Tea with Mara

“The Demon God” is a surprise bonus Spooky Season Dharma talk about the so-called “Demon God Mara” from Buddhism. We all have our demons. The Demon God is a story about the night the Buddha faced his. Māra the demon god, (SPOILER ALERT) was his own mind! The mind that is filled with fear, craving, and doubt. It’s about the great battle that led to awakening, and the quiet truth that awareness is stronger than the storms of our mind. It’s about facing our doubting mind, and transforming that relationship from fear based to compassion. I hope you enjoy this epic story! https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

“Slayer To Saint” is the last of our Spooky Season Dharma talks! We explore the story of Aṅgulimāla the man born “Harmless” who became feared as a serial killer, and then found his way back to harmlessness again. It’s a story of fear, obedience, and transformation. Of how a good student can lose his way trying to please the wrong teacher. And how even the most violent karma can ripen into peace when met with wisdom. This year, we looked at every part of his journey from his parents’ fears and his teacher’s betrayal to the Buddha’s compassion and that unforgettable line: “Bear it, Brahmin, bear it.” It’s not a story about punishment. It’s a story about what’s possible when we finally stop running. I hope you enjoy this powerful story!https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

“Nothing To Fear” is a spooky season Dharma Talk on death. Most of us grow up thinking cemeteries are scary places full of ghosts, reminders of loss, and stories we’d rather not face. But the Buddha taught that when we look closely, what we find is honesty. When we truly understand impermanence, fear transforms into peace. We stop clinging to what we can’t keep, and stop fearing what we can’t avoid, and see death clearly, we learn how to live fully. I hope you find some comfort and wisdom in this talk. Enjoy!https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

“The Spookiest of All Ghosts” isn’t about haunted houses or things that go bump in the night. It’s about the restless hungers that haunt our own hearts and minds. The cravings, habits, and addictions that whisper “just one more.” Drawing on the Buddha’s teachings and Dr. Gabor Maté’s In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, we explored how to face those inner ghosts with compassion, not fear. And how to feed them wisely with mindfulness, connection, and love. I hope you enjoy the talk!https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

"Outing Our Inner Demons" is a Dharma talk and brief guided meditation on working with our less appealing, or shadow side aspects. It's not so hard to work with our good bits, but sometimes we push away and resist facing our darker side. This talk is all about how we can transform those fiendish imps into useful tools and teachers. A bit of Spooky Season fun with a serious topic! I hope you enjoy and find value in this talk!https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

“Ghosts of the Mind” is a dharma talk offered at Two Hands Sangha to get in the spirit of Spooky Season!; the perfect time to talk about fear. Not the kind in haunted houses, but the kind that lives in our heads. The Buddha knew that most of the ghosts that haunt us come from the stories our minds tell when we don’t see clearly. The rope we mistake for a snake. The fear that turns a quiet night into something sinister. The thoughts that rattle like ghosts until we shine the light of mindfulness on them. When we see fear for what it is, just another passing mind state, the monsters vanish. What’s left is peace. Enjoy!https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

“There You Are” is about the wandering mind, the doubts and distractions that convince us we “can’t meditate”, and why none of that has to stop us. Meditation isn’t about sitting perfectly still or holding perfect focus. It’s about learning to meet the mind with patience, and gently return… again and again. Every return is the practice. Every return is progress. Every return is enough. I hope you'll find some value in this talk. Enjoy!https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

"Stop, See, Soften, Serve" is a Dharma talk and brief guided meditation about Wise Action. Actions tend to be greater than words, and this week’s talk is about making the Dharma visible through what we do. We explored Wise Action’s three threads of non-harming, not taking what isn’t freely given, and honoring intimacy and consent as well as how they braid with Wise Speech to make our lives safer to be around. The practice is simple: Stop. See. Soften. Serve. This talk seemed very timely for our group, and I hope you find it useful in your life. Enjoy!https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

"Wise and Free" is a Dharma talk offered at Two Hands Sangha on the topic of Wise Speech. We often celebrate the idea of free speech (the right to say what we want, when we want). But the Buddha taught something deeper: wise speech.Wise speech isn’t about restriction, it’s about freedom. The kind that comes from words that heal instead of harm, and which connect instead of divide.This talk explores how our words can bind us in regret or set us free in compassion. Just because speech is free doesn’t mean it’s wise, but wise speech will always be freeing.https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

"Pumpkinheads" is a Dharma talk and short guided meditation inspired by my daughter’s first job at a pumpkin patch and a graphic novel we read together to celebrate, PumpkinHeads. The story brought to mind what’s sometimes called the Vipassanā Romance.; that tendency we all have to create elaborate stories in our minds about people and situations long before we know the truth. We believe these stories, and when reality doesn’t match, we suffer the disappointment.This talk explores why the mind does this, how it causes trouble, and how practice can help us see more clearly. My hope is that it offers something useful for you, and that you enjoy listening.https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

"All I Wanted Was A Pepsi" is a Dharma talk and brief guided meditation about respecting and honoring our parents, even when we don't always agree with our parents. It's about how we can always practice respect, gratitude, and compassion. The Buddha taught that even if we carried our parents on our shoulders for a hundred years, we could never fully repay them. What he asked instead was that we repay them through patience, love, and wisdom. Honoring our parents doesn’t mean silencing ourselves, nor does it mean letting go of our integrity. It means walking the Middle Way. And asking ourselves, how can I practice love and respect when it’s difficult?https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

"Don't Fear The Reaping" is a Dharma talk and brief guided meditation on the topic of karma. Karma isn’t punishment, reward, or judgment. It’s simply the seeds we plant with our intentions, words, and actions. The Buddha taught: “Whatever seed is sown, that is the fruit that will be reaped.”  We only need to pay attention to what we’re planting in this moment. Hope this is helpful. Enjoy!https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

“Bend, Not Break” is a dharma talk offered at Two Hands Sangha on the topic of resilience in troubling times. We explored how true resilience isn’t about hardening ourselves or pretending to be untouchable, but about staying flexible, grounded, and compassionate in the middle of life’s storms. We also talked about the role of community and everyday kindness in keeping one another steady, so no one has to walk alone. Enjoy!https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

“A Noble Mind” is a Dharma talk offered at Two Hands Sangha on Mudita. True joy doesn’t shrink when shared, it multiplies. This talk explores mudita  (Appreciative Joy), the practice of rejoicing in the happiness of others, and how it transforms envy into connection and the ordinary into the noble. I hope this will be useful in your life. Enjoy!https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

“Leaning Into Personality” is a Dharma talk and brief guided meditation on the “Buddhist Personality Types”. In the Visuddhimagga, six temperaments are described; ways our minds naturally lean. Some tilt toward craving, some toward irritation, some toward confusion, and others toward faith, wisdom, or creative reflection. The point isn’t to label ourselves, but to notice our tendencies and then meet them with the right practice. I hope this light hearted and fun exploration will be of some service to you. Enjoy!https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

"Sukha Loops and Shoops" is a Dharma talk and brief guided meditation on Sukha, and how we can create beneficial feedback loops that lead to and perpetuate it, as well as how to make the shift (when we are caught in "Dukkha Loops") over to "Sukha Loops" using what I call the Sukha Shoop. The words may sound ridiculous because I am, but I promise it will all make sense! The Buddha often spoke about dukkha—suffering, dissatisfaction, the rough ride of life. But he also pointed us to sukha—ease, well-being, the smooth ride that’s possible when the wheel is aligned. I hope you have some fun with this one and enjoy it!https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

“The Uplift Mofo Party Plan” is a plan based on a band, a band based on a plan. But...it's also a Dharma talk offered at Two Hands Sangha that explores what the Buddha had to say about inspiration. Not the “hang in there” poster kind, but the living rhythm of pasāda (faith, confidence) and veda (joy, uplift). We’ll look at how these two qualities work together to carry us out of boredom, through the hindrances, and onto the path of freedom. Listen in, and see how even the smallest spark of faith can lead to joy, and how joy itself becomes the fuel for practice. Enjoy! (Also, only the title is related to the song, so that's either a bug or a feature, depending on what you like!) https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

“The Agony and The Irony” is a Dharma talk and brief guided meditation about boredom. We treat boredom like an enemy to avoid, filling every spare moment with noise, screens, and distraction. But the Buddha gave us tools to work with it, and even learn from it. In this talk, we explore boredom as both a mirror and a teacher, using six simple steps. Enjoy!https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

“Patience As A Strength” is a Dharma talk at Two Hands Sangha reflecting on how we think of patience, and often picture just waiting something out, gritting our teeth until it’s over. But in the Dhamma, patience is an active quality.  It is strength. It is choosing to meet each moment without grasping at what we want it to be or pushing away what it is. We explore three realms of patience and look at how the Buddha taught it as “the highest austerity” https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

"33,600 Turbo Miles, Due Up!" is a Dharma talk that looks at what it means to stay on the path when nothing is going according to plan, and it isn't always a straight line. Inspired by the hardworking construction workers renovating my house, and a splash of Daffy Duck’s absurd map to Planet X, we reflect on wise effort, shifting conditions, and the importance of building a life with flexibility, structure, and forgiveness. Enjoy!https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com