Dharma Recordings - Barre Center for Buddhist Studies Thu, 10 Apr 2025 20:13:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/favicon-32x32-1.png Dharma Recordings - Barre Center for Buddhist Studies 32 32 Six Kinds of Nonduality: A Conversation with Pierce Salguero https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/resources/six-kinds-of-nonduality-a-conversation-with-pierce-salguero/ Wed, 09 Apr 2025 19:57:48 +0000 https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/?post_type=resource&p=898536 This recorded conversation features Pierce Salguero and William Edelglass exploring "A Lamp Unto Yourself", Salguero’s new book on diverse experiences of nonduality. They discuss six varieties of nondual realization found in Buddhist teachings, other Asian traditions, and contemporary Western spirituality—ranging from unity consciousness to psychic integration—and examine how these experiences differ, overlap, and relate to classical Buddhist insights.

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A lot of people are talking about nonduality these days, but are they referring to the same thing? And how do experiences of nonduality relate to classical Buddhist insights? 

In conversation with BCBS Director of Studies William Edelglass, Pierce Salguero will introduce six varieties of nonduality highlighted in Buddhist teachings, other Asian traditions, and contemporary Western spirituality. 

In this conversation based on Pierce’s new book A Lamp Unto Yourself, he will discuss the similarities and differences between unity consciousness, subject/object collapse, energetic synesthesia, psychic integration, and other realizations. This conversation will explore what each is like experientially, the practices that can evoke them, and their associated worldviews and spiritual philosophies. The event will provide a framework to help you differentiate between spiritual teachings while also seeing how they can fit together.

 

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]]> Thus Have I Heard: American Buddhism Through the Lens of Tina Turner https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/resources/thus-have-i-heard-american-buddhism-through-the-lens-of-tina-turner/ Sun, 23 Mar 2025 18:57:08 +0000 https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/?post_type=resource&p=893427 This recorded conversation features Ralph Craig and William Edelglass exploring *Dancing in My Dreams*, Craig’s spiritual biography of Tina Turner. They discuss Turner’s Buddhist practice—rooted in Soka Gakkai, Afro-Protestantism, and metaphysical traditions—and how her life reflects broader trends in American Buddhism, race, popular culture, and religious experience.

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Tina Turner (1939–2023) was known for her successful recording career, spanning some six decades. Her electrifying stage performances earned Turner the moniker of “Queen of Rock and Roll.” Beyond her career, she was perhaps one of the most famous Black Buddhist celebrities. Few, though, realize that Turner’s practice of Buddhism drew on influences from her Afro-Protestant upbringing, the cross-Atlantic flow of metaphysical religious ideas, and Soka Gakkai International Buddhism.

Ralph H. Craig III tracks these intertwined religious influences in his book, Dancing in My Dreams: A Spiritual Biography of Tina Turner (Eerdmans Publishing, 2023). Craig, who has a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from Stanford University, works with a broad range of Buddhist textual materials in Sanskrit, Pāli, Buddhist Chinese, and Classical Tibetan. In his book, he shows how Turner exemplifies modern and contemporary trends in American religious history, African American Religion, and American Buddhism.

This conversation, with BCBS Director of Studies, William Edelglass, explores Craig’s work at the intersection of memoir, race, popular culture, religious experience, and authority in Turner’s life and in the larger contexts of Buddhist traditions and African American religious life.

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]]> B. R. Ambedkar’s Dharma of Liberation and Justice https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/resources/b-r-ambedkars-dharma-of-liberation-and-justice/ Sun, 09 Mar 2025 22:00:34 +0000 https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/?post_type=resource&p=853641 After B. R. Ambedkar converted to Buddhism, millions followed. A key architect of India’s Constitution, he championed social justice and saw the Dharma as a path to reconstruct the world. This conversation explored how Ambedkarite Buddhism centers ethics, justice, and democracy, engaging both classical teachings and a living tradition that continues to inspire millions today.

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After B. R. Ambedkar, the most prominent modern leader of subordinated people in India, converted to Buddhism, millions followed his example. Ambedkar served as the first minister of law of newly independent India and was widely known for his work as chair of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution. He was also known as an ex-untouchable, a Dalit who founded and led numerous projects to promote social justice and political rights for subordinated communities, including schools, publications, and political parties.

For Ambedkar, the purpose of the Dharma was to reconstruct the world. This conversation explored how Ambedkar’s Buddhism centered ethics and mind training in a way that engaged society, worked for justice, and supported democracy. We also discussed Ambedkar’s approach to classical Buddhist teachings and the living tradition of Ambedkarite Buddhism, which continues to inspire millions in India and beyond.

This online event featured Vimalasara, Maitriveer-Nagarjuna, Upayadhi, and William Edelglass.

Image of Deekshabhoomi by Milind Shakya.
 
Namostu Gautama with lyrics sung by Sudhir Phadke from The Album Bhimrayacha Mala.

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]]> Women in the Buddha’s Life https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/resources/women-in-the-buddhas-life-2/ Sun, 09 Feb 2025 19:47:08 +0000 https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/?post_type=resource&p=740085 Discover the often overlooked stories of the women who shaped the Buddha’s life in this thought-provoking event. Moderated by BCBS Director of Studies, William Edelglass, the conversation features the team behind Women in the Buddha’s Life: Wendy Garling, Charles Hallisey, Georgia Kashnig, and Janet Surrey. Their work has inspired a new website dedicated to sharing these powerful narratives with resources for study, practice, and reflection, offering fresh insight into Buddhist history.

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Explore the rich and often overlooked stories of the women who shaped the Buddha’s life in this engaging conversation. Moderated by BCBS Director of Studies, William Edelglass, the event featured the team behind Women in the Buddha’s Life, including Wendy Garling, Charles Hallisey, Georgia Kashnig, and Janet Surrey. We are grateful for their important work that led to a new website dedicated to sharing these powerful narratives alongside resources for study, practice, and reflection.

Learn about both well-known and lesser-known figures—from the Buddha’s wife, birth mother, and adoptive mother to his female disciples—and discover innovative reading practices designed to deepen your connection with these stories. Whether you’re an individual seeker or part of a study group, this recording offers insights into how these women’s voices can inspire and inform contemporary Buddhist practice.

Interested in going further?

The recording also introduces Women in the Buddha’s Life: Reading Together, an online course with Georgia Kashnig starting in March.

Click here to learn more and register now!

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]]> The Relationship Between Jhanas and Emptiness in Practice https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/resources/the-relationship-between-jhanas-and-emptiness-in-practice/ Mon, 09 Dec 2024 16:05:32 +0000 https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/?post_type=resource&p=743091 In this conversation between good friends and colleagues, Leigh Brasington and Heather Sundberg explore their personal practice stories in jhanas and emptiness, stories about their teachers Ayya Khema and Ajahn Jumnien, and dialog about the riches to be found in deepening concentration through jhana practice to support deepening into emptiness-awareness practice.

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In this conversation between good friends and colleagues, Leigh Brasington and Heather Sundberg explore their personal practice stories in jhanas and emptiness, stories about their teachers Ayya Khema and Ajahn Jumnien, and dialog about the riches to be found in deepening concentration through jhana practice to support deepening into emptiness-awareness practice.

Leigh Brasington specializes in teaching the Sutta-based Ven. Ayya Khema Jhanas, which he has been teaching with her blessing since 1997. He is the author of Right Concentration: A Practical Guide to the Jhanas and several other books.

Heather Sundberg is an Insight Meditation teacher who specializes in teaching the Ajahn Jumnien MahaSati Pure-Awareness Emptiness practices, which she has been teaching with his blessing since 2013. Her primary work is supporting small groups of experienced students in long-term MahaSati Training spanning in length from 2 years to 10 years. For more information about MahaSati, please visit https://mahasati.info/.

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]]> Poetry as/and Practice: A Conversation with Jane Hirshfield https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/resources/poetry-as-and-practice-a-conversation-with-jane-hirshfield/ Sun, 16 Jun 2024 16:08:48 +0000 https://buddhistinqprd.wpenginepowered.com/?post_type=resource&p=87287 Jane Hirshfield, one of America’s foremost poets, is also a long-time Buddhist practitioner. For Hirshfield, who lived for years at a Zen practice center, the attention cultivated through reading and writing poetry is itself a meditative practice. As a poet practitioner, she follows in a long tradition of Buddhists who have turned to poetry to express their experience and wisdom and to help others along the path.

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Jane Hirshfield, one of America’s foremost poets, is also a long-time Buddhist practitioner. For Hirshfield, who lived for years at a Zen practice center, the attention cultivated through reading and writing poetry is itself a meditative practice. As a poet practitioner, she follows in a long tradition of Buddhists who have turned to poetry to express their experience and wisdom and to help others along the path. We see this already in the Therīgāthā and Theragāthā, songs of insight, aspiration, and loss composed by the early generations of Buddhist monastics that were included in the Pāli Canon. Buddhist philosophers such as Nāgārjuna, who wrote sophisticated rational treatises, also often wrote poetry expressing their sense of devotion and wonder that moves their readers beyond the limits of reason. Poetry was at the heart of much East Asian Buddhism, where the beautiful play of language was cultivated as a practice. Today, Buddhist poets in Asia and the West, including Hirshfield, have become some of our most skillful teachers, inspiring us on the path, presenting objects of meditation, revelation, and beauty.

This conversation with Jane Hirshfield and William Edelglass explores the reading and writing of poetry as a practice of attention, of giving voice to our own experience and insights, and the place of poetry for practitioners on the path.

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]]> “Meditation Sickness”: Classical & Modern Approaches to Adverse Effects with Dr. Pierce Salguero https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/resources/meditation-sickness-classical-modern-approaches-to-adverse-effects-with-dr-pierce-salguero/ Thu, 04 Apr 2024 16:50:29 +0000 https://buddhistinqprd.wpenginepowered.com/resource/test-becoming-a-new-saint-a-conversation-with-lama-rod-owens/ Mindfulness and other types of Buddhist meditation are now routinely being practiced by large segments of the population in many Western countries. However, recent psychiatric studies have shown that about 10% of participants will encounter psychological imbalances or psychosomatic ailments when engaging in intensive meditation.

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Dr. Pierce Salguero is a scholar specializing in the history of Buddhist medicine. He is the author of Buddhish: A Guide to the 20 Most Important Buddhist Ideas for the Curious & Skeptical and A Global History of Buddhism & Medicine, among many other books. He has a Ph.D. in the History of Medicine from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2010), and teaches Buddhism, Asian medicine, and history at Penn State University’s Abington College near Philadelphia.

Mindfulness and other types of Buddhist meditation are now routinely being practiced by large segments of the population in many Western countries. However, recent psychiatric studies have shown that about 10% of participants will encounter psychological imbalances or psychosomatic ailments when engaging in intensive meditation. In fact, this phenomenon is not a new or particularly Western problem. For millennia, religious and healing traditions around Asia have been aware of the adverse experiences that can accompany intensive meditation practice. Often labelling this phenomenon as “meditation sickness” or “meditation illness,” many historical and contemporary teachers have provided advice on how to identify and classify these ailments, how to avoid them, and how to treat them if they do arise. Due to language barriers, these important perspectives remain virtually unknown in medical, scientific, and practitioner communities. This workshop with historian of Buddhism and Asian medicine, C. Pierce Salguero, presents the latest findings from a comprehensive study of historical and contemporary Buddhist writings from across Asia on this topic.

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]]> Finding Sea Legs in Saṃsāra: An Online “Householder” Retreat with Bill and Susan Morgan https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/resources/sea_legs_samsara/ Mon, 01 Jan 2024 16:53:20 +0000 https://buddhistinqprd.wpenginepowered.com/?post_type=resource&p=59471 Bringing mindfulness into our daily lives is a significant challenge. Even when we get a taste of clarity while on retreat, our insight and resolve tend to weaken in the busyness of our multi-tasking lives. This retreat is specifically designed to address this disheartening practice dilemma. It is intended to support the integration of a meaningful meditation practice into the flow of our everyday lives. During this precarious time, with fear and anxiety and uncertainty running high, making meditation supportive and relevant to our lives feels more important than ever.

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Recorded sessions

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

Session 5

Session 6

Session 7

Session 8

Session 9

Session 10

Session 11

Session 12

Session 13

View Program Slides

About Bill Morgan

Bill Morgan, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Cambridge, MA. He has participated in many intensive retreats in meditation practice over the past 40 years and completed a four-year meditation retreat at the Forest Refuge in Barre, MA in 2013. Together with Susan Morgan, he has been leading mindfulness retreats for 15 years.

About Susan Morgan

Susan Morgan, CNS, is a psychotherapist in Cambridge, MA. She is a board and faculty member of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy and contributing author to Mindfulness and Psychotherapy. Susan has a longstanding meditation practice and completed a four-year meditation retreat at the Forest Refuge in 2013. She has been leading retreats, primarily for caregivers, for the last 15 years. Lovingkindness and mindfulness of the body are integral to her teaching.

Thank you for your support!

If you find this resource helpful, please consider donating. Your gift will ensure the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies can continue to preserve and expand access to the liberating teachings of the Buddha. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your practice and generosity.
Support BCBS

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]]> Losing Yourself: How to be a Person Without a Self with Jay L. Garfield https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/resources/losing_yourself/ Mon, 01 Jan 2024 15:27:41 +0000 https://buddhistinqprd.wpenginepowered.com/?post_type=resource&p=59151 Jay L. Garfield investigates one of the most pervasive and pernicious of illusions: the sense that we are selves. How do we come to see ourselves as selfless without falling into a nihilistic view that we don't exist at all, that we have no agency, or no responsibility? The answer is to come to see ourselves as persons. Over four sessions, Jay explores what it is to be a person, but to lack a self, and the understanding of human life and morality that this enables.

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Readings

Excerpts from Jay L. Garfield’s “Losing Ourselves: Learning to Live without a Self” (2022).

This content may not be reproduced or disseminated without formal permission of the publisher. 

Download Excerpts

Recorded sessions

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

About Jay L. Garfield

Jay L. Garfield is the Doris Silbert Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Philosophy, Logic and Buddhist Studies at Smith College. He chairs the Philosophy department and directs Smith’s logic and Buddhist studies programs as well as the Five College Tibetan Studies in India program. He is also visiting professor of Buddhist philosophy at Harvard Divinity School, professor of philosophy at Melbourne University, and adjunct professor of philosophy at the Central University of Tibetan Studies. Garfield’s most recent books are Knowing Illusion: Bringing a Classical Tibetan Debate into Contemporary Discourse (with The Yakherds, forthcoming 2020), What Can’t be Said: Paradox and Contradiction in East Asian Philosophy (with Yasuo Deguchi, Graham Priest and Robert Sharf, forthcoming 2020), and The Essential Jewel of Holy Practice: Patrul Rinpoche’s Instructions for Practice (with Emily McRae, 2017).

Thank you for your support!

If you find this resource helpful, please consider donating. Your gift will ensure the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies can continue to preserve and expand access to the liberating teachings of the Buddha. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your practice and generosity.
Support BCBS

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]]> A Secure Core of Compassion and Awareness for Insecure Times with Lama John Makransky https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/resources/compassion-and-awareness/ Mon, 01 Jan 2024 13:31:56 +0000 https://buddhistinqprd.wpenginepowered.com/?post_type=resource&p=57502 Co-sponsored by Barre Center for Buddhist Studies and the Foundation for Active Compassion.
This practice, called Sustainable Compassion Training (SCT), was adapted from Tibetan Buddhism by John Makransky into a form that is fully accessible to people of all backgrounds and world views. SCT has three modes of meditation that are introduced in this on-line program: the receptive mode, the deepening mode, and the inclusive mode.

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Description

During this pandemic, we are called to care for ourselves and others. Yet many of us—and those around us — are experiencing feelings of anxiety, fear and unease. Many of us seek a healing way to process those feelings, so we can become a stable and healing presence for others, without getting depleted or overwhelmed. This seven-week on-line program with Lama John Makransky will teach us how to establish a core of inner safety, compassion, and awareness that we can return to as needed for replenishment and empowerment. This stable core of compassionate awareness can convert our painful feelings into a source of compassionate energy and care for others. It can also help us find rest in the depth of our being, from which to respond to others with reverence and care in the depth of their being.

This practice, called Sustainable Compassion Training (SCT), was adapted from Tibetan Buddhism by John Makransky into a form that is fully accessible to people of all backgrounds and world views. SCT has three modes of meditation that will be introduced in this on-line program:

  1. The receptive mode helps us find new access to hidden qualities of love, compassion, inner safety, and wisdom.

  2. The deepening mode helps us settle into the source of those qualities in the depth of our awareness—with deepening relaxation, inner peace, and spaciousness that is healing and freeing in mind and body.

  3. The inclusive mode helps us come from that depth to respond to others in their deep dignity and potential, with replenishing and expansive powers of care, compassion, and wisdom for action. 

Program
Materials

Download Guided Meditations
Download Background Article

Recorded sessions

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

Session 5

Session 6

Session 7

Session 8

Session 9

Session 10

Session 11

Session 12

Session 13

About Lama John Makransky, PhD

He is a Professor of Buddhism and Comparative Theology at Boston College, senior advisor for Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche’s Centre of Buddhist Studies in Nepal, former president of the Society of Buddhist-Christian studies, and co-founder of the Foundation for Active Compassion and Courage of Care Coalition. In 2000, John was ordained as a Lama, a meditation teacher of innate compassion and wisdom, within the Nyingma Dzogchen tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. 

About Foundation For Active Compassion

Mission Statement: To empower people with profound contemplative practices that support their aspirations to become better people and to make a better world.

To do this by providing powerfully transformative practices of innate compassion and wisdom from Tibetan Buddhism, adapted into forms that are accessible to people of all backgrounds and faiths.

Thank you for your support!

If you find this resource helpful, please consider donating. Your gift will ensure the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies can continue to preserve and expand access to the liberating teachings of the Buddha. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your practice and generosity.
Support BCBS

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