In this talk, Bob Stahl speaks about his experience with reconciling, making peace, or making amends as we progress through life. He shares his thoughts on reconciling ourselves to four aspects of life: The times I've been too hard on myself.The others I have hurt.Those that have hurt me.The condition of the life that I actually have and now experience.______________ Bob Stahl, Ph.D., has founded eight Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programs in medical centers in the SF Bay Area and is currently offering programs at El Camino Hospital in Mt. View, California. He serves as an Assistant Professor of the Practice in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences in the School of Public Health at Brown University Mindfulness Center and formerly at the Oasis Institute for Mindfulness-Based Professional Education and Training at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Bob teaches MBSR Teacher Trainings and Insight Mindfulness Meditation retreats worldwide and is the former guiding teacher at Insight Santa Cruz and a visiting teacher at Spirit Rock and Insight Meditation Society. He is the co-author of five books: A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook (1st & 2nd editions), Living With Your Heart Wide Open, Calming the Rush of Panic, A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook for Anxiety, and MBSR Everyday. Find him at www.mindfulnessprograms.com Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.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 many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

How do we make space for natural human emotions, including those we avoid such as shame? Can we not be afraid of them, and hold our experience with more acceptance and compassion? Shame has a very visceral component that hijacks our emotions, much like encountering a dangerous animal. In this rich talk, Ian explores the various aspects of shame that cross our minds and how we can examine these despite the pain they invoke. We are conditioned to feel shame based on societal norms, even if we don't share them, which is why it is particularly prevalent among non-conforming individuals such as LGBTQ persons. He discusses how we can avoid internalizing these feelings and not feel isolated as a result. He makes the distinction between remorse or ethical responsibility, which connect us to the world, and shame which isolates us. Shame withdraws us into our own emotional pain, whereas remorse centers on the pain we have caused others and opens us to reconciliation.  ______________ 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. 2023 marks his co-teaching of the 7th annual Queer retreat at Dhamma Dena Retreat Center with Leslie Booker.Ian teaches regular drop-in classes as well as retreats. He is 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. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.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 many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Many of us come to our practice with some degree of suffering. Our regular ways of dealing with life may be creating stress, or we feel a wanting, that something is missing as we engage in our capitalistic society. While yearning for something is not in itself bad, we need to examine where we are looking for it. Rather than trying to just get from here to there or to become something we are not, can our practice help us become more genuine and experience our essential self?  In this talk, Pamela shares that delusion is at the heart of our grasping and aversion, because we still believe something we get or attain will alleviate our dissatisfaction. It is the falling away of this fantasy that is the gift of spiritual practice because it can lead us to being at peace in our lives. ______________Pamela Weiss is a dual-lineage Buddhist teacher in Soto Zen and Theravada, and the author of “A Bigger Sky: Awakening a Fierce Feminine Buddhism." She sits on the Spirit Rock Teacher Council, and teaches through San Francisco Insight, San Francisco Zen Center and Brooklyn Zen Center. Pamela lives in San Francisco with her husband and little dog, Grover. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.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 many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In the Buddhist understanding of the universe, we are not separate individuals, but impersonal streams of cause-and-effect that have been unfolding since beginningless time. This is a radical interruption of the idea we have been trained to believe: that we are fundamentally human, with an individual essence and identity. The teaching on the “six realms” proposes that the stream of action (karma) we conventionally called “me, myself, my story” can take a variety of forms depending on our own actions and the conditions of our birth. One of these forms is called “human,” but we also take the form of animals, ghosts, spirit beings, and even powerful gods depending on conditions. Whether you take this teaching as myth, psychological metaphor, or material reality, it offers a powerful antidote to the self-centered, consumerist, isolated self of our modern condition.An accessible doorway to this ancient, visionary aspect of the Dharma is to practice relating to the entire living world as sentient. When we address the earth, sky, trees, animals, and plants, as well as energetic cultural and emotional stories that are larger than us as individuals, like hatred, lust, or fear, as friends and relatives, we find ourselves living in a far more complex community of beings. This is the world described in the discourses of the Buddha, where spirit beings, animals, and ghosts regularly interacted with the Buddha and his community, revealing a universe where our actions create our own and others’ futures far more expansively than our current materialistic worldview can see.This talk is an introduction to Dr. Oakes's upcoming sutta study series at Spirit Rock: Animal, Spirit, Human, God: Karma and the Cycle of Saṁsāra, Mar 9 - Apr 6.______________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 Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.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 many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

How do we have a response in keeping with loving-kindness when people hate us or hurt our feelings? In this talk, Dave defines hatred as "malicious rage with ill-will and an insatiable desire to hurt you or get back at you." He shares three possible types of responses, taken from his book, "Triggers: How We Can Stop Reacting and Start Living." Find his handout here: https://gaybuddhist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Hate-or-Hurt-Dave-Richo.pdf ______________ 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. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.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 many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

What roles do reverence and veneration play in our practice? These may be in the form of 'taking refuge' in the 3 Jewels (the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha), bowing, chanting, or other ceremonial actions that lead us to a deeper connection with the dharma. Although the Buddha warned of not becoming attached to rites and rituals, when approached skillfully they can have a beneficial role often missing from Buddhist traditions in the West.In this talk, Trip speaks about being mindful in pursuing the bodhisattva ideal so that we do not seek a reward for performing rituals, as this might lead to disappointment and more suffering. Rather, rituals can be a mysterious doorway to freedom that inclines the mind to wisdom and compassion. ______________ 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. Trip serves on the board of San Francisco Insight, where he also leads sitting groups and teaches meditation classes. He is a psychotherapist in private practice in San Francisco and a former attorney. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.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 many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Daigan speaks about liberation and how we access it, often beginning by listening to our inner voices, our body, and the other sense gates. He shares a poem titled "To the Soul" by W.S. Merwin that questions which of these, if any, is genuinely ourself.  ______________ Rev. Daigan Gaither (he/him) began Buddhist practice in 1995 in the Vipassana (Insight) tradition, and then began to study 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. You can find out more via his website queerdharma.net. He lives in San Francisco, CA and identifies as a disabled, queer, white, cis male. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.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 many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Kevin shares concepts from his latest book, "Living Kindness." He speaks about the necessity to make ourselves the first beneficiary of our own loving-kindness (metta) because it's so easy to fall into self-criticism and negativity. He relates the actual feeling of loving-kindness and its relationship to other aspects of practice - it both depends on mindfulness and acts to support insight. Finally, he shares that chasing loving-kindness as a preferred state is another form of grasping. Rather than trying to strengthen our ability to love, we can focus on removing the barriers to our innate capacity to love. It can essentially become just an absence of ill will. Find Kevin's latest book at shambhala.com/living-kindness.html______________ 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 kevingriffin.net. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.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 many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

John explores worldly happiness vs. a deeper inner contentment the Buddha referred to as sukha - an unconditional happiness that is independent of the world. He discusses how we can cultivate this in our lives by detaching from our preferences and accepting the unreliability of the material world. Specific practices to generate unconditional happiness include:  GratitudeGenerosity Non-harming______________ 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. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.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 many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this talk Zerdan teaches on the Six Perfections which are the focus of the Mahayana tradition, just as the Theravada tradition focuses on the Eightfold Path. They mix practice with a specific intention:  GivingPatienceEffort Moral DisciplineConcentrationWisdomHe also recounts his background as a Catholic, Pentecostal, atheist, Universalist, and Zen practitioner before becoming a Kadampa Buddhist. This talk draws on the wisdom of two books:"The Joyful Path of Good Fortune""How to Solve our Human Problems" ____________ Jetsun Zerdan Kelsang Phunrab is an American Kadampa Buddhist monk. Zerdan has been ordained for 17 years, and a practicing Buddhist for more than 22 years. He was ordained in Ulverston, England by a Gelugpa monk, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche. He began his ordained life by helping to create a Buddhist temple by teaching meditation and Buddhadharma in the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex. Zerdan now lives a humble life in Eugene, Oregon, keeping his vows, maintaining a vegan and minimalist lifestyle, and sharing a warm, gentle heart and joyful attitude. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.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 many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Prasadachitta talks about the appeal of Buddhism and the concept of 'Stream Entry' -- the initial point at which one is drawn to Buddhism and enlightenment. He shares what drew him to Buddhism and how it relates to the concept of faith. Then he explores how expanding our thinking about what is possible and worthwhile can enliven and broaden our practice. He explains that Stream Entry involves the falling away of: Doubt and indecisionA fixed identitySuperficial rights and ritualsHe also responds to the question of the role of worship in Buddhism, that what we worship and appreciate is actually the value of the dharma.  ____________ 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. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.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 many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

What happens when we vow not to run away from difficulty, but instead develop a relationship with what we're trying to escape? What do we turn to when we are avoiding things? Can we vow not to run to that distraction over and over? Dale talks about the nature of vows across the three main Buddhist traditions: Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana. He describes the foundational vow as giving up the desire for things to be different. He posits that surrendering to hopelessness must precede fearlessness, and describes the 3 characteristics of compassion as spaciousness, connectedness and warmth.   ____________ Dale Borglum founded and directed the Hanuman Foundation Dying Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the first residential facility in the United States to support conscious dying. Working with Ram Dass and Stephen Levine, Dale helped found the conscious dying movement in the West. He has been the Executive Director of the Living/Dying Project in Santa Fe and since 1986 in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the co-author with Ram Dass, Daniel Goleman and Dwarka Bonner of "Journey of Awakening: A Meditator’s Guidebook," Bantam Books and has taught meditation since 1974. Dale lectures and gives workshops on the topics of meditation, healing, spiritual support for those with life-threatening illness, and on caregiving as spiritual practice. He has taught with Ram Dass, Stephen Levine, Joan Halifax, Robert Thurman, Joanna Macy, Jack Kornfield, Annie Lamott, Jai Uttal and many others. He has a doctorate degree from Stanford University. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.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 many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Do you find it challenging dealing with the holidays and your family? If you experience "10,000 Joys and Sorrows" during the holiday season, Laura's talk might be helpful.She speaks about the judging mind, comparing mind and habit patterns. Also included are your authentic self and the Dharma aspect of the book "The Underachiever's Manifesto" by Ray Bennett. ____________ Ryuko Laura Burges, a lay entrusted dharma teacher in the SotoZen tradition, teaches classes, lectures, and leads retreats in Northern California. A teacher of children for 35 years, she now mentors aspiring teachers. 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 Publishers will be offering two of her Buddhist children’s books next year, a collection of Jataka Tales reimagined for today’s readers, and a book about Zen Buddhism for kids. Laura is currently working on a book about Zen Buddhism for adults. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.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 many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In what ways do we experience resistance (aversion) in the face of today's environmental and social change? In this talk, Alistair Shanks describes various forms of resistance, in both the body and the mind. He then offers how we can observe and hold our resistance with equanimity in these trying times. ____________ Alistair Shanks is the Volunteer Program Manager at Zen Caregiving Project where he has worked since 2004, first as a hospice volunteer and training facilitator, and in his current position since 2016. He completed his clinical residency, (CPE), at UCSF and currently serves as a chaplain at both the Parnassus and Mission Bay campuses. He has a Master’s degree from the Institute of Buddhist Studies at the Graduate Theological Union and has presented at the Association of Professional Chaplains conference and Harvard Divinity School. Alistair has been a dedicated practitioner and teacher of the Daoist Internal Martial Arts of Tai Chi, Qigong, and Ba Gua for 27 years, something that has given him a deep appreciation for the wisdom and power of somatic practices to regulate and heal both body and mind. Past volunteer work includes leading mindfulness meditation sessions in the San Francisco County Jail and serving as a volunteer chaplain at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. He has played and toured internationally with several Bay Area bands for the past four decades. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.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 many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Suzuki Roshi once asked, "Why do we practice meditation? So we can experience a pleasant old age." Aging comes with a constellation of indignities and challenges, often resulting in a feeling of vulnerability. Our ability to accept that life is unreliable, the very definition of dukkha, is essential to maintaining peace of mind. In this talk, David speaks about The Heavenly Messengers of old age, illness and death, as important reminders to practice, so that we can prepare our mind for the worst things that might happen to us. Whether it might be these, or injustice, climate change, or political instability, we can still experience equanimity. ____________ David Lewis has been following the dharma path for 45 years, has a degree in comparative religious studies, and is a graduate of Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Dedicated Practitioners Program. He teaches Insight Meditation and enjoys sharing the dharma at several sanghas around the Bay Area. He is a proud long-time member of GBF. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.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 many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

While most religions speak of faith, Buddhism usually centers on practice - sitting down, getting quiet and asking "Is this really true? What results when I do X, Y or Z?" In this talk, Daigan shares that we are not asked to rigidly adhere to the precepts, but consider how they orient our lives in a particular direction. Rather than being asked to believe certain things blindly, we practice to cultivate our belief based on our own experience. ____________ Rev. Daigan Gaither (he/him) began Buddhist practice in 1995 in the Vipassana (Insight) tradition, and then began to study 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. You can find out more via his website queerdharma.net. He lives in San Francisco, CA and identifies as a disabled, queer, white, cis male. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.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 many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this human existence we experience, how do we "come home to ourselves" to truly feel embodied? What does "embodied relaxation" mean to us, and how can we cultivate it? In this talk Anjali shares methods that can lead us to into more spacious states using our bodies, the elements around us, and practices we can explore internally. ____________ Anjali Sawhney (she/her/hers) is a Certified Integral Life Coach from New Ventures West in San Francisco, 2006, and a trained international Leadership Embodiment Teacher (somatic coaching based on Aikido and Mindfulness) with founder Wendy Palmer, 2011. Anjali has coached and led somatics and mindfulness workshops in the movement, nonprofit, corporate, and educational sectors including at the East Bay Meditation Center (where she is also part of the Leadership Sangha Board) as well as the Richmond Community Foundation, California Endowment, Dream Corps, and UCSF. She is also on the facilitation teaching team at Strozzi Institute (Generative Somatics lineage) and Beloved Communities. Anjali also serves directly with untapped BIPOC and LGBTQI+ students, those unhoused, and those in recovery by providing coaching, counseling, and series workshops. Anjali was born in Asia, raised in Los Angeles, and has lived on the east coast of the United States as well as in South and East Asia. She is passionate about rallying untapped folx through coaching, community, and spirituality as well as street protests for equity and systemic change. Anjali is in awe of nature and live music, and on rare occasions is allowed to groove with her teenagers, Aanika and Jai. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.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 many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this Part 2, Dave Richo talks about the sadness that can arise alongside anger, giving rise to grief and fear. -------------------------Anger itself is a healthy emotion that fits with Buddhist practice. It is the feeling of displeasure we experience at a perceived injustice, against ourselves or others. Healthy anger is a way of communicating what we feel is unjust or unfair. Rather than hold it in, it can be healthy to express that feeling. We do not lose our temper, but maintain the boundaries that prevent us from becoming aggressive. If that expression becomes hurtful to others, it contradicts our commitment to loving-kindness. It becomes abuse when it is marked by violence and retaliation - a type of theatrical display meant to intimidate. ____________ 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. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.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 many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

The Eight Worldly Winds were described in the Pali Canon as the conditions that move through the world: Gain & LossPleasure & PainPraise & BlameFame & DisreputeUltimately we find ourselves grasping at the first of each couplet, and resisting the latter. The Buddha used these conditions to teach that all things are impermanent and unreliable, so we best not rely on them for our liberation from suffering.  Using insights from the addiction model, Sean explores how we can free ourselves from the fixation that accompanies these worldly conditions.____________ Sean Feit Oakes, PhD (he/him, queer, Puerto Rican and 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. SeanFeitOakes.com Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.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 many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Laura discusses the power of humor in addressing the challenges in life, and how we can explore humor in our practice. ____________ Ryuko Laura Burges, a lay entrusted dharma teacher in the SotoZen tradition, teaches classes, lectures, and leads retreats in Northern California. A teacher of children for 35 years, she now mentors aspiring teachers. 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 Publishers will be offering two of her Buddhist children’s books next year, a collection of Jataka Tales reimagined for today’s readers, and a book about Zen Buddhism for kids. Laura is currently working on a book about Zen Buddhism for adults. Support the show______________ To participate live and be notified of upcoming speakers in advance, please Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gaybuddhistfellowship) or visit https://gaybuddhist.org/calendar/ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit www.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 many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter