“If you’re invested in security and certainty,
you are on the wrong planet.” 
– Pema Chödrön

 

Podcast Summary Guidelines

GBF has launched our 800+ audio archive as a podcast. We could really use help with creating a short summary of each talk. This helps listeners search for topics of interest and decide which recording to listen to. 

If you would like to help with this effort, please email tombruein@gmail.com. The talks we can use your help with are any of those you find on the Podcast Page that do not yet have a description (generally those prior to April 2022). If you like, you may choose to work on talks from your favorite speakers.

You can play the recordings directly here on the website. But if you download the MP3 file and use a player on your device, you may find it easier should you need to back up a little to hear something over again.

INSTRUCTIONS:

TALK TITLE

Although already assigned, the TITLE can be changed if you decide on something more appropriate. We now have the ability to add punctuation and special characters such as hyphens, quotes and question marks. Let me know if the title can be improved upon.
 

SUMMARY

  • Anything from a few sentences to two paragraphs will suffice. Using the speaker’s own words is nice, but feel free to paraphrase.
  • Leading off with a question sometimes works to help listeners understand what will be addressed and answered by the speaker.
  • Some speakers start right off by announcing the subject of their talk; others share introductory remarks or quotes that set the stage and get into the real topic. You may need to listen to at least 15 minutes of the talk in this case. But of course, if you listen to the entire talk you will have an even better sense of the theme and all that is covered.

SPEAKER BIO

If there is already a bio, there’s no need to write this down – most of these came from past issues of the GBF Newsletters. But if you feel it needs updating, or there’s no bio listed at all, feel free to provide an update based on what you hear at the beginning of the recording.
 
When finished, just email your summaries back to tombruein@gmail.com.
If you have any questions I would be happy to help out. Your effort is much appreciated!

Summary Examples:

Resistance & Equanimity – Alistair Shanks

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.

Why Do We Meditate? David Lewis
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.

Buddhist Faith – Daigan Gaither
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 belief based on our own experience.
 
Cultivating Equanimity & Compassion – Donald Rothberg

Is our practice merely a way to stay calm during the crises around us?
Or is it something more, a way to help formulate a response to these difficult times?

Donald Rothberg believes that our dharma resources are fundamental to the future of humanity.

He explores how we can connect our inner work with community and social responses that are crucial now, by asking:

– How do we sustain mindfulness in the middle of community organizing?
– How do we employ wise speech?
– Can we use our inner resources to cut through the social conditioning of racism, sexism, and homophobia?
– Do we see how greed, hatred, and delusion manifest in our systems and institutions?

In this rich talk and discussion, he helps us explore how we can see the world through spiritual eyes by starting with equanimity and compassion.