My greatest joy is giving the gift of love and hope through the dharma, knowing it is possible for humans to transform their hearts. These dharma gifts include paying attention, practicing clarity and kindness and addressing the suffering of the world--which, of course, includes ourselves. Right now I'm most enthusiastic about the first gift, paying attention, because it makes every part of our lives better. Paying attention allows us to become more clear, and each moment of clarity is a gift to ourselves and those around us. Clarity keeps us from contributing to more suffering. The gift of clarity and kindness also supports a peaceful heart, which allows us to address the suffering in the world with love. When we practice clarity, we offer the possibility for humans to live in a different way. But a peaceful heart is only the beginning. We also have to take action, go out and directly address the suffering with peace in our hearts. As a parent, grandparent and a psychotherapist, I teach out of the stories of my life and the lives of those around me. I am especially touched by personal narrative, accounts of spiritual journeys, and how these become vehicles for connecting with the dharma. I believe in revealing my own story so that others are more at ease to reveal theirs. Truth talking is a way out of suffering. Discovering how our hearts and minds work and creating a dialogue supports right speech practice. This is an on-going primary practice that we can do all the time. My hope is that I encourage people how to pay attention and to tell the truth by example.
Latest episodes of the podcast Sylvia Boorstein's most recent Dharma talks (Dharma Seed)
- Sylvia Boorstein: Freeing the Mind that is Held Hostage in Tight Places:The Keys to Liberation
- Sylvia Boorstein: Instructions for Everything (Retreat at Spirit Rock)
- Sylvia Boorstein: How Wisdom Grows (Retreat at Spirit Rock)
- Sylvia Boorstein: Developing Peace in the Breath and the Body (Retreat at Spirit Rock)
- Sylvia Boorstein: The Evolution of Intention: The Buddha, Maha Ghosananda and All of Us (Retreat at Spirit Rock)
- Bonnie Duran, Nikki Mirghafori, Sylvia Boorstein: Guided Meditation: Mindfulness of the Body and the Breath
- Sylvia Boorstein: There's Nothing Left to Do But... Be Kind to Yourself & Everyone Else You Meet
- Sylvia Boorstein: Taking Your Mind to the Laundry: How Wisdom Accumulates
- Sylvia Boorstein: "Neighbor is not a geographic term. It's a moral imperative."
- Sylvia Boorstein: "Everything Passes? That's Terrible!" ~ Barbie (2023)
- Sylvia Boorstein: My Heart Goes Out to You
- Sylvia Boorstein: What is the Key to Open the Heart
- Sylvia Boorstein: What Lifts up your Heart?
- Sylvia Boorstein: Listen to the Rain & Knit
- Sylvia Boorstein: The Only Response to Suffering is Compassion
- Sylvia Boorstein: Nothing but Kindness