A Thousand Thoughts by Ariya B. Baumann

Ariya B. Baumann was born and raised in Switzerland. She started to practise meditation during her training as a music and dance teacher at the conservatory in Zürich. In 1992, she went to Myanmar (Burma) and ordained as a nun under Sayadaw U Janaka and for many years she practised vipassana and metta meditation under his guidance. Later she assisted the Sayadaws by translating talks and interviews for foreign meditators. In 2006, she changed to the Chanmyay Myaing Meditation Centre, Yangon, where she assisted Sayadaw U Indaka as well as teaching the foreign meditators herself.

In 2013, she disrobed and is now based in Switzerland from where she continues to teach vipassana and metta meditation courses worldwide.

She has translated several Dhamma books from Burmese to English and German, including Sayadaw U Indaka’s books on metta and the factors of enlightenment.



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Cultivation Of The Four Efforts by Thanissara

Thanissara, a practitioner since 1975, was a Theravada nun for 12 years in the tradition of Ajahn Chah and has taught internationally the last 20 years. She is co-founder and director of Dharmagiri Hermitage and Outreach in South Africa and spends time between there and the US. She has an MA in Mindfulness Psychotherapy Practice from Karuna Institute and Middlesex University UK and is currently co-facilitator of the Community Dharma Leader at Spirit Rock.



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The Noble Eightfold Path by Rodney Smith

This is a series of talks by Rodney Smith on the Noble Eightfold Path.

The first talk is on Wise view which is the essential first step, and which he regards as framing the entire path of practice.

(Apologies for the sound quality - they are quite old recordings; the speech is fine but there is some background hiss)







Wise View



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Wise Aspiration



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Wise Speech



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Wise Action



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Wise Livelihood



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Wise Effort



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Wise Mindfulness



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Wise Samadhi



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The Five Hindrances by Gil Fronsdal

This is a series of six talks on the Five Hindrances by Gil Fronsdal.

Gil is the primary teacher for the Insight Meditation Centre in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Centre where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman.

Introduction to The Five Hindrances



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Sensual Desire



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Ill Will



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Sloth and Torpor



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Restlessness



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Doubt



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Living In The Present by Michael Grady

This talk, which is also about living in the present moment, is by Narayan's then husband Michael Grady.

Michael was a guiding teacher at the Cambridge Insight Meditation Centre for more than 20 years. He has practiced insight meditation since 1974 and also trained with the late Master Sheng Yen.

He encourages including all of life as an opportunity for awakening.



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Living Fully In The Present; The Four Foundations Of Mindfulness

Narayan Helen Liebenson is a guiding teacher of IMS and the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center, and a
regular contributor to Buddhadharma magazine. Her training includes over 30 years in the Theravada tradition as well as in Chan with the late Master Sheng Yen.

This talk is the first in a series on the Satipatthana Sutta, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness and mainly concentrates on the first foundation, mindfulness of the body.

Part One



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Part Two



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Death by Lila Kate Wheeler

Within this very body, the Buddha declared, we have everything we need to discover the origin and cessation of suffering. Yet we tend to ignore our bodies or pay distorted, unwise attention to them. On this silent retreat beginners and experienced meditators trained in embodied awareness, the direct experience of our physical life. They also practiced living with clearer understanding and a kinder attitude toward our bodies' organic, changing nature.

In this talk Lila Kate Wheeler explores the subject of death as part of this mindfulness of body.

Lila Kate Wheeler began teaching meditation in the mid-1980s and continues to practice with teachers in Theravada and Tibetan Buddhist lineages. Writing is an important part of her life; she has recently completed a second novel.




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Ethical Practices In Cultivating The Dharma Tony Bernhard

This is the last talk in the series "Where rubber meets the road", a series of talks by various speakers on the subject of mindful living.

This one is by Tony Bernhard who is one of Spirit Rock's Community Dharma Leaders. He sits on the board of the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies and on the Spirit Rock Program Committee. He hosts sitting groups in Davis and teaches regularly throughout the Bay Area.



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When Faith Informs Wisdom by Robert Cusick

This is the penultimate talk in the series "Where rubber meets the road", a series of talks by various speakers on the subject of mindful living.

This one, "When Faith Informs Wisdom" is by Robert Cusick who has been practicing Buddhist meditationsince 1997 and is a student of Gil Fronsdal. He trained as a Buddhist monk, under the Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw, at Pa Auk Forest Monastery in southern Myanmar (Burma). He also trained in the Soto Zen tradition at Tassajara Zen Mountain Centre and with A.H. Almaas (Hameed Ali) in the Diamond Approach (DH6). Before leaving for Burma, Robert participated in the second Buddhist Chaplaincy training offered through the Sati Centre for Buddhist Studies and he completed the first Dedicated Practitioners Program (DPP1) at Spirit Rock Meditation Centre. He subsequently served there, upon his return to the U.S., in the role of Retreats Program Manager. He currently sits on the Board of Directors at the Sati Centre for Buddhist Studies and Pa Auk Forest Meditation Centre, USA.



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Mindfulness in Close Relationships by Matthew Brensilver

This is the eighth talk in the series "Where rubber meets the road", a series of talks by various speakers on the subject of mindful living.

This one is by Matthew Brensilver, PhD, who began practice in the Tibetan tradition and since 2003, has studied with Shinzen Young. He served as a Buddhist chaplain at USC for four years and teaches about the intersection of mindfulness and psychotherapy at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Centre. Matthew was trained by Noah Levine, with whom he teaches at Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society and is currently in the Spirit Rock/IMS teacher training program. He conducts research on addiction treatment at the UCLA Centre for Behavioural and Addiction Medicine.



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Widening the Path of Practice; Compassionate Service by Margaret Gainer

This is the seventh talk in the series "Where rubber meets the road", a series of talks by various speakers on
the subject of mindful living.

This one is by Margaret Gainer who began Buddhist meditation practice in 1995 and teaches at several San Francisco Bay area meditation groups and churches. Margaret completed Sati Centre Buddhist Chaplaincy Training, and since 2005 has taught a weekly meditation class for women inmates at Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas.

Interestingly, Margaret is a member of the First Congregational Church of San Jose and brings Buddhist teachings and understanding into the life of the church.



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Knowing Ourselves Inside and Out by Sharon Allen

This is the sixth talk in the series "Where rubber meets the road", a series of talks by various speakers on the subject of mindful living. This one is by Sharon Allen who is a long time practitioner and teacher of mindfulness meditation and different forms of movement. She taught Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for many years. Sharon leads several on-going meditation groups that explore spiritual development through meditation, study, and reflection. Sharon encourages the integration of mindfulness in dealing with life’s ever-changing events. When it is suitable, Sharon offers the movement practices of Tai Chi and Qi Gong to enhance mindfulness. These movement practices can be adapted and are beneficial for people with varied physical capabilities.



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Intention, Motivation and Purpose by Andrea Fella

This is the fifth talk in the series "Where rubber meets the road", a series of talks by various speakers on
the subject of mindful living. This one is by Andrea Fella who co-teaches with Gil Fronsdal at the Insight Meditation Centre in Redwood City, California. (IMC) is a community-based urban meditation centre for the practice of Vipassana or Insight meditation.



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The Rebellious Path Of Freedom From Habits Of Mind by Jason Murphy

Jason Murphy has been practicing Vipassana (Insight) meditation since 1994. He is a teacher and counsellor
who has been working with youth and families for the past 17 years. Jason has taught mindful awareness in a variety of settings and now leads a weekly Mindfulness group for young adults in Santa Cruz. He has assisted at Spirit Rock Meditation Centre and with the Buddhist Peace Fellowship (BPF) on a number of retreats. Jason has sat residential retreats as well as studied at monasteries in the U.S as well as in Asia.

This is the fourth talk in the series "Where rubber meets the road", a series of talks by various speakers on the subject of mindful living.



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