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Life Doesn’t Give Up
Our oldest child, who now calls himself Dolphin, told me recently that everyone dies and everything changes but it’s ok because girls keep having babies. Life doesn’t give up, he added, brain splittingly. In moments like these, his depth swallows
Making Practice Matter
Making Practice Matter is a compilation of two dharma talks by Michael Stone. Together they address the theme of how practice can bring us more fully into this contemporary time and place.
Lotus Sutra, Part 4 (Q & A)
Question and answer period with Michael after his talk on the Lotus Sutra, Part 4. None of the teachings are true! Even the ones about your own life.
Lotus Sutra, Part 4
Michael talks about Fukushima, Libya, and how lucky we are to practice in a place that is safe. The talk outlines how Mahayana Buddhism developed after the death of the Buddha with an emphasis on serving others and putting off
In Praise of Copying by Marcus Boon
Contemporary debates about intellectual property and the practices of meditation and yoga are both built around a questioning of ideas of property, ownership, self and other. In this talk, Marcus Boon, writer, journalist and Professor of English at York University
Everything Changes
When we return and stay connected to our breath, we let things come and go. None of these things, we start to see, belong to us. They come from the situation of this moment and then they pass away and
Not Being Possessive and the Gift of Fearlessness
Michael gives a talk during the in-person ethics course about the precept of aparigraha and using our imagination. Recorded at Centre of Gravity, Toronto, on March 17, 2011.
Lotus Sutra, Part 3 – Skill and Wisdom
It’s not enough that our intentions are clear, our actions need to make a difference. Being a Bodhisattva means serving all beings including one’s self, yet this can only occur when we see all beings as Buddhas.
Lotus Sutra, Part 2
Michael introduces the first section of the Lotus Sutra where the Buddha casts a light from the centre of his eyebrows and wakes up 18,000 worlds. Is this a reminder that the light of the awakening goes everywhere, leaving nothing
Lotus Sutra, Part 1
Michael teaches the basics of Mahayana Buddhism, defines what a Bodhisattva is, and explains the context of the Lotus Sutra. This talk has a good description of the history of Mahayana Buddhism as it applies to waking up ourselves and
What is the Great Meaning?
Roshi Pat Enkyō O’Hara gives a morning dharma talk during a weekend retreat with Centre of Gravity. Recorded at Hart House, Toronto on February 26, 2011.
Roshi Enkyo O’Hara on Zen Poetry
An incredible talk by Roshi Pat Enkyō O’Hara on Zen poetry and practice during her annual visit to Centre of Gravity. Recorded at Hart House, Toronto on February 25, 2011.
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.