Academy Teachings

The Buddha's First Truth or Realisation was "Life is painful and then you die." If this is true, then how do we respond to the disappointments of life and the certainty of death? This session will explore how we are conditioned to protect, promote and satisfy a 'self' which can never be satisfied. As the...

Laura will be sharing from her recently released book The Zen Way of Recovery: An Illuminated Path Out of the Darkness of Addiction,  a collection of dharma talks on teachings that are congruent with recovery. The twin paths of Zen practice and recovery have evolved and sustained her since she got sober in 1985. Here is...

Since this is my first time speaking at the BRN Academy, I thought I would share some stories about my personal journey with you. I've been in recovery from drugs and alcohol since 1987, and there have been plenty of ups and downs along the way. Finding the practice of insight meditation and the Buddha's...

Every day is a new year, and it’s an opportunity to do something different because the past has gone . However so many of us hold onto the past or cling onto a future that hasn’t even arrived. Today we will explore letting go and discovering a freedom in the present moment. Let’s leave behind...

Excerpt for next teaching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBSGDTNgIaM The Buddha's first official teaching was given to ‘noble ones’, that is the five ascetics who trained alongside Gautama, seeking an end to the suffering of this existence and an end to future rebirths. The way out of suffering, the Buddha said, was the Middle Way; the middle path between the extremes of sensual existence....

In this talk we will explore how recovery and mindfulness can make us more sensitive internally and externally. Such increasing awareness allows us to let go on profound levels and wake up to our inherent wisdom and wholeness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHhFXYcUoBI