Howard Cohn's Dharma Talks
at Mission Dharma
Howard Cohn
The more I rest in present awareness, and don't separate myself out from life, the more I appreciate the impact that I have on others. Only when I am present am I sensitive to my connection to the world, am I able to feel how important it is to be non-harming in my words and actions. When I am lost in thought, I lose that simplicity and sensitivity.
I continually point toward this secret of the present moment, for if I am really present, I don't suffer as much, I don't cause as much suffering, and I am less afraid. I may experience intense pain or pleasure, but the degree of mental suffering lessens. Practicing mindfulness de-conditions the habits that prevent me from being centered in the present. This in turn gives me a more stable awareness, which allows me to recognize my inherent peace and freedom.
It is this taste of nowness--introducing people to the living quality of the present moment and its sense of freedom--that most engages me in my teaching practice. I find no evidence of suffering, in my mind, unless I remind myself of some event that is not in the present. Suffering arises when I am lost in my imagination, reviewing the past or fearfully anticipating the future.
I feel tremendous gratitude and love for the dharma, and the practice of awareness. Knowing my mind a little better, and being less preoccupied with my internal drama, makes me more available to the suffering of others. Consequently, I am moved to give to others rather than focusing on what I can get. In spite of being more attuned to suffering, staying present allows each day to become more joyful, compelling and intereesting. My desire to run from this moment, by running after an imagined, better future, or away from a past fear, has diminished. It is present wakefulness that helps me recover my capacity to live with balance and ease in the world.
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Select from Howard Cohn's
305
talks
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2021-04-27
A Case of Mistaken Identity
2021-05-25
A Tribute to Yvonne Ginsburg
2021-07-20
An Open Mind is Free
2021-10-05
Beyond the Story of Self
2021-09-21
Harvest Moon
2021-07-27
Kindness
2021-09-28
The Immeasurable Qualities of the Heart
2015-02-10
30th Anniversary Q&A
2016-07-05
A Feast of Joy To Which All Are Invited
2019-01-22
A View of Self Is Not Self
2011-05-03
A Wise Relationship with Suffering
2011-01-18
Against the Stream
2018-06-19
All In This Together
2013-03-26
Altruistic Joy
2013-10-15
Awareness
2013-04-22
Awareness is Natural
2011-04-27
Awareness of Body
2013-04-16
Awful - Responding with Compassion after the Boston Marathon Bombing
2011-08-16
Back to Nature
2012-09-04
Back to School
2016-01-19
Be In Your Groove
2016-10-25
Be Kind to Yourself
2017-06-20
Being Human Beings
2017-12-19
Between the Thoughts
2012-03-13
Beyond I, Me, Mine
2013-08-13
Big Mind
2016-03-15
Book Launch and Interconnectedness
2013-12-03
Brilliant Selling of Samsara
2020-02-11
Buddha Not Buddhist
2015-05-05
Bugs in a bowl
2017-08-29
Chain Of Dependent Origination
2015-09-15
Collected and Composed
2019-05-28
Coming Out of the Tangle of Confusion
2017-01-24
Compassion and the Mystery
2012-10-02
Connecting Lovingly with Yourself and Others
2013-09-17
Connecting With Life Right Where it Touches You
2010-11-30
Connecting with this Very Moment
2019-12-03
Cultivating Compassion : Q&A and Dharma Talk
2016-11-15
Cultivating Equanimity in Times of Uncertainty
2013-09-24
Cultivating Harmlessness
2014-09-23
Cultivating Kindness
2012-09-18
Cultivating Wholesome Actions and Realizing a State of Awe
2015-03-31
Cultivating Wise View
2012-01-24
Dana, Sila and Bhavana
2013-11-05
Death and Deathlessness
2014-04-08
Dharma Joy
2015-04-21
Dig the Present
2010-11-15
Don't Believe the Second-Hand Story
2015-10-06
Don't Go Down The Rabbit Hole
2016-12-06
Don't Know Mind
2015-11-17
Double Down on Sila
2015-03-03
Dwelling in the Living Present
2019-03-12
Embodied and Disembodied
2016-12-20
Embracing The Black
2010-10-26
Embracing your Mollyness
2018-08-07
Expanding The Circle Of Sensitivity
2012-10-09
Faith
2012-11-13
Finding Peace in this Sea of Insecurity
2017-08-01
Finding Your Own Way
2018-09-04
For The Next 100 Days
2011-03-01
Forgetting and Remembering
2011-10-11
Forgiveness
2016-08-30
Fountain of Teaching
2014-08-05
Freedom
2012-07-10
Freedom from Clinging
2011-06-14
Freedom is Right Here
2013-06-11
From Me to We
2017-01-31
Gain and Loss
2012-08-21
Generosity and Lovingkindness
2015-08-18
Go For It
2012-02-21
Happiness Free of Hunger
2011-11-29
Happiness Now - Why Wait for the Weekend
2015-06-02
Here
2011-10-25
Here and Now
2019-03-26
I Let Myself Feel It
2016-04-12
Ignorance of Racism
2015-01-27
Immediate Living Experience
2014-04-22
In Honor of Earth Day
2011-10-18
Inclusion and Exclusion
2015-05-26
Individual yet Not-Self
2016-04-19
Individuality and the Absolute
2020-01-21
Insight
2012-01-10
Insight and Clear Perception
2013-12-10
Integrating Your Life into Your Practice
2013-11-19
Interbeing
2015-11-10
Interconnectedness
2013-09-03
Introduction to 100-Day Retreat in Daily Life - The Five Training Precepts
2011-02-02
It's all Miraculous
2013-08-27
It's Too Close, Too Vast, Too Wondrous, and Too Easy
2014-09-09
Joy
2017-05-09
Joy and Freedom
2014-08-26
Joy On and Off of the Cushion
2012-07-31
Keep it Simple
2016-07-12
Keep Your Heart Open
2015-07-28
Keeping One's Center
2018-01-15
Kusala
2016-08-02
Learning to Touch The Inner Safety
2013-07-02
Let Go and Find Unshakeable Peace and Freedom
2017-05-02
Let Our Hearts Not Forget
2012-10-30
Let the World Adjust to You
2019-10-01
Letting Go
2012-10-16
Letting Go of Attachements
2011-03-15
Letting Our Hearts Break
2016-03-29
Liberation through Dana, Sila, Bhavana
2011-08-23
Liberation through Non-Clinging
2014-04-01
Light and Love
2012-02-28
Live a Life that Leads to Freedom
2019-01-15
Living in Accordance With the Truth
2012-03-06
Living with Calm Abiding and Don't Know Mind
2012-02-07
Living with Ease
2011-04-05
Loss, Grief, and Love
2015-02-03
Love
2012-02-14
Love
2011-03-08
Love - The Reason we Practice
2014-10-07
Luminous is the Mind
2014-02-04
Marry the One Who Won't Divorce You
2016-03-01
May you truly be happy
2014-03-18
Meditation - Skylike Nature of the Mind
2016-05-31
Meditation Is Enlightenment Itself
2017-05-16
Melting Our Heart Open
2011-02-08
Metta - Reteaching a Thing its Loveliness
2015-01-20
Mindfulness and Clear Comprehension
2014-06-24
Mindfulness of the Body and Feelings
2011-03-29
Minding the Gap and Stepping into Life
2016-01-12
Mini-Nirvana
2019-02-12
Missing What's Happening in Real Time
2017-10-17
Mission Dharma's Commitment Statement
2016-09-13
Monkey Mind
2011-09-13
Music of the Heart
2017-06-13
Not Waiting For Happiness
2016-08-16
Nothing Ever Happened
2014-11-25
On Ferguson - When the Way Things Are is Hard to Bear
2014-03-18
One Essential Mind- Myriad Forms
2017-03-21
One's Approach To Practice
2018-08-21
Open Conversation Q&A
2014-02-18
Open Relaxation and Letting Go
2018-02-20
Open Secret
2017-09-05
Open To Suffering
2016-11-22
Open Your Heart
2014-06-03
Opening to Freedom
2012-01-03
Opening to Life
2015-02-24
Opening to Silence
2018-01-02
Others and No Others
2016-11-29
Our Capacity to Awaken
2013-10-02
Our Dear Green Earth
2012-04-17
Pacify the Bully
2017-03-07
Peace In The Awareness
2015-08-25
Peace is the Natural State of the Mind
2011-08-30
Planting Seeds
2018-03-27
Possibility of Inner Peace
2014-09-16
Practice for Difficult Times
2014-08-12
Practicing in Difficult Times
2014-05-27
Practicing in Difficult Times
2020-03-10
Practicing in Place #1
2020-03-24
Practicing in Place #2
2012-05-22
Practicing the Dharma with Others
2010-09-21
Purity and Happiness
2017-02-28
Q&A
2011-03-22
Q&A - The Road Less Traveled
2018-09-25
Questions & Answers
2014-10-14
Questions & Answers
2013-03-19
Questions and Answers
2012-03-27
Questions and Answers
2017-01-17
Racial Awareness
2020-03-31
Rain
2012-01-31
Rains Retreat
2017-09-12
Redemption Song
2015-01-13
Reflections for the New Year
2017-02-07
Refuge in the Dharma
2017-11-14
Relating to the Present
2018-09-11
Relationship To Practice
2015-04-14
Relax a little bit
2013-01-22
Reliable Refuge
2018-06-12
Resilience
2017-09-19
Resilience
2010-11-23
Rest in Natural Great Peace
2012-05-29
Rest in the Mind's True Nature
2015-10-13
Right View
2016-09-06
Sanctuary of Sanity
2013-02-26
Seconds Away from Freedom
2018-04-03
Security
2019-02-26
See Your Fellow Bugs
2018-07-31
Seeing Into The Heart Of Humanity
2015-05-19
Self View and Insecurity
2013-07-16
Selflessness and Interconnection
2018-02-13
Service and Sangha
2013-08-06
Serving the Divine
2015-03-24
Shift Happens
2011-11-15
Simplicity of the Quiet Mind
2016-12-13
Sitting In The Middle Of It
2012-12-11
Skillfully Responding to the Voices of Mara
2012-12-04
Solving the Case of Mistaken Identity
2012-05-01
Soothing the Anxious Heart
2013-03-05
Spring Cleaning
2011-07-26
Stay Where You Are
2011-09-06
Stay Where you Are
2013-10-22
Stay Where You Are - Q&A
2010-10-19
Stepping Out of Our Identities
2018-10-16
Suffering & Happiness
2018-04-24
Survivability
2014-08-19
Taking Refuge
2012-05-15
Taking Refuge in the Laughing Buddha
2016-07-19
Teacher Appreciation
2014-10-28
Teachings on Not-Self
2015-11-24
Thank You
2017-11-21
Thankful for Nothing
2011-11-22
Thanksgiving
2012-11-20
Thanksgiving
2014-07-29
The Bliss of Consciousness
2012-07-03
The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha
2013-03-12
The Clear Light of Your Existence - In Memory of Carlos Ramirez
2015-12-15
The Compelling Present
2013-06-25
The Desire for Awakening
2013-05-21
The Dharma is Not an Escape - The Way Out is In
2012-09-25
The Dharma of Non-Postponement
2012-05-08
The Dukkha of Praise and Blame
2013-05-28
The Four Foundations of Mindfulness
2012-06-26
The Four Noble Truths
2011-01-11
The Four Noble Truths - Kickoff of the 100 Day Retreat
2014-04-29
The Four Noble Truths in Action
2013-04-09
The Four Wise Efforts
2014-06-10
The Gifts of Practice
2012-07-24
The Graveyard of Memory and Q&A
2013-08-20
The Happy Sangha
2014-01-21
The Healing Power of Mindfulness and Love
2012-09-11
The Home of Experience
2013-02-05
The Idea of You is Not You
2018-10-02
The Illusion Of Separateness
2019-03-05
The Imagined Me in Our Mind
2018-08-28
The Internal Dialogue
2018-11-13
The Internal Story We Carry With Us
2018-11-13
The Internal Story We Carry With Us
2012-07-17
The Manure of Bodhi
2014-10-21
The Mark of No-Self
2016-08-23
The Metta Sutta
2018-11-06
The Miracle Of Awakening
2014-02-11
The Miracle of Awakening
2016-04-26
The Miracle of Mindfulness
2013-01-15
The Miracle of the Present Moment
2014-12-02
The Nature of Mind
2015-03-10
The New Normal
2012-11-05
The Open Secret
2014-05-13
The Paramis
2013-01-29
The Paramis
2013-06-04
The Promise of Awakening
2013-09-10
The Sacred Pause
2011-07-12
The Search for Safety
2014-11-18
The Second Arrow
2013-05-14
The Skylike Nature of Mind
2016-06-21
The Solstice and the Light of Awareness
2014-01-29
The State of Union
2018-09-18
The Three Fetters
2011-07-19
The Topic for Every Day is Love
2011-01-25
The Triple Gem
2011-11-08
The True Happiness of Freedom
2019-02-19
The Wonder of Being Is in Plain Sight
2018-10-23
The World We Create With Our Mind
2016-11-08
Things As They Are
2011-02-15
This Body, The Path
2014-09-02
To See Through the Self
2010-10-12
Touching our Fear
2013-01-01
Transcendence, Connection to the Timeless, and New Year's Intentions
2012-06-05
Trust in Awareness
2014-12-16
Turning the Wheel of the Dharma
2018-06-26
Unconditionally Happy
2016-03-08
Unstuck from the World
2016-09-20
Untrained Mind and Trained Mind
2014-02-25
Vive la Difference
2021-10-12
Waking Up Where We Are
2015-11-03
Walking Each Other Home
2019-04-16
Wanting More of This & Less of That
2019-06-18
Waves Don't Get Separated From the Ocean
2017-08-15
We Are All In This Together
2010-12-14
We are the Ones we are Looking for
2011-09-27
We Are What We Practice
2019-03-19
We Don't Know What's Going To Happen
2015-07-21
What Am I Defending?
2014-11-11
What Are You Doing for the Rest of Your Life?
2015-12-01
What are you practicing
2013-02-19
What Can I Give to the World Today?
2012-06-19
What is Your Next Step?
2014-01-14
What Seed Will You Plant?
2016-08-09
What We All Share
2016-10-04
What You Are Feeling Is Just Right
2019-02-05
What You Frequently Dwell Upon Becomes the Inclination of Mind
2012-08-28
What's Happening Now?
2013-04-30
When the Heart-Mind is Open
2012-10-23
When We Have No Preferences
2013-12-17
Who is Skeptical?
2011-09-20
Widening our Circle
2011-12-06
Working with the Hindrances
2019-05-21
You and Your Idea of You
2012-03-20
You are a Buddha
2011-02-22
You are Indescribable
2015-06-09
You Are Nature
2014-03-04
You Are Not What You Think
2010-10-05
You are that Gleam
2015-08-11
You Are The Earth
2011-10-04
You Are What You Are Looking For
2014-03-11
You Are What You Think
2018-11-27
You Are What You're Looking For
2018-08-14
You Mind In The Same Location As Your Body
2016-06-07
You Never Know
2015-03-17
You Who are the Richest
2010-11-09
Your Basic Goodness
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