About the Dhamma Practice and Discussion Group
Our History
We began meeting in my home around 2012 because I was interested in learning more about the origins of the mindfulness practices that had become so widespread as the evidence for their therapeutic value started to accumulate
What we Discuss
In 2011, I purchased a projector and began exploring the publicly available video teachings from several contemporary Buddhist teachers especially Pema Chodron, Tara Brach, Gil Fronsdal, and the teachers featured on Tricycle Magazine courses. We have occasionally done book study.
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What we Practice
What we Practice
We typically begin with 30 minutes of meditation followed by the video for the week. Each of the programs is about 15 - 20 minutes and there is time to talk about the main points and how they relate to Mindfulness, the teachings of the Buddha and to ourselves
Current Program
Teachings from Sangha Live
Since January 2025, we have been exploring programs that have been offered through Sangha Live, a global online platform for interactive dharma classes and courses. This will allow us to sample a variety of teachers from a variety of traditions.
Each meditation is preceded by a few minutes of discussion and is followed with stories and Q & A as they happened in the live presentation. Each program is about an hour long and we will modify our format slightly to accommodate the timing of the program. We will start the video at 6:35 to give everyone a chance to check in briefly at 6:30 and there will be time after the video for discussion.
PAST PROGRAMS
Introduction to Mindfulness - Part 2 Finishing January 9
We always enjoy Gil's blend of deep understanding of dharma and his ability to make complex concepts understandable to beginners. These guided meditations and talks from his 7AM Sit & Daily Dharmette series explore some of the basic mindfulness teachings. This series presents his most recent thinking on the topic of mindfulness.
Finished February 22.
On October 5th we began exploring one of the better programs from Pema Chodron, Freedom to Choose Something Different. We shared this program almost ten years ago and it was so useful that we are sharing it again. Feel free to join us to watch it together or you may obtain your own version by purchasing it from Sounds True. The program may take us 3 - 4 months if we watch all the videos and the longer ones will be presented in two installments to allow for discussion after the program.
The program is divided into six segments and if you are able to attend only one in each unit, you will get the core material but Pema is so delightfully authentic, once you have seen one of these programs, you will want to see more and read more.
We Finished The Dharma of TED
The dharma of TED began July 20th. Those of you who have explored the MBSR course from Dave Potter at palousemindfulness.com are aware of how powerful online teachings can be. All of Dave's suggested videos are worth watching again and again. For the next few weeks, we will be watching some of our favorite videos from Dave's collection as well as any others recommended by the community.
Join us in person or on Zoom.
The registration link is posted on the Bhavana Community Calendar.
Thursdays 6:30 - 8:00pm (see event calendar for exact dates)
Our Community Center is located at:
106 Marshall Court, Unit 120, Wilmington, N.C. 28441
6:30 - Meditation
7:00 - Program
7:30 - Discussion
The Dharma of TED and TEDX
Here are the links to what we have watched so far
The Power of Mindfulness: What You Practice Grows Stronger Shauna Shapiro
Skillful attitudes can be cultivated with mindfulness practices.
The moral roots of liberals and conservatives Jonathan Haidt
Beware of superiority conceit. We live in a matrix of our own experience.
Your brain hallucinates your conscious reality | Anil Seth
The psychobiology of delusion
Do schools kill creativity? Sir Ken Robinson
The world needs all kinds of minds Temple Grandin
Clinging to views limits our ability to (creatively) see the way things are
The gift and power of emotional courage | Susan David
being with what is unpleasant is necessary to build a flourishing life
You aren't at the mercy of your emotions -- your brain creates them | Lisa Feldman Barrett
Cultivating Wisdom: The Power Of Mood | Lisa Feldman Barrett
All experience is made by mind….
My stroke of insight Jill Bolte Taylor
Why A Neuroscientist Would Study Meditation Willoughby Britton –
Short Version from Palouse: Why a Neuroscientist would Study Meditation.
The Habits of happiness Matthieu Ricard 2004
How to let altruism be your guide Matthieu Ricard 2014
The importance of cultivating the skills to live in harmony
What Explains the Rise of Humans. Noah Harari
Impermanence is everywhere, especially in our stories.
Gratitude | Louie Schwartzberg | TEDx SF
365 grateful project | Hailey Bartholomew | TEDxQUT
We finished the series on Respecting Anger
We finished the series with Gil Fronsdal on Respecting Anger. We will take a short break from Gil and return in September or October depending on how many relevant TED talks we can find.
We begin with the 30 minute meditation followed by a short talk which he calls a dharmette. Each of Gil's talks is about 15 minutes or so and if you are new to the teachings, he is both a teacher and a scholar who can speak both wisely and knowledgeably about nuances in the early Buddhist texts. He also speaks in language that is easily understood by non-Buddhists as well as traditional Buddhists. You may further deepen your understanding through discussion with our community.
This program has completed
Mindful Self Compassion with Jeff Gianelli
Pre-registration is required for this special program on Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) offered by Jeff Gianelli. This program is based on the groundbreaking research of Kristin Neff and the clinical expertise of Christopher Germer. MSC teaches core principles and practices that enable participants to respond to difficult moments in their lives with kindness, care and understanding. As Jeff is not able to be present for 12 consecutive Thursday evening, we will be offering a continuation of the discussions and meditations from Gill Fronsdal described below. The dates for the MSC program are as follows: Please click the FIND OUT MORE button below for information about Jeff's program and to register.
- March 2, 9, 16 & 23
- April 6, 13 & 27
- May 4, 11 & 25
- June 1 & 8
Thursdays not listed above will be presentations with Gil Fronsdal as described below.