In Berkeley Talks episode 217, john a. powell and Stephen Menendian, director and assistant director of UC Berkeley’s Othering and Belonging Institute, discuss their 2024 book, Belonging Without Othering: How We Save Ourselves and the World. During the conversation, the scholars touch on the transformative role of imagination and storytelling, why …

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Ramona Lisa Ortiz-Smith, MBA, brings over 25 years of cumulative meditation practice and spiritual studies to her livelihood as a Spiritual Teacher and Leader. Silent Vipassana (insight) meditation retreats, Theravada Buddhist studies and earth-based indigenous spirituality and healing arts are at the hear…

In Berkeley Talks episode 216, celebrated poet and novelist Ocean Vuong joins in conversation with UC Berkeley English Professor Cathy Park Hong, a poet and writer whose creative nonfiction book, Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning, was a 2021 Pulitzer Prize finalist. Together, they discuss the importance of genre fluidity and artistic expe…

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Join Eve for an evening of exploring the Buddha’s teaching on Intention - a powerful and potentially transformative mental energy that precedes action. Live at the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, 2304 McKinley Ave., Berkeley, and online (Zoom link below). We will also share some songs in remembrance of Alan S…

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Talk originally given on December 12, 2024I’m happy to share the evening with my son, Adam Baraz, who will reflect on the recent completion of his fifth Darkness Retreat, a 49-day “Bardo Retreat” in Tuscany, Italy.Adam will discuss the psychological, physical, emotional, and spiritual journey of “being alo…

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Join Eve for an exploration of holding all aspects of inner experience with curiosity and kindness. The practice of mindfulness invites us to ‘see things as they really are’ - not as we imagine them to be or wish them to be. This is usually a big challenge, especially in painful areas or the ones we try to…

In Berkeley Talks episode 215, a cross-disciplinary panel of UC Berkeley professors, whose expertise ranges from political science to philosophy, discuss how they view decision-making from their respective fields, and how we can use these approaches to make better, more informed choices. Panelists include: Wes Holliday, professor of philosophy. Hol…

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) I’m happy to share the evening with my son, Adam Baraz, who will reflect on the recent completion of his fifth Darkness Retreat, a 49-day “Bardo Retreat” in Tuscany, Italy.Adam will discuss the psychological, physical, emotional, and spiritual journey of “being alone in the dark” for 7 weeks. He will descr…

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Saturday, December 7th 2024 by Zenshin Greg Fain.Zenshin Greg Fain

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Thursday, December 5th 2024 by Linda Galijan.Linda Galijan

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Vedana (वेदना) is an ancient term from Sanskrit and Pāli that refers to the automatic experience of pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral that arises when the senses come into contact with objects (including thoughts). Vedana can be translated as "feeling tone".Using mindfulness to become aware of vedana can be…

Talk given by Linda Galijan and Greg Fain.Linda Galijan

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Tuesday, December 3rd 2024 by Zenshin Greg Fain.Zenshin Greg Fain

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Monday, December 2nd 2024 by Linda Galijan.Linda Galijan

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Saturday, November 30th 2024 by Ross Blum.Ross Blum

In Berkeley Talks episode 214, former editors of the New York Times and the Washington Post, Dean Baquet and Marty Baron, evaluate how the media covered the 2024 U.S. presidential election and share thoughts on how journalists should effectively cover Donald Trump’s second term. In 2016, the New York Times was shocked that Trump won, because they d…

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Saturday, November 23rd 2024 by Hozan Alan Senauke.Hozan Alan Senauke

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) At this time, US citizens are going through a major adjustment to a new reality after the election. A large part of the population is happy at the outcome. And another large part is confused by that fact. A whole host of feelings are likely to arise--disorientation, confusion, fear, numbing out to name a f…

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Sunday, November 17th 2024 by Linda Galijan.Linda Galijan

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Saturday, November 16th 2024 by Penelope Thompson.Penelope Thompson

In Berkeley Talks episode 213, Timothy Tangherlini, a UC Berkeley professor in the Department of Scandinavian and director of the Folklore Graduate Program, discusses the vital role that storytelling plays in many cultures around the world, and how it can influence belief, for good and for bad. “Stories give a basis and a justification for people t…

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Saturday, November 9th 2024 by Linda Galijan.Linda Galijan

Hosted by visiting-Teachers-In-Residence Greg Fain and Linda Galijan.Linda Galijan

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This week has been a test for anyone who values kindness, compassion, and equanimity. It's understandable to get lost in fear, confusion and despair. This is when spiritual practice is needed most. How can we use our practice to develop a balance of mind in unpredictable circumstances, and relate to those …

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Saturday, November 2nd 2024 by Ryushin Andrea Thach.Ryushin Andrea Thach

In Berkeley Talks episode 212, a panel of UC Berkeley experts from former presidential administrations take a critical look at the issues that have led the U.S. to this year’s historic election and reflect on the future of American democracy. The Oct. 29 campus event was sponsored by the Goldman School of Public Policy and Cal Performances, and was…

Hosted by visiting-Teachers-In-Residence Linda Galijan and Greg Fain.Zenshin Greg Fain

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This Thursday is Halloween night. It's definitely scary times so I thought we could explore working with fear. Join us online.James Baraz

Hosted by visiting-Teachers-In-Residence Linda Galijan and Greg Fain.Linda Galijan

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Saturday, October 19th 2024 by Gary Artim.Gary Artim

In Berkeley Talks episode 211, Bradley Onishi, a scholar of religion, an ex-evangelical minister and the co-host of the politics podcast Straight White American Jesus, discusses Project 2025, Christian nationalism and the November elections. “Project 2025 is a deeply reactionary Catholic vision for the country,” said Onishi, who gave the 2024 Berke…

Hosted by visiting-Teachers-In-Residence Greg Fain and Linda Galijan.Zenshin Greg Fain

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Alan Watts wrote a classic book The Wisdom of Insecurity. With the election in the States a few weeks away, dealing with significant uncertainty is on the minds of most everybody. Join us as we explore the topic of dealing with major uncertainty as Dharma practice together.…

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Saturday, October 12th 2024 by Zenshin Greg Fain.Zenshin Greg Fain

In 2011, mass protests erupted in Syria against the four-decade authoritarian rule of the Assad family. The uprising, which became part of the larger pro-democracy Arab Spring that spread through much of the Arab world, was met with a brutal government crackdown. Soon after, the country descended into a devastating civil war that has killed hundred…

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) An investigation into the teaching and practice of Wise Action. Born of Wise Understanding and Wise Intention, Wise Action is motivated by clarity and compassion, and is an essential part of the path to freedom.Eve Decker

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Saturday, September 28th 2024 by Rhonda Magee.Rhonda Magee

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) How might you let Life play you like an instrument? In this talk James shares the evening with Sarah-Marie Hopf, a good friend, dedicated practitioner, coach and meditation teacher who shares about her journey of progressively deepening trust in the dharma and our True Nature and opening to what wants to f…

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Saturday, September 21st 2024 by Linda Galijan.Linda Galijan

In Berkeley Talks episode 209, renowned legal scholars Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of Berkeley Law, and Nadine Strossen, professor emerita of the New York School of Law and national president of the ACLU from 1991 to 2008, discuss free speech challenges facing universities today. They covered topics including hate speech, First Amendment rights, the He…

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) The title of the evening is "Love, Serve, Remember". On October 13th, Spirit Rock hosts a special event Celebrating Ram Dass: Love Serve, Remember with Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, Krishna Das and others. Those three words were the instructions Neem Karoli Baba, Ram Dass' guru gave to…

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Saturday, September 14th 2024 by Zenshin Greg Fain.Zenshin Greg Fain

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Saturday, September 7th 2024 by Karen Sundheim.Karen Sundheim

In Berkeley Talks episode 208, three UC Berkeley professors from a wide range of disciplines — psychology, biology and ethnic studies — broach a deep question: What is understanding? “When I think about it through the lens of being a psychologist, I really think about understanding as a demonstration of, say, knowledge that we have about the world,…

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Join Eve for a look at the Buddha's foundational teaching. The Buddha said that he wished to teach only two things - suffering and the end of suffering. And the 4 Noble Truths, concluding with the fourth truth which is the Eightfold Noble Path, are his birds-eye view of how to do that.…

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) Betsy shares some of her recent work called "Singing into the Unknown: Songs for Reimagining the Future" coming out the particular time of uncertainty we are currently in.Betsy Rose

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Saturday, August 24th 2024 by Ellen Webb.Ellen Webb

In Berkeley Talks episode 207, bestselling author and UC Berkeley Professor Emeritus Michael Pollan discusses how he chooses his subjects, why he co-founded the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics and the role of storytelling in shifting our perspective. “We're wired for story,” he told KQED’s Mina Kim, whom he joined in conversation…

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Monday, August 19th 2024 by Gerry Oliva.Gerry Oliva

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Saturday, August 17th 2024 by Judy Fleischman.Judy Fleischman