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Basics of Buddhism, Part 2
Michael gives commentary on Buddhism and the Four Noble Truths in a series on the basic teachings of the Buddha — craving, suffering, enlightenment, and the Eightfold Path. Craving closes down the path.
Basics of Buddhism, Part 1
In this dharma talk, Michael aims to answer the question, “What did the Buddha teach?” by focusing on the Pāli Canon—the earliest known record of the Buddha’s teachings in India. The mind is like a tourist—taking pictures of the present
Yoga Sutra, Chapter 3: Devotion to Present Experience
Treat each movement of the mind as something we devote ourselves to, like the beloved, and then forgiveness happens naturally. Meditation is about going to the places deeper than ourselves, the place where forgiveness comes from. The final talk on
Guided Meditation
A guided meditation, recorded during the first night of year-end silent retreat, with a focus on the subtle body, breath, palette, tongue and skull.
Yoga Sutra, Chapter 3: The Silence Museum
Michael comes home from practice in Thailand and talks about travels, not buying things in plastic, and details about meditation techniques—some very good meditation instructions in this talk.
Yoga Sutra, Chapter 3: Compassion is a Superpower
It’s cool to be kind—it’s the new black dress. Loving-kindness is a ratio. If it’s about you, it’s about clinging. If it’s only about the other, you lose yourself. The best kind of love is actually conditional. At the core
Yoga Sutra, Chapter 3: Superpowers
Meditation opens us up to levels of experience that are non-human. Michael goes through Patanjali’s description of superpowers and how they happen in meditation practice. Then he talks about calmness and what can lead people into trouble if they don’t
Yoga Sutra, Chapter 3: A Moment in Time
Can you see each thing in your life—whether objects or the people around you—as a moment in time? The mind is like a tourist constantly taking photos; meditation allows for the coming and going of everything. What’s happening is really
So, What Really Matters?
Michael begins talking about the death of his mentor—maverick psychologist James Hillman. When death comes the only thing that’s important is your heart, not your accomplishments. So what really matters?
Yoga Sutra, Chapter 3: Samskara and Neuroplasticity
Drawing on research with people who have healed from stroke, Michael compares the Sanskrit term samskara with modern neuroscience and ties this into the genetic level of meditation practice. “Meditation turns genes on and off in each moment restructuring genetic
Yoga Sutra, Chapter 3: The Flow of Attention, Waking from the Dream
The mind in concentration is like a flame in a windless space. Michael describes what happens in the mind when concentration is so focused that hindrances and distraction don’t arise. Michael parallels this process with the Occupy movement.
Sandokai, Part 3: Remember One-ness in Everything You Do
Michael gives a talk on the Sandokai during the 2011 autumn intensive. Michael talks about taking the meditation group to sit in court and bear witness, remembering oneness in everything you do, and not taking things so personally.
About the Community Library
Michael was a great archivist and the Community Library was—and continues to be—a labour of love. Everything in the Community Library is available for free. Anyone, anywhere can have instant access to material that will help them deepen their practice and contribute to a culture of compassion and collaboration.
Libraries are places where we gather alone together. They are known to be places of refuge for seekers, as well as those who are marginalized. This library is no different. It helps us nourish our beautiful, international community without walls. Now, it will also help keep Michael’s legacy alive.