Embodying True Refuge: Serving and Savoring Life
This talk traces the story of the Buddha’s awakening, and reflects on four key archetypal elements that are relevant for each of us as we come home to our true nature. There is a particular emphasis on how these elements enable us to encounter challenges in relationships and find our way to openhearted presence.
(audio only) Includes music honoring the launch of Tara’s new book, True Refuge: vocal by La Sarmiento and Guru Ganesha with his Kirtan band.
Guided Meditation – “Living, Vivid Hereness”
Blog: Deep Listening: Ear of the Heart
Most of us consider listening a great virtue. We love having others listen to us with interest and care, and we hope to be good listeners ourselves. But for most of us, listening is hard. To listen well, we must become aware of the mental static that runs...
Remembering What Matters
Our conscious aspiration toward awakening is what energizes the spiritual path. This talk reviews the main characteristic of a vital aspiration, the conditioning that obscures our deepest intentions and offers guided reflections to connect us with what most matters.
Guided Meditation – “At Home in Presence”
Blog: Learning To See Past The Mask
My friend Richie and I met when we were juniors in college. A shy, thoughtful African American man, he was known for carrying his camera everywhere, listening as others poured out their stories to him, and running through the snow wearing gym shorts. We’d lost touch...
Blog: Awakening Through Anger
One evening after my Wednesday night meditation class, Amy, a member of our D.C. meditation community, asked if we might talk for a few minutes about her mother, a woman she often referred to as “a manipulative, narcissistic human.” Amy’s mother had recently been...
Stepping Out of the Cave
If we are suffering it is because we are believing something that is not true. This talk explores the genesis of our core beliefs and the investigation, mindfulness and compassion that can release their grip.
Guided Meditation – “The Breath As a Portal to Presence”
Blog: Entrusting Yourself to the Waves
I was drawn to my first Buddhist mindfulness retreat during a time when my son, Narayan, was four, and I was on the verge of divorce. During a slow, icy drive through a winter snowstorm on the way to the retreat center, I had plenty of time to reflect on what most...
The Barriers to Loving Presence
You might reflect on someone important to you, and ask: “What is between me and loving fully?” Notice what happens. This talk explores the ways we create separations from others, and the power of inquiry and presence to awaken an unconditionally loving heart.
Guided Meditation – “Coming Home to Aliveness and Presence”
Letting Life Live Through Us
Many years ago, after several years of experiencing a long chronic illness, I attended a six-week Vipassana meditation retreat. Given my struggles with sickness, I looked forward to this time entirely dedicated to sitting and walking meditation. I was out of my body...
Finding True Refuge
This talk explores the three classic gateways to peace and freedom and includes a living ritual that invites us to bring a conscious, sincere dedication to our awakening on the spiritual path