we participate in collective liberation and healing.

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Mary Stancavage has practiced meditation, yoga, and cultivated a spiritual practice for over 35 years and in 2009 was empowered to teach Buddhadharma. She teaches classes, retreats, coaches and mentors individuals and has facilitated several Year-to-Live groups. She has served as a volunteer hospital chaplain and been involved with leadership in several non-profit organizations over the years both in meditation and in the social justice arena. She is currently a member of the Guiding Teachers Council for Insight Community of the Desert, and is a Board Member of both Meditation Coalition and CLUE: Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice.

For the last several years, Mary has investigated what it means to live with an undefended heart and more information on this can be found on her website, https://marystancavage.org. Fun fact: Mary has an MA from UCLA and spent several seasons working as an archaeologist in Syria.

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Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Michaiel also touches on how love, even when unnoticed or unreturned, never goes to waste — its energy contributes to healing both personally and collectively. He shares a touching personal story of grief that underscores the importance of expressing love and gratitude now, not later. Especially for LGBTQI individuals who may struggle with isolation, Michaiel emphasizes the healing power of community built through small acts of presence and connection. His message is both practical and soulful: we are all divine beings here to help one another come home — to ourselves and to each other.

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Michaiel Patrick Bovenes - is a metaphysician, published author, spiritual healer, and the founder of Soul-utions -- a revolutionary personal empowerment teaching. His online courses and live events have helped thousands find greater inner strength and personal peace. Since 1991, he has helped people transform their stress into strength and their struggle into greater freedom, confidence, and positive change. Soul-utions is not a religion, it's a conscious relationship with your Soul. Soul-utions focuses on activating your inner power to create the changes you desire by aligning with your true purpose, inner wisdom, and empowered destiny. Find him at https://linktr.ee/michaiel.soul.utions 

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Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Drawing on his decades of experience as a teacher, activist, and meditator, Donald Rothberg issues an urgent call to integrate the deepest aspects of Buddhist practice with the pressing needs of our time. By uniting meditation, ethics, emotional work, joy, and conscious action, he maps out a path that combines inner development with outward action.

The Five Themes of Practice

Donald structures his talk around five essential themes that support a holistic Buddhist path:

1. Bridging Inner and Outer Transformation:
   Buddhist practice is often internal, but Donald emphasizes its potential to transform society as well. He reminds practitioners that meditation and activism need not be separate and that cycles of inner and outer focus are natural.
2. Ethics as Foundational:
   Ethics (sila) is a cornerstone of Buddhist training, often overlooked in the West. Donald reimagines ethics as a “commitment to care” and encourages practitioners to see ethical precepts not only as personal guidelines but as vehicles for social justice.
3. Working with Difficult Emotions:
   Emotions such as fear, anger, and despair are not barriers to practice but rich material for growth. Donald introduces practices like the “truth mandala” to help individuals and communities process collective grief and rage.
4. Nurturing Joy:
   Amid crises, joy becomes an act of resistance and resilience. Donald illustrates how joy is part of our inner nature and can be cultivated through song, ritual, and community—citing Emma Goldman and Rabbi Nachman as examples.
5. Listening for What Calls You:
   Rather than trying to solve all the world’s problems, Donald advises identifying one issue that deeply resonates. From there, he suggests taking concrete, manageable steps to become involved, guided by what enlivens us.

Donald expands the traditional view of ethics beyond individual behavior to include social responsibility, discussing how community plays a central role in supporting ethical practice. He shares how personal suffering can be transformed into a source of connection and compassion.

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Donald Rothberg, Ph.D., is a member of the Teachers Council at Spirit Rock Center, a guiding teacher for the Marin Sangha in San Rafael, California, and a regular teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, California, Southern Dharma Retreat Center, InsightLA, and New York Insight.

He teaches retreats and groups on concentration and insight meditation practice, lovingkindness practice, transforming the judgmental mind, mindful communication, working skillfully with conflict, and socially engaged Buddhism.

He has practiced insight meditation since 1976, and has also received training in Tibetan Dzogchen, body-based psychotherapy, and trauma work. He has helped guide many six-month to two-year training programs in socially engaged spirituality, both Buddhist-based and interfaith, and is the author of The Engaged Spiritual Life: A Buddhist Approach to Transforming Ourselves and the World, and the co-editor of Ken Wilber in Dialogue.

Learn more at https://donaldrothberg.com

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Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this heartfelt talk, Matthew Perifano reflects on the transformative power of language as he intertwines his lifelong love of Shakespeare with his journey through Buddhism and the AIDS epidemic. He begins by framing the dharma as more than just teachings—truth, practice, and a deep refuge—and connects it to the power of Shakespearean language. Matthew highlights how Shakespeare can evoke profound emotional resonance, citing authors and works like Shakespeare Meets the Buddha and The Buddha and the Bard that mirror Eastern thought. He recounts how one particular quote from Cymbeline has echoed through his life: “All other doubts by time, let them be cleared. Fortune brings in some boats that are not steered.” This quote, and others, become spiritual companions, much like Buddhist texts.

He shares personal stories from his past, including his deep involvement with a Shakespeare reading group and its eventual disbanding. Through grief and loss during the AIDS crisis, Matthew found solace in Shakespeare's sonnets, many of which mirrored his emotional landscape. This culminated in the creation of a musical project—A Shakespeare Garden—telling a poignant love story between two young men in 1980s San Francisco, solely through Shakespeare’s words. Matthew sees blank verse as a heartbeat, a meditative rhythm that aligns with Buddhist practice. He closes by reciting stirring lines from The Tempest, capturing impermanence and the dreamlike nature of life, resonating with the first noble truth and the dharma's essence.

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Matthew Perifano (he/him) is a member of the Gay Buddhist Fellowship. He is grateful to be given this opportunity to share his love of Shakespeare and the Dharma with GBF. Shakespeare Dharma recounts his rich and strange journey with Shakespeare that began with a reading group that approached Shakespeare as mind/body practice rather than as theater. Eventually, this reading group would form Birnam Wood Musical Shakespeare Co. and Matthew would discover his facility for setting Shakespeare’s verse to music.

As Matthew became more knowledgeable about Buddhist Dharma, he discovered connections between Buddhist teachings and the truth about human nature and human existence to be found in the plays and sonnets of Shakespeare. Certain passages have become like sutras to him which he is happy to share with you. Ultimately, on a most profound level, Shakespeare became a refuge of solace and healing during the darkest days of the AIDS epidemic.

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Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Dave Richo opens with the foundational Buddhist concept of impermanence, reminding us that everything—relationships, beliefs, identities—changes and ends. Drawing on teachings from Zen master Dogen, Dave shares how impermanence is not a flaw but actually embodies our Buddha nature. In this light, change becomes not just acceptable but sacred. Dogen's view that “the very impermanence of all things is Buddha nature” grounds Dave’s message that resisting change only leads to suffering, while embracing it opens us to enlightenment. This sets the stage for grief—not as something to avoid—but as a crucial practice that helps us process endings.

Dave outlines grief as a healthy psychological response to impermanence, made up of three core emotions:

1. Sadness – letting ourselves feel the weight of the loss;
2. Anger – facing the unfairness or hurt of what changed;
3. Fear – acknowledging anxiety about what’s next.

He gently encourages us to face these with vulnerability rather than ego. Grief, when shared and expressed authentically, becomes a path to depth and personal growth. Using stories, metaphors like the “freeze frame” and “landing strip,” and even mystical quotes from Meister Eckhart, Dave weaves a poignant picture: everything is meant to be lost—not as punishment, but as a clearing for our true, unburdened self to emerge.

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David Richo, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist, writer, and workshop leader. He shares his time between Santa Barbara and San Francisco, California. Dave combines psychological and spiritual perspectives in his work. His latest book is Ready: How to Know When to Go and When to Stay (Shambhala, 2022). The website for books, talks, and events is http://www.davericho.com.

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Ian Challis suggests that we first acknowledge that witnessing or experiencing cruelty can generate intense emotional responses—anger, grief, fear—and that these reactions are natural.

However, Ian encourages us to avoid being overwhelmed or reactive. Instead, he suggests grounding ourselves in awareness and intention, recognizing that our own suffering in the face of cruelty is an opportunity for deeper practice and connection. He emphasizes that avoiding cruelty doesn’t mean turning away from pain—it means engaging with clarity and care.

Ian shares several guiding principles and reflections to help us in this effort:

• Recognize shared suffering: Understand that even those who act cruelly are often driven by their own confusion and suffering.
• Choose wise response over reactivity: Awareness helps interrupt cycles of violence and retaliation.
• Practice compassion with boundaries: Being compassionate doesn’t mean accepting harm—it includes protecting oneself and others wisely.
• Stay connected to values: Respond from a place of love, justice, and mindfulness, even when action is necessary.
  He also briefly touches on how Buddhist ethics (sīla) and the cultivation of wisdom (paññā) support us in transforming our response to injustice into a path of liberation.

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Ian Challis is a student and teacher in the Insight Tradition of Buddhism. He is a teacher, founding member, and past guiding teacher of Insight Community of the Desert in Palm Springs.

Ayya Khema, Leigh Brasington, Narayan Liebenson, Larry Yang, and Arinna Weisman are key teachers who have inspired and illuminated his practice.

Serving Queer community is a passion. 2025 marks his co-teaching of the 9th annual Queer retreat at Dhamma Dena Retreat Center with Leslie Booker. He is also a qualified teacher of MBSR, a graduate of Spirit Rock’s Community Dharma Leader teacher training, and was formally invited by Arinna Weisman to teach in the lineage of U Ba Khin and Ruth Denison.
Find him at ianchallis.com

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Liên Shutt shares a deeply personal and reflective talk centered around the phrase "Let Go and Let God," inspired by a cross-stitch left by her adoptive mother. Drawing from both her Buddhist and Christian influences, Liên explores how this phrase bridges her upbringing with her Zen practice. She reflects on the pain and insight of not resonating with Christianity while appreciating how her mother's deep faith comforted her.

Liên uses this as a springboard to delve into the spiritual dynamics of “letting go”—not in a passive sense, but as a practice of releasing control and embracing a deeper trust in the unknown, often referred to in Zen as the absolute. This becomes a metaphor for spiritual maturity and balance between effort and surrender.

She further enriches the talk by introducing key Buddhist ideas:

• Relative vs. Absolute: The “G” (relative, rational thinking) and the “Re” (absolute, intuitive knowing).
• Sandokai teaching: A Zen poem describing the harmony between difference and equality.
• Hand-wringing metaphor: A symbol of inner turmoil that contrasts with the calming practice of presence and receptivity.
• Cosmic mudra: A meditation hand gesture that balances tension and ease.

Through touching stories—including coming out to her parents—Liên models how negotiation between personal truth and inherited beliefs can lead to healing and connection. The talk wraps with a heartfelt tribute to her mother, affirming the universal longing for connection through love, whether it’s God, Dharma, or simply being seen.

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Liên Shutt (she/they) is a priest lineage holder in the Shunryu Suzuki tradition. Born to a Buddhist family in Vietnam, she received her meditation training in the Insight and Soto Zen traditions in the U.S., Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam. She was a founding member of the Buddhists of Color in 1998 and currently is the guiding teacher of Access to Zen, an inclusive, anti-oppression sangha and non-profit in the SF Bay Area. She lives on Ohlone land, currently called San Francisco, with her partner, exploring waterways and forests as often as they can.

Visit https://accesstozen.org/ for ways to connect and practice together.

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

John Martin gently guides us into the practice of returning to the body as a doorway to presence. He shares how disconnection from the body often means disconnection from our hearts, leading to mind-wandering or emotional reactivity. He reminds us of the Buddha’s wisdom—that the body is a precious opportunity for awakening—and emphasizes the importance of repeatedly coming back with kindness, not judgment.

John shares a powerful insight into his personal journey with chronic physical pain. Rather than resisting, he learned to meet pain with care and curiosity, discovering layers of tension, fear, and anger— ultimately achieving peace through non-reactivity.

His technique of holding 10-20% of attention on the breath during activities like watching ballet shows how even partial presence can deepen joy.

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John Martin teaches Vipassana (Insight), Metta (Loving Kindness) and LGBTQIA+ meditation retreats. He leads an ongoing weekly Monday evening meditation group in San Francisco. He serves as Co-chair of the Guiding Teachers Council for Spirit Rock. His practice has been supported by twelve years as a hospice volunteer, including five years at Shanti Project during the AIDS crisis and seven years with the Zen Hospice project.
Find his upcoming events at: https://calendar.spiritrock.org/event-speaker/john-martin/

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Daigan Gaither emphasizes that our suffering and confusion are not barriers to practice but the very ground of it.

He reflects on how to stay grounded and compassionate during turbulent and overwhelming times, drawing from his personal experiences and Buddhist teachings. He reminds us that practice doesn't mean escaping chaos—it means being present with it. By noticing our feelings, turning toward discomfort, and showing up honestly, we can respond with more wisdom and care. Daigan encourages us to drop perfectionism and meet ourselves with kindness, because showing up—even imperfectly—is the practice.

He offers practical and heartfelt suggestions for practicing in challenging times:

1. Pause and breathe – Come back to your body and breath, especially when overwhelmed.
2. Name what’s happening – Acknowledge your thoughts and feelings without judgment.
3. Stay connected – Practice in community and reach out to others for support.
4. Lean into the precepts – Use Buddhist ethical guidelines as a compass, not a rulebook.
5. Embrace imperfection – The world is messy, and so are we; we can still show up with love.

Ultimately, Daigan's message is one of hope: he invites us to meet chaos not with avoidance or despair, but with curiosity, compassion, and presence. 

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Rev. Daigan Gaither (he/him) began Buddhist practice in 1995 in the Vipassana (Insight) tradition, then began studying Zen in 2003. He received Lay Ordination in 2006 where he was given the name Daigan or “Great Vow,” and received Priest Ordination in July 2011. Daigan speaks internationally on a variety of topics particularly around gender, sexuality, social justice, and their intersections with the Dharma. He also sits or has sat on a number of boards and committees that serve community needs and further social justice causes.

Daigan has a BA in Philosophy and Religion from San Francisco State University, and an MA in Buddhist Studies (with a chaplaincy certificate and a certificate in Soto Zen Buddhism) from the Graduate Theological Union and the Institute of Buddhist Studies. He lives in San Francisco, CA and identifies as a disabled, queer, white, cis male. Learn more at https://queerdharma.net

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this talk, JD Doyle helps us turn directly toward the ever-present reality of suffering in our lives. Drawing from Joy Harjo’s poetry and personal anecdotes, JD invites us to reflect on how we orient ourselves in a world that often feels destabilizing. They compare the cycle of samsara to bumper cars at an amusement park, where we continually crash into each other through our reactive habits. JD explains that instead of merely surviving these crashes, we can choose to investigate them with compassion and wisdom.

JD skillfully unpacks the Buddhist concept of dukkha—commonly translated as suffering—by outlining its three types:

1. Dukkha-dukkha – Direct physical or emotional pain (e.g., illness, heartbreak, mental anguish).
2. Viparinama-dukkha – Suffering from impermanence (e.g., things changing against our will).
3. Sankhara-dukkha – The suffering embedded in conditioned existence, shaped by past actions and systems (like societal structures or inherited trauma).

They emphasize that wise reflection helps us meet these forms of suffering not with blame or avoidance, but with inquiry and compassion. JD also highlights the importance of community—how even crises, like a scary moment on a flight, can bring strangers together as a spontaneous sangha. Ultimately, they call us to meet suffering not with fear but with courage—a word rooted in the heart—and to help others find their way through the dark.

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JD Doyle serves as a core teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center (EBMC) and has served as a board member and was the cofounder of the LGBTQI meditation group. JD is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Meditation Center teacher-training program and was in the Dedicated Practitioner Program (DPP2) and the Community Dharma Leader Program (CDL4). JD has practiced Buddhism since 1995 in the U.S., Thailand, and Burma.

For over twenty-five years, they worked as a public school teacher focusing on issues of equity and access. JD holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Cornell University and a master’s degree in Language and Literacy and Sociocultural Studies from the University of New Mexico. JD identifies as gender non-conforming. They are committed to celebrating the diversity of our human sangha, addressing the impact of racism on our communities, expanding concepts of gender, and living in ways that honor the sacredness of the Earth.

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this talk, René Rivera gently but powerfully guides us through the terrain of shame, drawing from personal experience, restorative justice work, and Buddhist teachings. He names shame as one of the five primary human emotions and explores how it subtly drives fear, anger, and avoidance.

René relates how shame shows up intensely in work with people who’ve experienced or caused sexual harm and how facing it consciously can lead to healing and growth. He also ties shame to cultural patterns of oppression, suggesting that unexamined shame fuels collective harm, such as the political targeting of marginalized communities.

To help us recognize and transform our own shame, René shares several tools and frameworks:

1. Shame vs. Guilt: Shame is “I am bad,” while guilt is “I did something bad”—guilt can motivate action, while shame tends to immobilize.
2. Compass of Shame (Nathanson):
   • Attack Self: Internal harshness or over-apologizing.
   • Attack Other: Blaming or lashing out.
   • Withdrawal: Avoiding situations that might evoke shame.
   • Avoidance: Distraction or pretending nothing happened.
3. Body Awareness: Shame often shows up in physical sensations like sinking or heat; returning to the body anchors awareness.
4. Reflective Questions (inspired by Byron Katie):
   • Is it true?
   • Can you absolutely know it’s true?
   • How do you react when you believe it?
   • Who would you be without it?
   • Is this mine?
5. “Shame Report” Practice: Sharing shame stories with trusted others to dissolve secrecy and regain perspective.

René encourages us to remember that our shame responses often began as survival strategies. Bringing compassion, curiosity, and community to our experiences allows us to shift from painful self-concepts toward healing and freedom.

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René Rivera is a meditation teacher, restorative justice facilitator, and leader, working and learning in all the spaces in-between race, gender, and other perceived binaries, as a queer, mixed-race, trans man.

René teaches heart-centered, trauma-informed meditation, at the East Bay Meditation Center and other meditation centers. He has co-led the first residential meditation retreats for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people. René is a restorative justice facilitator for the Ahimsa Collective, working to heal sexual and gender-based violence.

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Here, Vimalasara delves into the Buddhist concept of dukkha (suffering), exploring how our habitual reactions to both pleasant and unpleasant experiences can entangle us in cycles of suffering. She emphasizes that dukkha isn't just about overt pain but also includes our resistance to life's impermanence and unpredictability. Vimalasara suggests we can begin to untangle them, fostering a deeper sense of ease and presence in our lives.​

Vimalasara outlines practical approaches to work with dukkha:​

1. Mindful Observation: Recognize and observe our reactions to experiences without judgment, allowing us to see the underlying patterns of clinging and aversion.​
2. Embodied Awareness: Engage in practices that connect us to bodily sensations, grounding us in the present moment and helping to dissolve the grip of suffering.​
3. Compassionate Inquiry: Approach our experiences with kindness and curiosity, creating space for healing and transformation.​

Through these methods, she encourages a compassionate and embodied path to understanding and alleviating dukkha, leading to greater freedom and well-being.​

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Dr. Vimalasara (Valerie) Mason-John MA (hon. doc) is a senior teacher in the Triratna Buddhist Community. She is the award-winning author of 9 books, including her most recently published in 2020 "I'm Still Your Negro: An Homage to James Baldwin," and is currently editing an anthology "Afrikan Wisdom: Black Liberation, Buddhism, and Beyond" published in 2021. She is also the author of "Detox Your Heart - Meditations for Emotional Trauma," and the award-winning book, "Eight-Step Recovery Using the Buddha's Teachings to Overcome Addiction," with 8-Step meetings in several continents.

Named as one of the leading African-descent voices in the field of mindfulness approaches for addiction, she has co-founded the accredited program Mindfulness-Based Addiction Recovery MBAR. She works as a dharma teacher, public speaker, professional trainer, and mindfulness teacher. Learn more at https://www.valeriemason-john.com/ 

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Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

He emphasizes that dukkha isn't just about overt pain but also includes the subtle dissatisfaction that arises from our resistance to life's impermanence and unpredictability. By bringing mindful awareness to these patterns, Sean suggests we can begin to untangle them, fostering a deeper sense of ease and presence in our lives.​

Sean outlines practical approaches to work with dukkha:​

1. Mindful Observation: Recognize and observe our reactions to experiences without judgment, allowing us to see the underlying patterns of clinging and aversion.​
2. Embodied Awareness: Engage in practices that connect us to bodily sensations, grounding us in the present moment and helping to dissolve the grip of suffering.​
3. Compassionate Inquiry: Approach our experiences with kindness and curiosity, creating space for healing and transformation.​

Through these methods, Sean encourages a compassionate and embodied path to understanding and alleviating dukkha, leading to greater freedom and well-being.

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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. Learn more at https://SeanFeitOakes.com

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

David outlines practical steps to shift our perspective during tough times:​

1. Acknowledge the Reality: Recognize and accept the presence of suffering without denial.
2. Cultivate Mindfulness: Stay present and observe your thoughts and emotions without judgment.
3. Practice Compassion: Extend kindness to yourself and others, understanding that everyone faces hardships.
4. Seek Growth Opportunities: View challenges as chances to develop wisdom and strength.​

By applying these principles, David suggests we can navigate life's difficulties with grace and emerge stronger and more compassionate.

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David Lewis has been following the dharma path for 50 years.  He has a degree in comparative religious studies and is a graduate of Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Advanced Practitioners Program.  David shares the dharma at several sanghas, including Mission Dharma, Insight Upper Market, and the Gay Buddhist Fellowship in San Francisco. 

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Steven Tierney emphasizes that every aspect of our lives—no matter how mundane—holds the potential for awakening when met with sincerity and care. Drawing from his experiences within the LGBTQIA+ community and his work in recovery, Steven illustrates how integrating mindfulness into daily activities can transform them into profound opportunities for growth and connection.​

Steven offers practical guidance to embody this approach:​

1. Intentional Living: Engage with each moment deliberately, recognizing its inherent value.​
2. Compassionate Presence: Extend kindness to oneself and others, understanding that everyone is on their unique path.​
3. Community Engagement: Participate actively in sangha (community), fostering mutual support and shared learning.​

By embracing these principles, Steven encourages us to see our lives not as a series of isolated events but as an interconnected tapestry where every thread contributes to our collective awakening.

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Steven Tierney (Kai Po Koshin) is a Dharma transmitted teacher in the lineage of Suzuki Roshi.  Steven has a new Sangha: Oceans Compassion Sangha and also practices with Gay Buddhist Fellowship, Meditation in Recovery at SFZC, Great Spirit Sangha, SFLGBTQA Sangha, and the Hartford Street Zen Center.  

Steven believes that we can find wisdom, compassion and awakening wherever good people come together for practice, healing, service and joy.  Dr. Tierney is a psychotherapist in private practice and Professor Emeritus in Counseling Psychology at CIIS.

He is a Certified Addiction Specialist and has been named a Diplomate in Clinical Mental Health by the American Mental Health Counselors Association.  He is also a certified suicide prevention and intervention trainer, providing workshops, classes, and consultations.  Steven can be reached at 415-235-1061 or steventierneysf@gmail.com

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Prasadachitta shares that emotions are not obstacles to be suppressed but gateways to deeper understanding and freedom. By bringing mindful awareness to our feelings, we can uncover the underlying patterns that shape our reactions and begin to respond with greater clarity and compassion.​

He offers practical approaches to engage with our emotions skillfully:​

1. Mindful Presence: Pay close attention to emotional experiences as they arise, observing them without judgment.​
2. Investigative Curiosity: Explore the roots of our emotions, considering how past experiences and conditioning influence our current responses.​
3. Compassionate Acceptance: Embrace our emotional states with kindness, recognizing them as natural aspects of the human experience.​

Through these practices, Prasadachitta encourages us to cultivate emotional liberation, leading to greater resilience, insight, and peace.​

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Prasadachitta was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in 2011 and he became the Chair of the San Francisco Buddhist Center in April 2022. He was born on a “back to the land” commune in rural Northern California and that background has inspired his engagement with others in building the SFBC’s rural meditation center called Dharmadhara. He also helped to establish a community of sangha members who support the retreats there. He supports himself as a documentary filmmaker and photographer but his real life’s work is training others who want to practice Buddhism within the Triratna Buddhist Community.

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

He emphasizes that seeking refuge is not about escaping difficulties but about turning towards trustworthy sources of guidance and support. Melvin shares personal experiences and insights, illustrating how remembering refuge can ground us in compassion and clarity amidst life's uncertainties.​

Melvin offers practical approaches to embody this practice:​

1. Mindful Reflection: Regularly contemplate the qualities of the Buddha, the teachings of the Dharma, and the support of the Sangha.​
2. Community Engagement: Participate actively in spiritual communities to foster connection and mutual support.​
3. Embodied Practice: Integrate mindfulness and compassion into daily activities, reinforcing the sense of refuge in everyday life.​

Through these practices, Melvin encourages us to cultivate a resilient and compassionate heart, finding refuge not only in formal practices but also in the simple moments of daily living.​

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Melvin Escobar is a Core Teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center, licensed psychotherapist, and certified yoga instructor. Melvin has walked the path of service for much of his life, drawing on his experiences as a queer man of color born and raised in Los Angeles, CA.

Having encountered the priceless wisdom embodied in Buddhism and Yoga, he continues daily to learn the revolutionary potential of body-centered contemplative practices for personal and social healing. You can read his latest articles in Lion’s Roar Magazine including “Loving-Kindness: May All Beings Be Happy,” and visit his website https://melvinescobar.com for more information.

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this talk, Kevin Griffin emphasizes that our minds often construct narratives based on past experiences, leading to distorted views of the present. By recognizing these patterns, we can begin to see things more clearly and respond with greater wisdom and compassion.​

Kevin offers practical guidance to cultivate clearer perception:​

1. Mindful Awareness: Pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without getting caught up in them.​
2. Investigating Beliefs: Question the stories we tell ourselves and consider alternative perspectives.​
3. Embracing Uncertainty: Accept that not everything is as it seems and remain open to new understandings.​

By engaging in these practices, Kevin encourages us to develop a more accurate and compassionate view of ourselves and the world around us.

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Kevin Griffin is a Buddhist teacher and author of 9 books known for his innovative work connecting dharma and recovery, especially through his 2004 book "One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps." He has been a Buddhist practitioner since the 1980s and a teacher for three decades. He reaches a broad range of audiences in dharma centers, wellness centers, and secular mindfulness settings.

His latest book is "Living Kindness: Metta Practice for the Whole of Our Lives" published in 2022. To learn more and to see his teaching schedule, visit http://kevingriffin.net

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Laura Burges shares that we can find solace within the immediacy of our own experience. She reflects on the traditional Buddhist practice of "taking refuge"—in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—and reimagines it as a deeply personal and embodied act. By anchoring ourselves in the present moment, Laura suggests, we can access a wellspring of clarity and compassion that helps us navigate life's uncertainties.​

Laura offers several practical approaches to cultivate this refuge:​

1. Mindful Breathing: Use the breath as a tool to ground ourselves in the here and now.​
2. Sensory Awareness: Engage fully with our senses to deepen our connection to the present.​
3. Compassionate Presence: Approach each moment with kindness, both towards ourselves and others.​

Through these practices, Laura encourages us to discover a sanctuary within, reminding us that the present moment holds the potential for profound peace and liberation.

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Ryuko Laura Burges, a lay entrusted dharma teacher in the Soto Zen tradition, teaches classes, lectures, and leads retreats in Northern California. She received monastic training at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. Laura co-founded the Sangha in Recovery Program at the San Francisco Zen Center and is the abiding teacher at Lenox House Meditation Group in Oakland. Shambhala Publications offers her Buddhist children’s books, Buddhist Stories for Kids and Zen for Kids. Her most recent book from Shambhala is The Zen Way of Recovery: An Illuminated Path Out of the Darkness of Addiction. Laura lives in San Francisco.

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Drawing from her own journey through addiction and recovery, Laura Burges emphasizes that making mistakes is an intrinsic part of being human. She encourages us to meet our errors with compassion and curiosity, viewing them as opportunities for growth rather than sources of shame. By embracing our imperfections, we can cultivate a more forgiving and understanding relationship with ourselves and others.

Laura outlines several key practices to support this compassionate approach:​

1. Mindful Awareness: Recognize and observe our mistakes without judgment, allowing us to learn from them.​
2. Self-Compassion: Treat ourselves with the same kindness we would offer a dear friend facing similar challenges.​
3. Letting Go of Perfectionism: Understand that striving for perfection can hinder our growth and acceptance.​
4. Embracing Vulnerability: Acknowledge our vulnerabilities as gateways to deeper connection and authenticity.​

Through these practices, Laura invites us to transform our relationship with mistakes, seeing them not as failures but as integral steps on the path of personal and spiritual development.

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Ryuko Laura Burges, a lay entrusted dharma teacher in the Soto Zen tradition, teaches classes, lectures, and leads retreats in Northern California. She received monastic training at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. Laura co-founded the Sangha in Recovery Program at the San Francisco Zen Center and is the abiding teacher at Lenox House Meditation Group in Oakland. Shambhala Publications offers her Buddhist children’s books, Buddhist Stories for Kids and Zen for Kids. Her most recent book from Shambhala is The Zen Way of Recovery: An Illuminated Path Out of the Darkness of Addiction. Laura lives in San Francisco.

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To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/
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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this talk, Jokai makes practical the six essential qualities that form the foundation of Mahayana Buddhist practice: The Paramis. Through humor and personal anecdotes, Jokai makes the teachings relatable, reinforcing that the essence of the Paramis is not in striving for perfection but in embodying compassion, resilience, and openness throughout life’s journey.

He begins by quoting Nagarjuna, from his work called Ratnavali or Precious Garland of Advice for a King:

"Generosity and morality for benefiting others,
Patience and diligence for cultivating self,
Meditation and wisdom for casting off self and others.This is, in short, the great vehicle's meaning.
This is, in brief, the Buddha's true teaching.
For the liberation of self and all beings,
These six means are the treasure-house."

Jokai describes the Paramis as steps toward self-liberation and service to others. He highlights the practical and transformative nature of the Paramis, reflecting on their ability to guide practitioners toward compassion and awakening, even amidst the complexities of daily life. He stresses the importance of starting with generosity and ethical conduct as a way to shift from self-centeredness to a collective sense of care and responsibility.

While meditation and wisdom are often emphasized in Zen practice, the Paramis remind us that spiritual growth also requires cultivating patience and perseverance. He acknowledges the challenges and frustrations that can arise but encourages staying committed to the path, not for personal enlightenment alone, but for the benefit of all beings.

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Jokai relocated to California from the UK in 2000 to study with Tenshin Fletcher Roshi at Yokoji Zen Mountain Center. After completing formal study, encompassing over two decades of residential training and service, he received Dharma Transmission (full authorization to teach) in the White Plum Lineage of Zen Buddhism in 2014, and Inka (final seal of approval) in 2022.

Jokai Roshi emphasizes the direct experience of awakening using contemporary language and time-honored methods.

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this insightful talk, Dale Borglum introduces the concept of the bodhisattva, or "warrior of compassion," emphasizing the transformative potential of emotions like grief and anger when approached with mindfulness and an open heart. He explores how Buddhist teachings provide tools for navigating emotions and fostering compassion amidst societal and personal challenges.  Dale contrasts empathy, which is simply feeling another's pain, with compassion, which involves an open-hearted connection to suffering that can inspire action—or sometimes inaction—based on wisdom.

Dale underscores the importance of embodying compassion both for others and for oneself, suggesting that self-compassion is a vital precursor to true altruism. He explains three qualities of compassion—connectedness, spaciousness, and warmth—and encourages staying present with discomfort rather than avoiding it. Through mindfulness and Vajrayana techniques, Dale demonstrates how suffering can become a pathway to awakening, connecting deeply with others, and cultivating a heart spacious enough to hold even the most challenging emotions and experiences.

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Dale Borglum is the founder and Executive Director of the Living/Dying Project in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is a pioneer in the conscious dying movement and has worked directly with thousands of people with life-threatening illnesses and their families for over 45 years. In 1981, Dale founded the first residential facility in the United States, The Dying Center, for people who wished to die consciously. He has taught and lectured extensively on the topics of spiritual support for those with life- threatening illness, on caregiving as a spiritual practice, and on healing at the edge — the edge of illness, of death, of loss, of crisis. Dale has a BS from UC Berkeley and a PhD from Stanford University. He is the co-author of 'Journey of Awakening: A Meditator’s Guidebook.' He has taught meditation for the past 50 years and hosts the 'Healing at the Edge' podcast.

Learn more at https://www.livingdying.org/

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this final talk, he explores the Vajrayana tradition's emphasis on holistic self-acceptance and using all aspects of experience—including anger—as part of the spiritual path. He discusses the contrast between early Buddhism’s emphasis on self-liberation, Mahayana’s interconnectedness, and Vajrayana’s transformative approach that integrates even difficult emotions. By reframing anger as energy that can be directed toward wisdom or compassion, Vajrayana encourages acceptance and the practice of self-love as a pathway to freedom.

Danadasa also reflects on the cultural influences shaping different Buddhist practices, such as Tibetan Buddhism’s devotional aspects compared to Western Buddhism’s rationalist tendencies. He shares his personal journey through conflict and how Vajrayana practices helped him transform anger and grief into deeper wisdom. Central to his teaching is the idea of surrender—letting go of control and embracing impermanence, which leads to the unworldly bliss of freedom from attachment. Through cognitive dissonance and contemplative affirmations, Danadasa encourages trusting the process of transformation, fostering forgiveness, and connecting with higher wisdom.

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Danadasa (he/him) began meditating and practicing Buddhism in 1993 and was ordained in the Triratna Buddhist Order in 2011 at the San Francisco Buddhist Center. At his ordination, he received his Buddhist name Danadasa which, in Sanskrit, means “servant of generosity”. In 1995, he developed a heart connection with the archetypal Buddha Amitabha, rooted in the Japanese Pure Land tradition Jodo Shinshu (known in the Western world as Shin Buddhism), and has been practicing an Amitabha sadhana (devotional practice) since 2011.

Danadasa is deeply passionate about teaching meditation, mindfulness and Buddhism in a somatic and embodied way, bringing the Buddha’s teachings to life in our imaginations through images and storytelling. Embodied practice is the path of getting out of our heads and into our bodies, for it is in our bodies that liberation reveals itself.

Over the past 20 years, Danadasa has held various administrative and leadership roles within the San Francisco Buddhist Center (SFBC). And in 2023, he resigned from all of his formal SFBC roles, as well as taking a break from teaching for a period of wandering in the wilderness, free from the external responsibilities, expectations and social norms of the monastery, following in the footsteps of the great “crazy wisdom” Mahasiddhas of the past. Since then, many lineage Masters and archetypal Buddhas have provided Danadasa with guidance and inspiration, including Tilopa, Naropa, Padmasambhava, Vajrakilaya, and Machig Labdron. In 2024, Danadasa received Vajrayogini initiation and empowerment. Through Vajrayogini, the Mother of All the Buddhas, the meaning of the Buddha’s words is beginning to reveal itself.

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Here in Part 2, he explores how Mahayana Buddhism builds on early Buddhist teachings to emphasize interconnectedness and engagement with the world. He contrasts embodied imagination—a tool for liberation—with fantasy, which is mere escapism. Through imagination, we can transform harmful narratives into those fostering peace and well-being. Danadasa highlights the Mahayana method of creating archetypal symbols, like Amitabha Buddha, to inspire and guide practitioners, encouraging reliance on higher wisdom rather than individual control.

He also addresses balancing inner peace with active engagement in a polarized world. By using meditation to cultivate an inner “bounded space,” individuals can replenish emotional resilience and learn to let go of toxic tendencies, such as mental proliferation and polarization. Danadasa emphasizes that true freedom arises not from avoiding the world but from embracing impermanence and interconnectedness, offering practical steps for thriving in challenging circumstances.

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Danadasa (he/him) began meditating and practicing Buddhism in 1993 and was ordained in the Triratna Buddhist Order in 2011 at the San Francisco Buddhist Center. At his ordination, he received his Buddhist name Danadasa which, in Sanskrit, means “servant of generosity”.  In 1995, he developed a heart connection with the archetypal Buddha Amitabha, rooted in the Japanese Pure Land tradition Jodo Shinshu (known in the Western world as Shin Buddhism), and has been practicing an Amitabha sadhana (devotional practice) since 2011. 

Danadasa is deeply passionate about teaching meditation, mindfulness and Buddhism in a somatic and embodied way, bringing the Buddha’s teachings to life in our imaginations through images and storytelling. Embodied practice is the path of getting out of our heads and into our bodies, for it is in our bodies that liberation reveals itself. 

Over the past 20 years, Danadasa has held various administrative and leadership roles within the San Francisco Buddhist Center (SFBC). And in 2023, he resigned from all of his formal SFBC roles, as well as taking a break from teaching for a period of wandering in the wilderness, free from the external responsibilities, expectations and social norms of the monastery, following in the footsteps of the great “crazy wisdom” Mahasiddhas of the past. Since then, many lineage Masters and archetypal Buddhas have provided Danadasa with guidance and inspiration, including Tilopa, Naropa, Padmasambhava, Vajrakilaya, and Machig Labdron. In 2024, Danadasa received Vajrayogini initiation and empowerment. Through Vajrayogini, the Mother of All the Buddhas, the meaning of the Buddha’s words is beginning to reveal itself.

______________ 
To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/
There you can:  

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Here in Part 1, Danadasa touches on Theravada perspectives, emphasizes the original teachings of the Buddha from the Pali canon, such as the concept of the "two darts": physical pain as inevitable (the first dart) and the additional suffering we create through our mental reactions (the second dart). He explains that liberation lies in recognizing these reactions as echoes from the past rather than intrinsic truths, allowing us to let them naturally fade. This practice shifts our perspective from intellectual understanding to embodied wisdom. 

He also connects these teachings to social polarization, highlighting the need to balance inner peace with outer engagement. By setting boundaries, cultivating resilience, and embracing impermanence, Danadasa urges us to navigate modern challenges compassionately, breaking free from habitual suffering and fostering harmony within ourselves and with others.

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Danadasa (he/him) began meditating and practicing Buddhism in 1993 and was ordained in the Triratna Buddhist Order in 2011 at the San Francisco Buddhist Center. At his ordination, he received his Buddhist name Danadasa which, in Sanskrit, means “servant of generosity”.  In 1995, he developed a heart connection with the archetypal Buddha Amitabha, rooted in the Japanese Pure Land tradition Jodo Shinshu (known in the Western world as Shin Buddhism), and has been practicing an Amitabha sadhana (devotional practice) since 2011. 

Danadasa is deeply passionate about teaching meditation, mindfulness and Buddhism in a somatic and embodied way, bringing the Buddha’s teachings to life in our imaginations through images and storytelling. Embodied practice is the path of getting out of our heads and into our bodies, for it is in our bodies that liberation reveals itself. 

Over the past 20 years, Danadasa has held various administrative and leadership roles within the San Francisco Buddhist Center (SFBC). And in 2023, he resigned from all of his formal SFBC roles, as well as taking a break from teaching for a period of wandering in the wilderness, free from the external responsibilities, expectations and social norms of the monastery, following in the footsteps of the great “crazy wisdom” Mahasiddhas of the past. Since then, many lineage Masters and archetypal Buddhas have provided Danadasa with guidance and inspiration, including Tilopa, Naropa, Padmasambhava, Vajrakilaya, and Machig Labdron. In 2024, Danadasa received Vajrayogini initiation and empowerment. Through Vajrayogini, the Mother of All the Buddhas, the meaning of the Buddha’s words is beginning to reveal itself.

______________ 
To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/
There you can:  

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Jennifer enriches her discussion with musical interludes, using songs to embody each of the Four Immeasurables:

1. Loving-kindness (Metta): Wishing happiness for all beings.
2. Compassion (Karuna): Desiring freedom from suffering for everyone.
3. Empathetic Joy (Mudita): Celebrating others' happiness.
4. Equanimity (Upekkha): Maintaining calm and impartiality amidst life's ups and downs.

Through her music, Jennifer offers a heartfelt and accessible approach to these profound teachings, inviting listeners to integrate them into daily life.

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Jennifer Berezan is a unique blend of singer/songwriter, producer, and activist. Over the course of ten albums, she has developed and explored recurring themes with a rare wisdom. Her lifelong involvement in environmental, women’s, and other justice movements as well as an interest in Buddhism and earth-based spirituality are at the heart of her writing.

Find her at https://jenniferberezan.com/

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

WATCH this interactive talk and find the quotes that David shares on our website: 

https://gaybuddhist.org/podcast/somatic-meditation-the-anatomy-of-practice-david-moreno/
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David Moreno, RYT 500, YACEP, SFT, has taught at international yoga conferences, festivals, universities, and teacher trainings worldwide. He continues his study in Tantra, Ayurveda, meditation and Qi Gong. He is known for his depth, keen sense of humor and timing, making his teaching both playful and informative. His yoga commentaries have been published in Yoga Journal, Yoga International, LA Yoga Magazine, and Common Ground. His dance criticism and performing arts journalism are featured in Culture Vulture. David is also an ordained minister. 

He also teaches day-long and weekend-long mindfulness movement and sitting retreats, called Deliberate Stillness, at Green Gulch Zen Center.
Learn more at https://moryoga.com/retreats/deliberate-stillness-daylong-2024/

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this talk, Dave Richo explores the practice of loving-kindness (metta) in Buddhism, emphasizing its expansive nature. Using an analogy from Romeo and Juliet, Dave explains that love is boundless, reaching beyond our immediate relationships to encompass all beings. He introduces the concept of concentric circles, where love radiates from ourselves to our close ones, those we are neutral toward, marginalized individuals, and even those we struggle with, eventually encompassing all beings. The core idea is that as we give love, it grows in abundance, benefiting both us and others.

Dave encourages us to include in our loving-kindness practice:

• Self-love: Starting with extending kindness to ourselves, as we can't offer to others what we don't have.
• Expanding circles: Extending love outward from family and friends to neighbors, marginalized groups, and enemies.
• Compassion for all beings: Wishing well even to those who harm us, recognizing that everyone seeks happiness and is capable of transformation. By cultivating this mindset daily, we can contribute to a more just, peaceful, and loving world.

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David Richo, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist, writer, and workshop leader. He shares his time between Santa Barbara and San Francisco, California. Dave combines psychological and spiritual perspectives in his work. His latest book is "Ready: How to Know When to Go and When to Stay." (Shambhala, 2022). The website for books, talks, and events is www.davericho.com.

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To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/
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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

JD Doyle shares that the key lies in returning to our interconnectedness. JD ties this beautifully with the practice of the brahmaviharas (the four immeasurables: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity). JD explains that when we feel overwhelmed by the suffering we witness or experience, turning to these qualities helps us stay grounded. By cultivating loving-kindness and compassion, we can face challenges without closing off emotionally.

JD encourages finding sympathetic joy—the ability to take pleasure in others' happiness—even when we're struggling ourselves. This practice shifts our perspective, allowing us to connect with joy rather than being consumed by negativity. JD also emphasizes equanimity, helping us maintain balance and compassion even when we feel like the weight of the world is too much. Through these practices, we develop resilience and stay open-hearted in the face of overwhelm.

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JD Doyle serves as a core teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center (EBMC) and has served as a board member and was the cofounder of the LGBTQI meditation group. JD is in the Spirit Rock Meditation Center teacher-training program and was in the Dedicated Practitioner Program (DPP2) and the Community Dharma Leader Program (CDL4). JD has practiced Buddhism since 1995 in the U.S., Thailand, and Burma.

For over twenty-five years, they worked as a public school teacher focusing on issues of equity and access. JD holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Cornell University and a master’s degree in Language and Literacy and Sociocultural Studies from the University of New Mexico. JD identifies as gender non-conforming. They are committed to celebrating the diversity of our human sangha, addressing the impact of racism on our communities, expanding concepts of gender, and living in ways that honor the sacredness of the Earth.
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You can watch the video on our website or YouTube:
https://gaybuddhist.org/podcast/joy-and-compassion-in-the-face-of-overwhelm-jd-doyle/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_b6VuZ_LNY

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To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/
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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In both interpersonal relationships and self-reflection, Daigan Gaither advocates for an open, curious approach where we allow things to be as they are, rather than forcing them to fit preconceived notions. This approach, he suggests, fosters deeper connection and understanding with ourselves and others, as well as with the world around us.

Daigan explains that we often misinterpret our emotions by labeling them (e.g., calling a physical sensation "anxiety") and then react to those labels instead of the actual experience. This creates layers of stories and emotions, leading us further from the original feeling.

He encourages us to stay curious about our experience, letting go of certainty and rigid identities, and allowing the experience to tell us what it is. By doing so, we avoid creating fixed identities or stories about ourselves and our emotions, which can lead to suffering.

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Rev. Daigan Gaither (he/him) began Buddhist practice in 1995 in the Vipassana (Insight) tradition, then began studying Zen in 2003. He received Lay Ordination in 2006 where he was given the name Daigan or “Great Vow,” and received Priest Ordination in July 2011.

Daigan speaks internationally on a variety of topics particularly around gender, sexuality, social justice, and their intersections with the Dharma. He also sits or has sat on a number of boards and committees that serve community needs and further social justice causes.

Daigan has a BA in Philosophy and Religion from San Francisco State University, and an MA in Buddhist Studies (with a chaplaincy certificate and a certificate in Soto Zen Buddhism) from the Graduate Theological Union and the Institute of Buddhist Studies.

He lives in San Francisco, CA and identifies as a disabled, queer, white, cis male. Learn more at https://queerdharma.net

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To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/
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Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

You'll be surprised at how much goes on behind the scenes and gain appreciation for GBF as an organization and sangha including:

• Lining up speakers
• Announcing & facilitating each meeting
• Setting up the recordings & Zoom equipment
• Hosting and providing refreshments
• Editing recordings & producing the podcast & YouTube channel
• Publishing and mailing the newsletter
• Planning semi-annual retreats
• Managing our social media presence
• Updating the website
• Publishing the member directory

We can use more help with the many facets of keeping the sangha strong, so listen and perhaps find a Volunteer role to suit you. Specific details about openings, their duties, and time commitments for each will be given along with roles perfectly suited for those on Zoom. For more information send an email to gaybuddhistfellowship@gmail.com

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To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/
There you can:  

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

______________ 
To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/
There you can:  

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

(Recorded June 11, 1995)
Following on the heels of the AIDS crisis, in 1995 societal shame about LGBTQ sexuality was quite prevalent. Eric Kolvig emphasized that Buddhism is an ethical system focused on reducing suffering, not a moral system with judgments of good and evil. Arguing that repressing sexuality doesn't work, he challenges us to engage with it skillfully whether choosing celibacy, monogamy, or multiple partners.

Eric shares several insights from his own exploration of sexuality and spirituality:

• Meditation practice improves sex life by increasing presence and awareness.
• There's an important distinction between desire (which can be painful) and rapture (a delightful appreciation of beauty).
• It's crucial to distinguish between physical pleasure and emotional satisfaction in sex.
• Orgasm can provide a brief experience of non-self, similar to the goal of meditation.
• Ultimately, both sexuality and spiritual practice are about overcoming the pain of separation and experiencing union.

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Eric Kolvig, Ph.D. was a teacher in the Vipassana Buddhist tradition for 30 years, from 1985 through his retirement in 2015.

A gay man, he was one of the first teachers to foster queer sanghas, leading meditation retreats offering public talks around the United States and abroad.

Eric had a particular interest in “grassroots dharma,” building spiritual community in democratic, non-authoritarian ways, and he led retreats in the wilderness. He was one of the first teachers who was open about using Dharma to cope with severe mental illness.

He worked with many teachers but primarily with Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg in the lineage of Mahasi Sayadaw of Burma, and also with Richard Clarke in the Zen lineage of Roshi Philip Kapleau.

After retiring as a dharma teacher, he moved to rural New Hampshire to lead a contemplative lifestyle. After an illness, Eric died on July 2, 2024.

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If you are interested in more from this wise elder of the LGBTQ community, find links to additional resources available by Eric Kolvig, along with a complete transcript of this talk at:
https://gaybuddhist.org/podcast/gay-sexuality-and-buddhist-dharma-eric-kolvig/

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To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/
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Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

• Perception and Misperception: David highlights that our perception is conditioned by our experiences, often leading to erroneous interpretations of reality. He uses the metaphor of blind men perceiving an elephant differently to illustrate how we can have differing understandings of the same phenomenon.
• Insight and Ignorance: According to David, insight in Buddhism is not intellectual but a deeper, intuitive understanding that emerges from conscious awareness. It helps dissolve ignorance, which is the beginning of suffering.
• The Three Characteristics of Existence:
  1. Impermanence (Anicca): Everything is in a state of change, and recognizing this helps us let go of attachments and fear of death or loss.
  2. Suffering (Dukkha): Often misunderstood as mere suffering, Dukkha refers to the inherent unsatisfactoriness and unreliability of life.
  3. Not-Self (Anatta): David discusses the concept of no-self, which challenges the idea of a permanent, unchanging self, promoting a deeper understanding of interconnectedness and letting go of ego-based clinging.

David emphasizes that these insights are tools for waking up to the nature of reality, leading to freedom from suffering. Meditation serves as a practice to cultivate awareness and wisdom, helping us to live in harmony with the true nature of things.

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To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/
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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Steven Tierney asks us to challenge the notion that we are stuck with no way out. He emphasizes that rather than avoid the difficult, we can find a way through by embracing Buddhist teachings and practices.

This can include:

1. Living with Intention:
   • Drawing from Victor Frankl and Thich Nhat Hanh, he underscores the importance of embodying the teachings and living with intention.
2. Joy and Bliss in Buddhist Practice:
   • He examines the concept of the "jhanas" or advanced meditative states that lead to joy and bliss, cautioning against quick fixes or commercialized paths to spiritual fulfillment.
3. Investigation and Self-Understanding:
   • Emphasizing the importance of self-investigation (Dharma Vaya), Steven discusses how understanding our true selves, beyond societal expectations or prohibitions, is crucial for personal growth and finding joy.
4. The Role of Courage:
   • He also highlights the role of courage in living authentically and taking action in the world. Steven connects courage to joy, suggesting that joy naturally arises from deep self-understanding, while courage is needed to express this joy in the face of external challenges.
5. Moving Through Pain:
   • He encourages us to face pain fully, without becoming a victim of it, and move through it as a path to deeper understanding.

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Steven Tierney (Kai Po Koshin) is a Dharma transmitted teacher in the lineage of Suzuki Roshi. Steven has a new Sangha: Oceans Compassion Sangha and also practices with Gay Buddhist Fellowship, Meditation in Recovery at SFZC, Great Spirit Sangha, SFLGBTQA Sangha, and the Hartford Street Zen Center.

Steven believes that we can find wisdom, compassion and awakening wherever good people come together for practice, healing, service and joy. Dr. Tierney is a psychotherapist in private practice and Professor Emeritus in Counseling Psychology at CIIS.

He is a Certified Addiction Specialist and has been named a Diplomate in Clinical Mental Health by the American Mental Health Counselors Association. He is also a certified suicide prevention and intervention trainer, providing workshops, classes, and consultations. Steven can be reached at 415-235-1061 or steventierneysf@gmail.com

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To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/
There you can:  

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

1. Ethics
2. The heart practices (compassion, loving-kindness, joy, etc.)
3. Wisdom

He then looks at the essence of each and how they can be expressed very simply in ordinary, practical language that goes beyond Buddhism.

WATCH the full talk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1ZLIg05F38
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Donald Rothberg, Ph.D., is a member of the Teachers Council at Spirit Rock Center, a guiding teacher for the Marin Sangha in San Rafael, California, and a regular teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, California, Southern Dharma Retreat Center, InsightLA, and New York Insight.

He teaches retreats and groups on concentration and insight meditation practice, lovingkindness practice, transforming the judgmental mind, mindful communication, working skillfully with conflict, and socially engaged Buddhism.

He has practiced insight meditation since 1976, and has also received training in Tibetan Dzogchen, body-based psychotherapy, and trauma work. He has helped guide many six-month to two-year training programs in socially engaged spirituality, both Buddhist-based and interfaith, and is the author of The Engaged Spiritual Life: A Buddhist Approach to Transforming Ourselves and the World, and the co-editor of Ken Wilber in Dialogue.

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To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/
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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this practical talk, Michaiel Patrick Bovenes shares reminders for finding connection.

Connecting with others depends on how we are being:

1. Be open and present
2. Be curious rather than critical
3. Be understanding
4. Be vulnerable - "consciously uncomfortable"
5. Own your value, realizing that you matter.
6. Seek the good in others
7. Be discerning - discover early if it's not a good fit

Tips for practical application.

1. Before Socializing - Set your intention and lift your energy if needed – listen to favorite music, call a friend, engage with humor. Feeling good before socializing makes you more attractive to others.
2. Assume everyone is already your friend, then you don’t have to break the ice.
3. Explore common interests with other people and join local groups

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Michaiel Patrick Bovenes - is a metaphysician, published author, spiritual healer, and the founder of Soul-utions -- a revolutionary personal empowerment teaching. His online courses and live events have helped thousands find greater inner strength and personal peace. Since 1991, he has helped people transform their stress into strength and their struggle into greater freedom, confidence, and positive change. Soul-utions is not a religion, it's a conscious relationship with your Soul. Soul-utions focuses on activating your inner power to create the changes you desire by aligning with your true purpose, inner wisdom, and empowered destiny. Find him at https://linktr.ee/michaiel.soul.utions 

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To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/
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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

______________ 
To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/
There you can:  

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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

1. Life is marked by suffering or anguish - "Recognize Me"  
2. The cause of suffering is desire - "Understand Me"
3. There can be an end to suffering - "Realize Me"
4. The Noble 8-Fold Path is the prescription - "Cultivate Me" 

To approach our practice as an experiment, she encourages us to develop an agnostic curiosity rather than hardening the teachings into firm beliefs. In this way, we can practice with an open mind and heart.
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Ryuko Laura Burges, a lay entrusted dharma teacher in the Soto Zen tradition, teaches classes, lectures, and leads retreats in Northern California. She received monastic training at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. Laura co-founded the Sangha in Recovery Program at the San Francisco Zen Center and is the abiding teacher at Lenox House Meditation Group in Oakland. Shambhala Publications offers her Buddhist children’s books, Buddhist Stories for Kids and Zen for Kids. Her most recent book from Shambhala is The Zen Way of Recovery: An Illuminated Path Out of the Darkness of Addiction. Laura lives in San Francisco.

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To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/
There you can:  

•  Donate 
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CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

______________ 
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 1995

CREDITS
Audio Production: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter