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Series
Talks of Eknath Easwaran volume 26
Language
English
Description
Talk 1: This talk includes a marvelous description of Easwaran's meditation, in which he shows how, with intense concentration, the inspirational passage can become a deeply personal message of transformation. He closes with an inspiring portrait of the person who has truly trained the mind - secure, content, joyful, and heir to a seemingly inexhaustible supply of patience and endurance. Talk 2: In this talk we see the practical benefits of training...
Series
Talks of Eknath Easwaran volume 28
Language
English
Description
Talk 1: The core of this talk on Chapter 26 of the Dhammapada is a penetrating analysis of how we can break the chains of our self-willed habits. Easwaran then moves on to one of his favorite topics: spiritual acting. The point of spiritual acting is not to deny that we have negative reactions, but to have the detachment to act independently of that reaction, until we can reestablish calm in our mind. Talk 2: Easwaran begins by quoting the Buddha,...
Series
Talks of Eknath Easwaran volume 8
Language
English
Description
Talk 1: This talk took place on the evening before Vishu, a South Indian spring festival. The focus of this traditional ceremony is an altar decorated with a holy image and a small mirror adorned with spring flowers. Taking the mirror as his starting point, Easwaran describes how we learn to see the divine - what the mystics call the Face behind all faces - in ourselves, and in everyone around us. Talk 2: Starting with an account of his own restless...
Series
Talks of Eknath Easwaran volume 11
Language
English
Description
Talk 1: Easwaran comments on Chapter 23, titled "The Elephant, " of the Buddhist scripture, the Dhammapada. The elephant represents immense strength expressed through great gentleness, qualities we can hope to attain through the daily, systematic practice of meditation. Talk 2: Easwaran speaks in praise of the rarely noticed virtue of patience, and of the animal that symbolizes that quality for him - the elephant. He is commenting on Chapter 23 of...
Series
Talks of Eknath Easwaran volume 24
Language
English
Description
Part 1 (34 min.): Easwaran, summarizes the insights and outlook of the sages of ancient India. As he unfolds these glimpses of the supreme reality, he also shows how they can transform our daily life and our world. Part 2 (34 min.): Beginning with the conundrum "If all of life is one, why do we see each other as separate?" Easwaran traces the tragic consequences of this misperception - the conflict and poverty that arise when society forgets that...
Series
Talks of Eknath Easwaran volume 35
Language
English
Description
Talk 1: Easwaran offers some practical suggestions for improving our meditation. He points out that we have a fundamental choice, at all times: "Shall I do what is pleasing, appealing, only to me? Or shall I do what will benefit all?" By choosing the selfless way forward, our meditation will deepen. Talk 2: Easwaran explains how, as we go deeper in meditation, we confront some powerful distractions, which Easwaran calls by the Sanskrit term, samskaras....
Series
Talks of Eknath Easwaran volume 33
Language
English
Description
Talk 1: Easwaran points to the dangers of excessive self-will, or selfishness, when we want our own way. He explains that the prime example of self-will is anger, in all its forms - sulking, using unkind words, and exhibiting surly behavior. If we use our spiritual disciplines to curb self-will, we will grow in patience and beauty. Talk 2: Commenting on the Buddhist scripture, the Dhammapada, and using the Sanskrit word kala, meaning time, Easwaran...
Series
Talks of Eknath Easwaran volume 19
Language
English
Description
Talk 1: Easwaran comments on his favorite verses from Chapter 23 of the Dhammapada, "Patiently I shall bear harsh words as the elephant bears arrows on the battlefield. People are often inconsiderate." For Easwaran, true strength shows itself in kindness, and true courage in gentleness. With practice, we can make those qualities our natural response to difficulties - even painful ordeals like criticism and opposition. Talk 2: Easwaran is speaking...
Series
Talks of Eknath Easwaran volume 1
Language
English
Description
Talk 1: Easwaran lays out a map of spiritual progress seen from the standpoint of desire, and gives several entertaining examples of how desire can be wasted, or harnessed. Talk 2: Easwaran paints a vivid portrait of the climax of meditation, called samadhi in Sanskrit, and described as union with God, or the mystic union, in many other traditions.
Series
Talks of Eknath Easwaran volume 6
Language
English
Description
Talk 1: Easwaran speaks about the ten aids to meditation, as presented by the Compassionate Buddha. Following the Buddha's lead, Easwaran says that for every five negative forces in life, there are ten positive forces. The more we try to identify with those ten positive forces, the deeper will be our meditation, and the richer will be our contribution to life. Talk 2: Easwaran draws out teachings from the Bhagavad Gita to illustrate how anyone can...
Series
Talks of Eknath Easwaran volume 9
Language
English
Description
Part 1: Easwaran narrates the story of the Compassionate Buddha with great warmth, a wealth of detail, and even, it seems, a personal familiarity. He identifies deeply with the Buddha, and sees in the Buddha's life story a map for his own spiritual development. Similarly, this talk can help us to find a map for our own progress toward spiritual fulfillment. Part 2: Easwaran pays homage to the tremendous force of love released by the Buddha's life....
Series
Talks of Eknath Easwaran volume 3
Language
English
Description
Talk 1: Saint Thérèse of Lisieux was called by Pope Pius X "the greatest saint of modern times." Easwaran points out that her appeal extends far beyond the walls of her convent, and even of her Catholic faith. He explains the gradual process we need to follow in order to withdraw our attention from ourselves and place it onto others, resting it ultimately on God. Talk 2: Easwaran shows how Thérèse echoes the core message of the world's great mystics....
Series
Talks of Eknath Easwaran volume 27
Language
English
Description
Talk 1: Commenting on the Dhammapada of the Buddha, Easwaran presents the skills that come from training the mind. First and foremost is the ability to leave behind negative thinking. Or rather, to be able simply to tell our negative thought patterns to leave. In Sanskrit, those negative habits of thought are called samskaras, which Easwaran defines as selfish impulses and negative emotions. Talk 2: Easwaran speaks about reject thoughts, the ones...
Series
Talks of Eknath Easwaran volume 36
Language
English
Description
Talk 1: Easwaran comments on the concluding verses from the Dhammapada. What does it mean to rest our mind in our highest Self? How do we get to that state? By not looking to the past or to the future, Easwaran answers, but by resting in the joy of the Self that is ever present, deep in our consciousness. He ends this talk with a glorious description of his own inner spiritual journey. Talk 2: Easwaran concludes his series of talks on the great Buddhist...
Series
Talks of Eknath Easwaran volume 30
Language
English
Description
Talk 1: Easwaran is commenting on the last chapter of the Dhammapada, in which the Buddha tells us to cross the river bravely - to face and overcome our inner obstacles on the path of sadhana, or spiritual practice. A person who practices spiritual disciplines is considered a sadhak. Later in the talk, Easwaran presents the tools we need most for this difficult challenge - meditation and the use of the mantram. Talk 2: Easwaran explores how we can...