Undefended Dharma with Mary Stancavage

So much of what we think, say and do is habitual - we react without thinking. The Buddha taught that our reactivity is also impacted by whether we experience something as pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. In this talk Mary discusses how this colors our experiences in the world and how to create new habits that are not reactive, but instead, are truly in the moment and grounded in wisdom and compassion. Recorded Feb. 28, 2026 in the virtual world Send me a text with any questions or comments! I...

The word Samadhi is usually translated as concentration, but it's also thought of as collectedness of mind and steadiness. This important teaching - the 8th factor on the Eightfold Path is necessary for awakening and liberation. Mary discusses what Samadhi is and isn't and how we cultivate this important quality. Recorded Feb. 21, 2022 in the virtual world Send me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically....

In this time of great dukkha, it's imperative to remember the importance of love and how we ground ourselves and our practice in it. Mary reflects on the wisdom of bell hooks and others to find a way to make this a foundation of our practice, and our intention as we move the the world and deal with the vicissitudes of life. Recorded Feb 14, 2026 in the virtual world Send me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included auto...

The old story about a good wolf and bad wolf that live in our minds aligns beautifully with the Buddha's teachings on cultivating what's beneficial and letting go of what isn't. Mary reflects on how we often feed the ideas that don't serve us and how to move in a different, more wise, direction. Recorded Feb. 7, 2026 in the virtual world Send me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks. Visit Mary...

In this important teaching, the Buddha invites us to become intimate with the human condition and to see how we create levels of suffering for ourselves. There is also the recognition that there is a way out - the Eightfold Path. Mary also reflects on Stephen Batchelor's Four Tasks which brings a pragmatic lens to this essential teaching. Recorded Jan 31, 2026 in the virtual world Send me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - i...

Every day we're inundated with stories and images of violence, and the three poisons of greed, hatred and ignorance that the Buddha spoke of centuries ago. How do we greet this moment in time? How do we handle the emotions we experience with wisdom and compassion? How do we stay connected to the world we live in and work to end the harm we see? Mary reflects on the reality of this moment and how to take care of ourselves and others. Recorded Jan. 25, 2026 in the virtual world Send me a ...

The Buddha's teaching on Wise Speech remains as important and necessary today as it did over 2,500 years ago. It may be even more important to be grounded in wisdom and clarity because there are so many more ways to interact with each other and we see the impact and harm of unwise speech around us on a daily basis. Mary talks about how we can make this part of our life. Recorded Jan. 17, 2026 in the virtual world Send me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if yo...

Mary answers the question, "How do we offer Loving Kindness to those that commit atrocities?" This is a common question, and is especially relevant right now. The heart practices do not ask us to ignore feelings or emotions that arise when faced with the violence and oppression so rampant today. Instead we are invited to greet whatever shows up and reflect on where we are and how we are holding our own pain. The heart practices invite us into our own healing which allows us to open to o...

There are a lot of misconceptions of basic Buddhist teachings and in this talk Mary reflects on a few. The Buddha did not say that "Life is Suffering", but instead that there is suffering, and there is a way out. Additionally, equanimity and being present for what is, does not condone injustice or greed, hatred and ignorance. Buddhist practice is a way of being in the world and fully engaged with it. Recorded Jan. 2, 2025 in the virtual world Send me a text with any questions or comments! Inc...

Delusion is one of the greatest impediments to freedom and in this talk, Mary discusses how being embodied and whole allows for clear seeing. When we're stuck in the habit energies of our minds, we're often disconnected from reality and our journey is back to wholeness, to clarity and to living with a wise heart. Recorded Dec. 27, 2025 in the virtual world Send me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically....

In a recent episode of the Insight Myanmar podcast Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi spoke about four areas that Western Buddhists should should work on for a flourishing of the dharma. Mary describes the four domains and reflects in further detail about how it would look unfolding in our own lives. Recorded Dec. 20, 2025 in the virtual world Send me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks. Visit Mary's website...

Using an article by Sayadaw U Tejaniya as a jumping off point, Mary discusses what being mindful all the time might look like in our lives, and how do we practice being present for whatever shows up. Being present is the key to liberation and is necessary even in the most mundane of situations. It takes effort, but the freedom is worth it. Recorded Dec. 11, 2025 in the virtual world Send me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's ...

The saying that life teaches you how to live it is so aligned with Buddhism's invitation to be present in each moment for whatever is at hand. Mary reflects on this topic and the wisdom of being present for our lives. Recorded Dec. 6, 2025 in the virtual world Send me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks. Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.

Reflecting on the invitation to "live as though the truth were true," Mary examines this through the Buddhist lens of being fully present with reality. So often we're in opposition to the 'truth' or reality because it differs from our wants or desires. The Buddha's teachings offer a way to align ourselves with reality and indeed, live as though the truth were true. A path of liberation. Recorded Nov. 29, 2025 in the virtual world Send me a text with any questions or comments! Include your nam...

November is often thought of as a month to give thanks, but the cultivation of gratitude is a practice that benefits us throughout the year. Gratitude is a heart practice that expands our awareness and connection to ourselves and others. Through it we learn to release negative conditioning and cultivate a wise heart. Making gratitude integral to our lives lets us be present for all things, and see the beneficial where we have missed it before. Recorded Nov. 22, 2025 in the virtual world Send ...

In this talk Mary emphasized the importance of being connected to our body and the wisdom it contains. When we live in our heads, we can get stuck in views and perceptions and we miss out on the experience of the moment. The Buddha said that the world is in this fathom-long body, not just in our heads. Being connected allows us to live with a wise heart. Recorded Nov. 15, 2025 in the virtual world Send me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a r...

We are all experiencing an onslaught of information and it can be challenging to keep up. The fact is, we cannot keep up and the invitation to pause in practice is important. Mary discusses what gets in our way and how to find a path to equanimity among all the chatter. Recorded Nov. 8, 2025 in the virtual world Send me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks. Visit Mary's website for more info o...

Our reactivity to situations often takes over and determines how we feel and act. However, if we can pause before reacting, we may have a very different experience. In this talk Mary discusses how we need to recognize how nothing in our reaction will change the situation, but how our reactions will impact our level of dukkha. Recorded Nov. 1, 2025 in the virtual world Send me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included au...

Reflecting on the Parami of Truthfulness, Mary investigates what gets in the way and keeps us removed from reality and not seeing the world clearly. We are invited to reflect on being honest with the world and, what is sometimes even more difficult, being honest with ourselves. There is freedom in truth. Recorded Oct. 19, 2025 at Insight Community of the Desert Send me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included autom...

In this talk Mary reflects on the idea of emptiness which can be thought of as an absence of attachment to self or I, Me and Mine. This freedom can seem elusive, but we can recognize it in our daily lives as we work on letting go. Recorded Oct. 9, 2025 in the virtual world After Buddhism by Stephen Batchelor Pay Attention, for Goodness' Sake by Sylvia Boorstein Send me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automat...