We are all experiencing an onslaught of information and it can be challenging to keep up. The fact is, we cannot keep up and the invitation to pause in practice is important. Mary discusses what gets in our way and how to find a path to equanimity among all the chatter.

Recorded Nov. 8, 2025 in the virtual world

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Our reactivity to situations often takes over and determines how we feel and act. However, if we can pause before reacting, we may have a very different experience. In this talk Mary discusses how we need to recognize how nothing in our reaction will change the situation, but how our reactions will impact our level of dukkha.

Recorded Nov. 1, 2025 in the virtual world

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In this talk Mary takes a deep dive into what it means to take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. These reflections all point to a path to liberation - trusting in our awakening, how to get there, and how we support each other on the journey. This is an invitation to practice in the Triple Gem.

Recorded August 24, 2025 at Insight Community of the Desert in Palm Springs

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A brief reflection on how we are so deeply stuck in our conditioning that we are often unwilling to turn towards the reality of the moment. "Yeah, but" is what shows up when we hold on tightly. Let go of the 'yeah, buts' and greet the moment.
Recorded Nov. 27, 2023, in the virtual world

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Mary talks about how the practice of mindfulness and compassion has allowed her to walk through the few days after hearing about her brother's death. Willing to feel the grief, recognizing how we keep ourselves from feeling, and simply being present for the experiences of life is the simplicity and the power of this Insight practice.
Recorded Nov. 18, 2023 in the virtual world

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The story of Milarepa and the Demons is so emblematic of how we live our lives and how we can cultivate a spiritual path. We can choose to fight the reality of this moment or allow ourselves to be open to whatever arises. Mary talks about how this teaching can help us stay present for our lives and the world.
Recorded Nov. 11, 2023 in the virtual world

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Mary reflects on the old story which tells us that there are two wolves at war in our minds - the good wolf and the bad wolf. The one who wins is the one we feed. Many times we get stuck in incredibly mundane ideas that cause so much discomfort.  How do we recognize when we're caught up in those unwise stories and how do we let go and feed what is most beneficial?
Recorded Nov. 4, 2023 in the virtual world

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The world is spinning so quickly and it's easy to become unbalanced when things shift so rapidly. There is fear and anger, grief and sadness. It's important to be grounded and know our priorities in order to navigate each moment. In this talk Mary discusses developing a foundation that will support us which is based on the Buddha's most basic teachings. and which allows us to take care of ourselves, and take care of each other.
Recorded Oct. 29, 2023 for Insight Community of the Desert in the virtual world

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Continuing the conversation from last week, Mary discusses ways to stay present in the face of tragedy and the challenging moments we're walking through. Continuity of mindfulness, guarding the sense doors, skillful means, continuity of compassion and seeking connection with others are ways we can be present for this moment with wisdom and kindness.
Recorded Oct. 21, 2023 in the virtual world

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A deep intimacy with our experience without preference is the essence of equanimity, however it's difficult to accomplish especially in the current moment when, once again, there is so much violence, suffering, greed, hatred and ignorance. There is so much grief and anger to hold. How do we sit with what is? How do we make space and become intimate with our feelings? Mary offers the Buddha's teachings on mindfulness as a path to equanimity.
Recorded Oct. 14, 2023 in the virtual world

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Mary looks at three qualities in the Paramis, Generosity, Patience and Metta, that will enable us to love unconditionally, and with an undefended heart. These qualities are within reach of all of us and can be cultivated to move towards a freedom in how we move through the world. We learn to treat ourselves and others with deep kindness and open heartedness.
Recorded for the Insight Community of the Desert on Oct. 8, 2023 in the virtual world

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Reflecting on the passage of time and also how life is contained in just this moment, Mary discusses how we can be present for both. Awareness allows us to see both the big picture of our lives and still be intimate with each moment and emotion as it arises. She also touches on the Nine Contemplations of Atisha which offer a wise way of reflecting on death and the human condition. 
Recorded Sept. 28, 2023 in the virtual world

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A brief reflection on the way the practice informs how we move through the world.  Even during times when we can formally sit, awareness allows to be fully present for the moments we experience. Let it all in.
Recorded Sept. 25, 2023 in the virtual world

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The Buddha's famous teaching, often called The Fire Sermon, is about how easy it is to be caught up in the flames of greed, aversion and ignorance when we don't pay attention. Our senses are easily pulled into stories and reactions that keep us trapped in samsara. Nirvana/Nibbana means cessation as in putting out a flame and as we practice resisting the flames of greed, aversion and ignorance, the result is nibbana. Mary discusses how we are trapped and how we can get free.

Recorded August 16, 2025 in the virtual world

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The Vipallasa Sutta is the Buddha's Teachings on Wrong View, or the distortions of the mind. We are taught about Right View as part of the Eightfold Path, but how do we recognize when the mind is caught up in views or stories that may be far from reality and in fact, which may cause harm to ourselves and others. Recognizing both personal and larger scale wrong view is vital in move towards liberation for ourselves and for all beings. 
Recorded August 31, 2023 in the virtual world

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Using this wisdom from Ruth King as a framework, Mary looks back at 15 years of teaching and her experience with impermanence, imperfection and things not being all about her. It's been a journey of integrating the teachings and finding a foundation in the dharma leading to freedom.
Recorded August 26, 2023 in the virtual world

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Reflecting on a few hectic days of multiple emotions, Mary discusses how we can recognize and hold them with 'kindfulness'. How do you greet the moment since there really is nothing else.
Recorded August 19, 2023 in the virtual world

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We all want to figure something out and be done; we want to live happily ever after. Unfortunately, the reality of existence is just the opposite: everything is impermanent and life is uncertain. This does not mean we are doomed to experience fear of loss and change, but instead the Buddha invites us to acknowledge the reality of this which in turn leads to freedom as we're no longer chasing the impossible.
Recorded August 12, 2023 in the virtual world

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Inspired by a quote from Lama Rod Owens, Mary reflects on what legacy might mean in a Buddhist context. How do you live in this moment? How do you impact the world around you? Each action is our legacy and the invitation is to practice for the benefit of all.
Recorded August 3, 2023 in the virtual world

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It's seems that joy takes a backseat when things are difficult or messy.  The critical voices take over and tell us that now is not the time. However, it absolutely is the time. In fact, joy is one of the Awakening Factors and vital for our liberation. In this talk Mary discusses how to have joy in difficult times and how not to confuse joy with outside pleasures. Deep gratitude to James Baraz and his Awakening Joy class.
Recorded July 29, 2023 in the virtual world

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Inspired by Sayadaw U Tejaniya's teachings on awareness and experience, Mary reflects on how to use these teachings in our practice and in everyday life to keep us from getting wrapped up in stories about tomorrow and yesterday. Instead, we are grounded right here which enables the growth of wisdom and clarity and the diminishing of craving and aversion. 
Recorded July 22, 2023 in the virtual world

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As much as we try to outrun old age, sickness, and death, each of us subject to these truths. We live in a culture of denial and telling us we're not doing it right if we "let" any of these things happen. Instead, as the Buddha teaches, we recognize the truth of our existence and make peace with the reality of the human condition. How do we deny and how do we become familiar with our reality in this moment? How do we greet it all with compassion? This is important work for our liberation.
Recorded July 15, 2023 in the virtual world

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In this episode, Mary discusses a teaching from Sister Clear Grace Dayananda, the Traveling Nunk, who spoke about putting down the stick of self. This stick is when we see everything through a personal lens, through our own stories and craving or aversions. This stick is a stick of dukkha, or suffering, and when we learn to recognize it or put it down, we taste the freedom of just being.
Recorded July 8, 2023 in the virtual world

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The Buddha's teaching on lovingkindness, or metta, is not just about throwing magic pixie dust on others, but is about developing a way of being in the world which allows us to live without fear. We let go of self and other and move through the world with wisdom, clarity, ease and friendliness towards all. Mary explains how mindfulness practice is essential for this transformation and liberation.
Recorded July 2, 2023 in the virtual world for the Insight Community of the Desert 

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It's said that if there is impatience, it's because there is resistance to what is and that is the definition of the second noble truth - our inability to be with things as they are. In this reflection, Mary discusses how powerful it can be to cultivate patience, how it is a key part of equanimity and how we can see it's importance in our everyday lives.

Recorded August 9, 2025 in the virtual world

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The idea of Beginner's Mind, or Don't Know Mind is a useful practice in letting go of our preconceived ideas about the world and how things should be. When we get stuck in should, what if and if only, we get stuck in the dukkha of craving and aversion. The willingness to let go of those ideas and the humility to say, 'don't know' is the route to liberation. 
Recorded June 24, 2023 in the virtual world

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Equanimity - it's a million dollar word, but what does it mean and how do we experience it? In this brief reflection, Mary talks about her favorite definition of equanimity - "a deep intimacy with our experience without preference" and what that means in our day to day lives. The Buddha's teachings offered equanimity a quality necessary for liberation and a way to peace in this moment.
Recorded June 17, 2023 in the virtual world

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In this talk, Mary reflects on the Buddha's instruction to his son Rahula about the importance of truthfulness. He says that once you're capable of lying, there is no evil you cannot commit. This is a strong statement but underlies the Buddha's teaching that being fully present with reality is the path to freedom. Lies and delusion are how we disconnect ourselves and others from the way things really are and should be avoided at all cost.
Recorded June 11, 2023 in the virtual world

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Mindfulness meditation is so common these days that many of us take it for granted and miss the incredible importance of this practice on the path to liberation. Mary discusses each of the four foundations in the Buddha's wise teaching. It is a path that offers a way to be fully present in each moment and to live with clarity, wisdom and compassion. Spend some time with this simple, yet subtle practice.
Recorded June 4, 2023 for Insight Community of the Desert

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On the third anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, Mary reflects on how powerful the dharma can be as we greet the world as it is, and work to end injustice and harm where we find it. The Buddha's enlightenment offers us a path to end suffering for all. As Reggie Hubbard says, "If your offerings don't speak to the cries of the people, what are you doing?" How does your practice help you show up and do the work that needs to be done?
Recorded May 25, 2023 in the virtual world

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Along with Greed and Hatred, Delusion is considered one of the Three Defilements or Three Poisons, in Buddhist teachings. These three underlie so much of the suffering in the world and need to be rooted out in order to be free. Delusion may be the most challenging to see because we're so unaware of it and it masquerades as many other things. In this talk, Mary shows us how delusion shows up in our lives and how to find clarity and wisdom.
Recorded May 20, 2023 in the virtual world

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In this short talk, Mary reflects on words of wisdom from various teachers all inviting us to be, stay and return to the present because there is no other path to liberation. Simple phrases from Jack Kornfield, Rick Hanson, Sayadaw U Tejaniya and even a tea bag, remind us to be right where we are.
Recorded May 11, 2023 in the virtual world

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We sometimes hear the statement that someone is being a good Buddhist or a bad Buddhist based on some action. But does the concept of good or bad Buddhist even exist? In this talk, Mary examines the invitation to be a Buddha rather than a Buddhist. The Buddha offered a path to follow which takes us away from suffering and towards liberation and it's a personal journey based on our own experiences. It's easy to fall into rigid viewpoints even about the practice, but it's always about letting go and being present.
Recorded May 7, 2023 in the virtual world for the Insight Community of the Desert

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The practice of meditation invites us to be available to every experience that shows up, but we have been conditioned all our lives to react in certain ways which means we're not available. We may not even realize that we're turning away particular experiences. In this talk Mary discusses how we pick and choose what we will and won't be present with and how to break down these barriers. Even if it's scary, there is tremendous freedom in openness and availability. How do you hide?
Recorded April 27, 2023 in the virtual world

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 Being happy for other's happiness is one of the hardest practices but one that is essential for our liberation. Mudita, or appreciative joy, is one of the Brahma Viharas and teaches us a true generosity of the heart. Breaking free from the culture of competitiveness, judgement and othering, mudita allows us to experience the joy of others as our own. 
Recorded April 22, 2023 in the virtual world

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Often when we think of our legacy, we think about what people will remember about us when we die. Instead, we can think of our legacy as what we leave in our wake as we move through the world. How do we show up? Are we kind? Are we wise? Are we generous? This is our legacy. Shout out to Lama Rod Owens for planting the seeds of this talk.

Recorded August 2, 2025 in the virtual world

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This talk is an invitation to turns towards reality and the truth of our existence in order to move toward liberation. Reality is always present but we are trapped in our perceptions and viewpoints which may not necessarily be the best for us and may even be harmful. As Ayya Anandabodhi says, "The more we're attuned to the truth of the way things are, the more clear things are, the more okay things are, even in the most difficult situations." This way lies freedom.
Recorded April 15, 2023 in the virtual world

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Setting an intention is a wise and skillful way to move in a direction that takes us away from dukkha and towards liberation.  The ten Paramis are qualities that Sylvia Boorstein calls the natural inclination of the heart. In this talk Mary discusses how the Paramis can serve as a beautiful container for our intention and a way to greet our day to day experiences with wisdom and compassion.
Recorded April 2, 2023 in the virtual world for the Insight Community of the Desert

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Thought, word and deed: the Buddha talked about the importance of these three in how we communicate with the world. Teacher Larry Ward calls them the three powers. In this talk Mary discusses the necessity of paying attention to our thoughts because the impact on our lives is so meaningful and touches just about everything.  You really want to be aware of something so powerful.
Recorded March 23, 2023 in the virtual world
 

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Every once in a while the reality of the human condition - of sickness, old age, and death - comes at us with full force. The question is always about how we greet the moment. In this talk Mary discusses the importance of wisdom and clarity and also about the compassion necessary to open our hearts to each moment.
Recorded March 18, 2023 in the virtual world

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Inspired by Women's Month, Mary talks about women in Buddhism going back to Mahapajapati, the first nun, and what women experience today. Buddhism is not immune from patriarchy and misogyny and a willingness to see where delusion lies is vital for the liberation of all beings.
Recorded March 11, 2023 in the virtual world

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In this talk Mary discusses two ways the mind drags us away from being present for our experience, especially if it's something unpleasant or uncomfortable. Distractions and habit energies often work together to keep us on a path of craving and aversion and far away from freedom. Identifying our habits of mind and developing a willingness to let go is of paramount importance for our journey towards freedom.
Recorded March 5, 2023 in the virtual world for Insight Community of the Desert

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A brief reflection on how easily we're distracted from what our actual experience is by focusing on something out there. A blizzard during a retreat is a good way to recognize how this can show up.
Recorded Feb 28, 2023 in the virtual world

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The Buddha's teachings on giving and generosity were clear - there is no liberation without it. If we knew how important it was we would not cling to anything. But we live in a society that tells us there is never enough which breeds craving and selfishness, whether conscious or not. This talk invites us to recognize what giving and generosity look like, and how to cultivate it as we walk through our lives.
Recorded Feb 18, 2023 in the virtual world

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The Buddha's teachings on the Five Remembrances invite us to deeply connect with our mortality and the mortality of all beings. It's a challenging reflection and what that is energetically denied by our society. How do we make peace with impermanence and fully embrace the human condition?
Recorded Feb. 11, 2023 in the virtual world

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Mary shares some of the teachings from the recent retreat she attended: greeting everything with compassion, discerning skillful and unskillful thoughts and responses, and the Buddha's invitation to go forth and care for the world. And then she shared how she tried to makes sense of these teachings when getting home and hearing about the violence, mass shootings and murder of Tyre Nichols.
Recorded for ICD on Feb. 5, 2023 in the virtual world.

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With so much going on these days it can be challenging to stay balanced and present for whatever shows up in our world - pleasant or unpleasant. In this talk Mary discusses the idea of joy and sorrow and the eight worldly winds as a teaching to ground us right here and be open to whatever shows up. Denying the present moment is a hallmark of dukkha and our path is to move away from that dukkha. 

Recorded July 26, 2025 in the virtual world

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After a week on retreat and no class or dharma class to upload as a podcast, Mary sends a few words of greeting to everyone listening with a reminder of compassion and care.
Recorded Jan 30, 2023 in Burbank, CA

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Our modern world has seen the glorification of experts in all fields and Buddhism is no exception to this. In this talk Mary juxtaposes the idea of expert and their rarefied knowledge to the wisdom, clarity and simplicity of Thai Forest Master Ajahn Chah's teachings. Ajahn Chah made the dharma accessible to anyone, maybe not easy, but simple.
Recorded on Jan 21, 2023 in the virtual world

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After attending an interfaith event celebrating the Rev Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, Mary was inspired to look at how several faiths have so much in common in working towards ending suffering and supporting justice. Using Dr. King's talk on the Three Dimensions of a Spiritual Life, she reflects on how similar it is to the Buddha's teachings in the Eightfold Path especially sila.
Recorded Jan 14, 2023 in the virtual world

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