Mindfulness and Spiritual Philosophy Course

A series of recorded talks to help understand the human condition and how to find a sense of peace in the world. Course draws from the spiritual traditions of Buddhism, Taoism, Yoga, Hinduism, Modern Spiritualism, Rumi, Confucian Philosophy, Stoic Philosophy, Cynic Philosophy, Socratic/Platonic Philosophy.

It is said that spiritual teachings should not be given away for free, and so we ask you receive these teachings as part of an exchange. We ask you perform one good deed for each talk to which you listen, within 1 year.* The deed must be sincere to count, such that the doer feels something inside when the deed is complete. 

It is recommended that you start with the first talk, The Nature of Suffering, and proceed sequentially, since later talks will often refer to previous ones.

Available also on Insight Timer here

The Nature of Suffering

Mindfulness of the Present Moment

Dealing with the Past, Anger, Regret

Dealing with the Future, Anxiety, Impermanence, Death

Non Self

Karma and Secular Ethics

The Nature of Happiness

Philosophical Talks

The Nature of Justice

Prerequisites: The first 7 talks; Strongly Recommended prerequisite: Recent reading of Plato's The Republic 

COVID-19: The Nature of Truth, Wisdom & Trust

It is recommended to hear the first 8 talks first

The Nature of Time

Suggested Prerequisites: Talk 5 (Non self), Talk 4 (Impermanence)

Misfortune and The Second Arrow

An offering after the Buffalo Tragedy

On Racism, Virtue & Vice

A Spiritual Philosopher's Understanding of the Root and Cure of Racism

The Philosopher Kingdom

Places to Meditate in WNY

Please let us know if there have been any updates!

Sunday

The Awakening Community through Zoom Online

Please contact Dennis via dennishohman456@gmail.com 

Two rounds sitting

8:30 AM to 9:30 AM

Non denominational, Free Online

Urban Monks in person at the Japanese Gardens, Delaware Park

10:00 AM to 11:30 PM

Non denominational, Free

Introductory instruction offered, discussion group follows. 

Sunday Weekly Guided Meditation with Luis Chiesa through Zoom Online

11 AM to 12:30 PM

Zen / Advaita Vedanta / Self-Inquiry, Free

Sign up to mailing list here

Wake Up Buffalo at Zoom Online

Please contact them directly

6 PM to 8 PM

Young Adult Group based on Thich Nhat Hahn's Mindfulness Teachings

Ages 18-35, No experience necessary

Monday 

Himalayan Institute of Buffalo  through Zoom Online

https://zoom.us/j/139024694

7 PM to 8 PM

Donation Based

Buffalo Stoics through Zoom Online

7:30 PM to 9 PM

No meditation, Philosophy discussion only, Free

Tuesday

Buffalo Zen Dharma in person at Westminster Presbyterian Church

7 PM to 9 PM

Please contact them directly for information

Zen Buddhism, Donation Based

Community Meditation Southtowns at UUEA Church, 94 Buffalo Road, East Aurora

Two Rounds of Sitting/Walking

7 PM to 8:30 PM

Non Denominational, Donation Based

FB Updates

Weekly Guided Meditation with Luis Chiesa through Zoom Online

8 PM to 9 PM

Zen / Advaita Vedanta / Self-Inquiry, Free

Sign up to mailing list here

Urban Monks through Zoom Online

8 PM - 9 PM

Non denominational, Free

Introductory instruction offered, discussion group follows. 

Saturday

Community Mindworks  with The Mindfulness Alliance via Zoom online

Please register on their Facebook Page

Non Profit Organization advocating for Mindfulness and Social Change

1st Saturday of Each Month Only

Guided Meditation and Community Discussion

9:00 AM to 10:30 AM , Free

Peaceful Heart Mindfulness Community  via Zoom Online

Please contact Marguerite: mbattaglia59@gmail.com 

Brief Guided Meditation, Two Rounds Sitting and Discussion

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM 

Zen Buddhism, Free

Advice for new meditators:

Try downloading free apps to your phone and give guided meditation a try / Try various courses if available locally 

Read Turning the Mind Into An Ally

Practice

Wean yourself off guided meditation and build up stamina doing it without guidance

Use a mala or rosary to guide the breath to increase meditation stamina

Attend meditation groups and maintain regular practice

Apps

Calm, Headspace, Insight Timer

Books

Turning the Mind Into An Ally (Meditation) 

The Power of Now (Mindfulness)                    

Psychocybernetics (Nature of Self Image/ Self Improvement)

How to Make Friends and Influence People (Improving Relations with Others)

The Untethered Soul (Understanding Nature of Self)

Spiritual Books

The Long Discourses of the Buddha

The Middle Discourses of the Buddha

The Connected Discourses of the Buddha

The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha

The Dhammapada

Rumi

The Bhagavad Gita 

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

The Autobiography of a Yogi

The Alchemist

Siddhartha

Man's Search for Meaning

Tao Te Ching

Zhuang Tsu

Lieh Tzu

Seven Taoist Masters

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Dialogues and Essays by Seneca

Discourses, Fragments, Handbook by Epictetus (Oxford World's Classics translation)

Plato: The Republic, Gorgias, Protagoras, Crito, Phaedo, Phaedrus, Symposium, Philebus

Conversations of Socrates by Xenophon

Vegetable Roots Discourse by Hong Yingming

That One Should Disdain Hardships, Musonius Rufus

The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, The Analects by Confucius

Mencius

Walden, by Henry David Thoreau 

The Book of Master Mo

The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle

Spiritual Films

Groundhog Day (Mindfulness of the Present)

Click (Mindfulness of the Present)

Fight Club (Nature of Self, Nature of Happiness)

Revolver (2005; Nature of Ego and the Path to Enlightenment)

Places to Go for Meditation Retreat Nearby-ish

Springwater Center 

(1 hour south of Rochester) Non-denominational, suitable for beginners

Ontario Vipassana Center

Egbert Ontario, ~2.5 hours from Buffalo, Goenka tradition, more suitable for experienced