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Undefended Dharma with Mary Stancavage
Dharma talks from meditation teacher Mary Stancavage. These focus primarily on the pragmatic aspects of Buddhist teachings and philosophy drawing strongly on wisdom and heart practices. All are viewed through the lens of learning to live with an Undefended Heart. (photo by @kimanhuynh)
Episodes
331 episodes
What is Liberation?
We talk often about the practice being a path to liberation, but what do we actually mean when we say that? In this dharma reflection, Mary investigates what liberation, freedom, awakening all mean in the various schools and lineages of Buddhis...
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30:59
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Sangha as Beloved Community
The Buddha created the sangha, or community, of monastics, but his teaching spread to every level of society and we can each be part of a sangha. In this talk Mary discusses the ethical foundations of such a community and how we can create a wi...
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21:08
The Truth is Right Here
Mary reflects on how often we look for reality or truth somewhere else, when there really is nowhere else. We're invited to recognize how our mind struggles to create different stories to suit what we want but freedom lies in being able to stay...
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18:32
Building a Foundation for Freedom
When we don't pay attention to our thoughts, we’re often acting from habits that have been strengthened over the years, and which can be difficult to break. The Buddha’s teaching on liberation and awakening, the Eightfold Path, also offers us a...
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25:09
Calm Knowing
This is a short reflection on the arising of insight from knowing and sensing and the calmness that allows us to meet each moment as it is. The world is on fire and developing the capacity to be present for ourselves and others is vital. Insigh...
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13:27
Managing the Transition
With every ending there is a time to reflect before the beginning, but we often neglect this time in our haste to be on to the next new thing. The Buddha's teaching of impermanence or anicca, reminds us that all things come to an end w...
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20:44
Skillful Means
Mary discusses the idea of Skillful Means which Joseph Goldstein says is "for liberating the clinging mind from suffering." Using the wisdom, discernment and compassion that has arisen from our practice, we can navigate life skil...
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21:11
Internal Revolution of the Heart
During these days when greed, hatred and delusion are running rampant, the Buddha's teachings on nonviolence and compassion are extremely relevant. Mary offers some examples from the suttas and points out the similarities to other world traditi...
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23:26
Just Collecting Data
Additional reflections on insight practice and how our insights are experienced at the somatic and instinctive level rather than our trying to figure things out. Inspired by the teachings on a recent retreat, Mary offers thoughts on seeing clea...
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22:18
Reflections on Retreat
Mary attended a retreat this week and offers some reflections on kindness to ourselves, awareness, insight and interconnections. The name of the retreat was
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12:26
Heirs to Our Actions
The Five Remembrances (AN 5.57) allow us to become comfortable with our mortality and the human condition and serve as an antidote to clinging. The fifth remembra...
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20:14
Care for Ourselves, Care for Others
Reflecting on the Rajan Sutta, Mary talks about the twofold teaching it offers. Just as we hold ourselves dear, we realized that others feel the same and knowing thi...
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19:45
Relax the Body, Relax the Mind
We're often given the instruction to relax during meditation. It is not just so that we feel relaxed or calm, but it allows us to let go of what we're holding and to make space for what's right here. We're creating the environment to be present...
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29:07
The Roller Coaster is the Human Condition
In this brief reflection, Mary discusses the Buddha's teaching on the Eight Worldly Winds and how appropriate it is for today's world. Equanimity invites us to an appropriate response to whatever experience we have and when we understand the te...
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19:01
Hope as a Practice
Although the Buddha did not teach using the word hope, his teachings are, as Oren Jay Sofer says, fundamentally hopeful: It affirms that there is a reliable way to release ourselves from suffering, to protect other beings, mitigate h...
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16:49
Taming the Monkey Mind
The monkey mind is a phrase often used to describe a mind that is all over the place and seldom in the present. All of us experience monkey mind, overwhelm or the Pali word Papañca. In this reflection Mary invites us to recognize when ...
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19:02
The Path of No Preference
A lovely definition of equanimity is to be intimate with our deepest experience, without preference. In this talk, Mary discusses what that means and doesn't mean and how no preference in this moment is a practice of liberation.Recorded ...
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25:24
Be a Buddha
Oftentimes we think that studying or following Buddhist teachings requires us to fit a certain mold or behave in a particular way. But this is not about a rigid practice and one size fits all. In this talk Mary reflects on how we're invited to ...
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16:27
The Antidote to Fear
The Metta Sutta was the Buddha's offering to fearful monks and the practice of loving kindness and good will is still a path of liberation. As Ruth King says, metta is the antidote for aversion and those ways we hold ourselves captive. We live ...
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25:13
Stepping into the Darkness
Inspired by a talk from Ayya Santacitta (We Are Not Without Medicine) Mary discusses how the world is in a time of darkness, and how our Buddhist practice helps us to move through it. We open to...
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20:08
Cruising the Dharma
Scrolling through the talk titles on Dharmaseed can offer insight in how to maneuver through the difficult challenges we're all facing in 2025. Connection, community, compassion, clarity ...
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18:36
The Long Journey
Reflecting on a quote by Thich Nhat Hanh which says "There is not one action or one ritual that will bring you liberation" It require continual effort and commitment to practice. Mary discusses how this flies in the face of our culture's belief...
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19:41
The Bodhisattva Realm
The Bodhisattva realm is an existence that is open to all of us and is as important today as it's ever been. It's one of the four realms in Mahayana tradition and Mary discusses how meaningful it can be for us to live in a way that is wise and ...
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27:05