An archive of Zoom Class recordings.
December 31, 2021: Right Effort: Video on YouTube. Moving into the meditation aspect of the Noble Eightfold Path. Listen to audio below.
December 28, 2021: Sila: Video on YouTube. Exploring the morality/ethics elements of the Eightfold Path: Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood. Listen to audio below.
December 17, 2021: Right Intention: Video on YouTube. The second element of the Noble Eightfold Path. Listen to audio below.
December 14, 2021: Right View: Audio only. We begin a series on the Noble Eightfold Path. Listen to audio below.
November 26, 2021: Offering Your Head: Audio only. Reflections on service and Step 12.
November 23, 2021: Measuring Up: Video on YouTube. Step 12, “One Breath at a Time,” reflecting on enlightenment. Listen to audio below.
November 19, 2021: Spiritual Awakening: Video on YouTube. Step 12 from the “Buddhism and the Twelve Steps Workbook.” Listen to audio below.
November 9, 2021: Brahmaviharas: Audio only. The Four Divine Abodes, loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. Listen to audio below.
October 29, 2021: Depth of Practice: Video on YouTube. From Step 11, “One Breath at a Time,” more about intensive practice. Listen to audio below.
October 22, 2021: Going on Retreat: Video on YouTube. Discussing the value and experience of intensive, silent meditation retreat. Listen to audio below.
October 15, 2021: Clear Comprehension: Video on YouTube. From “One Breath at a Time,” the element of mindfulness that guides us in decision making and action. Listen to audio below.
October 12, 2021: Whose Will?: Video on YouTube. From “One Breath at a Time,” exploring the concept of “God’s will” from a Buddhist perspective. Listen to audio below.
October 5, 2021: Metta: Video on YouTube. From “One Breath at a Time,” exploring the loving-kindness. Listen to audio below. Listen to audio below.
September 28, 2021: Born from Those Who Are Dear. Video on YouTube. From “Living Kindness,” reflections on the suffering that arises through attachment in relationship. Listen to audio below.
September 24, 2021: Simile of the Saw: Video on YouTube. From “Living Kindness,” reflections on non-hatred. Listen to audio below.
September 21, 2021: Like Milk and Water: Video on YouTube. From “Living Kindness,” reflections on living in community. Listen to audio below.
September 17, 2021: May I Be Peaceful: Video on YouTube. For the reflections on Metta/Lovingkindness, I start to use my book “Living Kindness: Buddhist Teachings for a Troubled World.” This section is on loving yourself. Listen to audio below.
September 14, 2021: Buddhist Prayer: Video on YouTube. From Step 11, “One Breath at a Time.” Listen to audio below.
September 7, 2021: The Lord’s Prayer: Video on YouTube. I go through the section on the Lord’s Prayer in Step 11 of “One Breath at a Time.” Also, time spent on standing meditation. Listen to audio below.
September 3, 2021: Walt Opie: Video on YouTube. Buddhist recovery teacher, Walt Opie, teaches the class. Listen to audio below.
August 27, 2021: Contact: Video on YouTube. From Step 11 in “One Breath at a Time.” Lovingkindness meditation. Listen to audio below.
August 24, 2021: The Seeker: Video on YouTube. From Step 11 in “One Breath at a Time,” with concentration meditation practice. Listen to audio below.
August 20, 2021: Introduction to Step 11: Video on YouTube. Starting Step 11 in “One Breath at a Time. ” With this Step I introduce a variety of meditation practices. This time a guided “Body Scan.” Listen to audio below.
August 17, 2021: Walt Opie: Video on YouTube. Walt Opie, Buddhist teacher, leads the class. Listen to audio below.
August 10, 2021: Maintaining Joy. Video on YouTube. From Step 10, “One Breath at a Time.” Listen to audio below.
August 6, 2021: Dukkha of Maintenance: Video on YouTube. Looking at how the daily challenges of life are in themselves “dukkha.” Listen to audio below.
August 3, 2021: Really Promptly: Video on YouTube. From Step 10 in “One Breath at at Time.” Listen to audio below.
July 30, 2021: Appreciation: Video on YouTube. This talks explores the illusion that our mind is in control.
July 27, 2021: Over and Over: Video on YouTube. The repetitive nature of Step 10. Listen to audio below.
July 23, 2021: Admitting We’re Wrong: Video on YouTube. The importance of honestly admitting our failing in maintaining our recovery. In the opening I talk about elements of concentration. Listen to audio below.
July 16, 2021: One Continuous Mistake: Video on YouTube. I read from “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind,” by Suzuki Roshi. His phrase, “one continuous mistake,” points to the difficulty of meditating, and, indeed of life. Listen to audio below.
July 13, 2021: Introduction to Step Ten: Video on YouTube. The opening of Step 10 from “One Breath at a Time.” Listen to audio below.
July 6, 2021: Fulfillment: Video on YouTube. Part 3 of “One Breath at a Time” is called “Fulfillment,” and in this video I read from and talk about the introduction to this section. Listen to audio below.
July 2, 2021: What We Could Not Do for Ourselves: Video on YouTube. Continuing with the Promises from Step 9 in the AA Big Book. Reading from my book Buddhism & Twelve Steps Daily Reflections. Listen to audio below.
June 25, 2021: Intuition: Video on YouTube. Continuing with the Promises and how recovery helps us with intuition. Meditation only increases this. Listen to audio below.
June 22, 2021: Fear of Economic Insecurity: Video on YouTube. Continuing with the Promises. Listen to audio below.
June 18, 2021: Fear of People: Video on YouTube. Continuing with the Promises from AA. Here I discuss the idea of isolating out of depression or fear of being seen. Listen to audio below.
June 15, 2021: Gaining Interest in Others: Video on YouTube. Initially I reflect on formless meditation and working with underlying agitation. Then I come back to the Promises from AA to talk about caring about and helping others. Reading from my book Buddhism & Twelve Steps Daily Reflections. Listen to audio below.
June 8, 2021: 36 Years: Video on YouTube. I discuss my recovery anniversary. First I reflect on stages of recovery over years, and then in the context of the “Three Characteristics” the Buddha talks about: impermanence, suffering and not-self. Listen to audio below.
June 4, 2021: Our Experience Can Benefit Others: Video on YouTube. Continuing with the AA Promises, I explore how being of service becomes integrated into our lives beyond just our recovery work. Reading from my book Buddhism & Twelve Steps Daily Reflections. Listen to audio below.
June 1, 2021: Knowing Peace: Video on YouTube. Continuing to go through “The Promises” from the Big Book of AA. This is “you will comprehend the word serenity and you will now peace.” I explore ways to develop concentration and serenity in meditation. Reading from my book Buddhism & Twelve Steps Daily Reflections. Listen to audio below.
May 28, 2021: Not Regret the Past: Video on YouTube. Continuing the 9th Step Promises from “Buddhism and the Twelve Steps Daily Reflections.” Listen to audio below.
May 25, 2021: A New Happiness: Video on YouTube. Continuing the 9th Step Promises from “Buddhism and the Twelve Steps Daily Reflections.” . Listen to audio below.
May 18, 2021: Painstaking: Video on YouTube. First of the 9th Step Promises from “Buddhism and the Twelve Steps Daily Reflections.” . Listen to audio below.
May 11, 2021: Top of the List: Video on YouTube. Making amends to ourselves. Listen to audio below.
May 7, 2021: Forgiveness: Video on YouTube. The role of forgiveness in the amends process and in Buddhist teachings. Listen to audio below.
May 4, 2021: Living Amends: Video on YouTube. Taking the amends process beyond the personal into a more general way of living that tries to make up for the harm we’ve done. Listen to audio below.
April 30, 2021: Bill (Step 9): Video on YouTube. The story of making amends to my father (Bill). Listen to audio below.
April 27, 2021: The Five-Hundred Pound Telephone: Video on YouTube. Personal stories of making amends. Listen to audio below.
April 23, 2021: Introduction to Step Nine: Video on YouTube. Addressing the challenges of making amends. Listen to audio below.
April 16, 2021: Making the List: (audio only) More on Step Eight.
April 13, 2021: The End of Isolation: (audio only). How making facing our failings and preparing to make amends helps us to be less separate from others.
April 6, 2021: The Whole Pattern of Our Lives: Video on YouTube. Seeing how the Eighth Step list reveals many of our issues. Listen to audio below.
April 2, 2021: Meditaton Q&A: Video on YouTube. A dialogue about challenges in mindfulness meditation. Listen to audio below.
March 30, 2021: Introduction to Step Eight: Video on YouTube. Starting to talk about amends, and the list of those we harmed. Listen to audio below.
March 26, 2021: Humbly Humbled: Video on YouTube. Wrapping up Step 7 in “One Breath at a Time.” Listen to audio below.
March 23, 2021: The Three P’s: Video on YouTube. Perfectionism, leads to Procrastination, and to Paralysis: the Three P’s. Listen to audio below.
March 19, 2021: Don’t Overdo It (cont.): Video on YouTube. More about the extremes addicts tend to go to. Listen to audio below.
March 16, 2021: Don’t Overdo It: Video on YouTube. Balancing the talk about renunciation, this section addresses the extremes that addicts can go to, including extreme renunciation. Listen to audio below.
March 9, 2021: A Dirty Word: Video on YouTube. This section of “One Breath” explores the idea of renunciation. Listen to audio below.
March 5, 2021: Right View: Video on YouTube. Following the discussion of self is a discussion of the first factor of the Eightfold Path, Right View. Listen to audio below.
March 2, 2021: Who Am I?: Video on YouTube. Another section of Step Seven from “One Breath at a Time” exploring how self-identity can be transformed in recovery. Listen to audio below.
February 26, 2021: Being on Retreat: Video on YouTube. Having just completed a five day silent retreat at home, I share some experiences and thoughts. Listen to audio below.
February 23, 2021: It’s a Process: Video on YouTube. Back to “One Breath at a Time,” Step 7. Looking at how “removing defects of character” is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process. Listen to audio below.
February 19: Buddhadasa continued: Video on YouTube. More thoughts from Buddhadasa on Dharma and God. Listen to audio below.
February 16, 2021: Buddhadasa Bhikkhu: Christianity and Buddhism: Video on YouTube. Looking at the teachings of a legendary Thai Forest monk. His explanation can help us to make the connection between God and Dharma. Listen to audio below.
February 9, 2021: Letting Go: Video on YouTube. Looking at my book “A Burning Desire” in Step Seven. Listen to audio below.
February 5, 2021: Power and Powerlessness: Video on YouTube. Beginning Step 7, addressing the Higher Power questions. Listen to audio below.
February 2, 2021: Feeling Feelings III: Video on YouTube. A final exploration of feeling. Seeing feelings simply as energies. Stepping out of the personal view of feelings. Listen to audio below.
January 29, 2021: Who You Callin’ Defective?: Video on YouTube. Addressing the language of “defects” and “shortcomings” in the Steps. Looking at the challenges of both being too hard on ourselves and also the risk of not being honest about our real failings. Listen to audio below.
January 26, 2021: We Are Not Saints: Video on YouTube. Back in One Breath at a Time, Step 6. This sections talks about accepting imperfection in your meditation practice. Listen to audio below.
January 22, 2021: Jhanas: Video on YouTube. Here I connect the practice of feeling feelings with developing jhana which include attention to feelings of bliss and joy. Listen to audio below.
January 19, 2021: Feeling Feelings II: Video on YouTube. Another part of Step 6 in One Breath at a Time where I describe the instruction I got from Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein for working with feelings. Listen to audio below.
January 15, 2021: Insistent Visitors: Video on YouTube. Looking at Jack Kornfield’s teaching on working with feelings in meditation, from A Path with Heart. Listen to audio below.
January 12, 2021: Feeling Feelings (cont.): Video on YouTube. Continuing to explore working with feelings in meditation (based on One Breath at a Time, Step 6). Listen to audio below.
January 5, 2021: Feeling Feelings: Video on YouTube. Beginning an exploration of working with different kinds of feelings in meditation. Listen to audio below.