Truth and Identity Talk

The Buddha taught that the 5 clinging agrregates lead to suffering. In a sense, identity itself leads to suffering. Trying to be "somebody." Join Dr. Daniel Ingram, Gary Sanders, and myself as we discuss how to navigate this topic and teach the Dharma effectively in world that is, at a glance, obsessed with identity.  It's a tough topic to navigate and one that is NEVER discussed. There's risk involved in even talking about this topic, but fortunatey for all of you I don't care about being cancelled or any of that.  This topic in particular lead to my being ostracized from Wildheart Meditation Center, due to motives that are all their own and I still don't understand.  I teach the Dharma (Dhamma) to help people END their suffering, not create more of it. There's too much enabling in American Dharma and not enough truth and honesty. The kindest thing you can do for someone is be honest with them. This is how we help, not by telling people what they WANT to hear, but telling them what the NEED to hear. Sometimes the truth isn't going to feel good, however.  That being said, I love you all and I hope you enjoy this conversation. ~Justin   gulfcoastdharma.org boundlessheartdharma.com/ .integrateddaniel.info/

This talk was given on 7/29/24 at Empathic Practice in Pensacola, Florida. Please support our mission to spread Dhamma by donating via Venmo to GulfCoastDharma or through Cashapp to $Dharmajunkie       stay blessed!     gulfcoastdharma.org

This talk was given on 3/5/24 at Empathic Practice in Pensacola, FL.   gulfcoastdharma.org

Gary Sanders lives in Los Angeles, CA where he founded SCV Mindfulness. He was empowered to lead Buddhist meditation and dharma groups at Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society. He also helped found Refuge Recovery, a Buddhist-based recovery program for all addictions, which has now spread worldwide.  After moving to Portland, OR in 2015, Gary was asked to join the teaching staff at Portland Insight Meditation Community and was empowered to teach in the lineage of the great Ruth Denison. Gary travels frequently, teaching daylongs and workshops all around North America, and specializes in the heart-based practices of The Buddha. Gary originally got sober in 12-step groups using Kevin Griffin's book One Breath at a Time, a non-theistic Buddhist approach to the 12 Steps. Through the years he's been involved in various Buddhist-based and other alternative non-theistic recovery programs. Gary practices Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation and has woven that into a unique mashup of mindfulness and recovery that he offers to others.  Links  www.portlandinsight.org  https://boundlessheartdharma.com/media/  

This talk was given at Empathic Practice in Pensacola, FL. on 2/26/24. Everything I do as a podcaster and facilitator is donation based. If you enjoyed any of the talks or interviews, I could use your support. Please consider donating via Venmo to Gulfcoastdharma   gulfcoastdharma.org    

After a humble and often tumultuous beginning to his life, Daryl Dittmer has worked relentlessly on himself for almost 40 years. Having hailed from a blue-collar family and upbringing, work-ethic was instilled early and often. Daryl was put to work as a farm hand at an early age, at $1.50 per hour, and learned the immense value of hard work and long days. ​Since those days, Daryl has been a carpenter, sales professional, business owner, builder, landlord, real estate investor, and consultant. Now, we're able to add "author" to that list.   daryldittmer.com/

This guided meditation was given at Empathic Practice in Pensacola, FL. on 2/26/24   gulfcoastdharma.org

Jill Sitnick's journey with PTSD began in her childhood, where she faced severe trauma due to an abusive father and a clinically depressed mother. Despite leaving her tumultuous home life at 19 and building a successful career in educational technology, the unresolved trauma from her past caught up with her in her late forties. After the passing of her long-term partner, Jill experienced severe PTSD attacks that left her feeling suicidal and constantly on high alert. After months of talk therapy without significant improvement, Jill's therapist suggested exploring MDMA-assisted therapy. MDMA, commonly known by its street names ecstasy or molly, is a synthesized chemical that has shown promising results in treating PTSD. Jill was initially skeptical but decided to give it a try after reviewing clinical trial data from the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). The results were nothing short of miraculous. MDMA helped Jill calm her body and mind, allowing her to confront and process her traumatic memories without the overwhelming fear and anxiety that typically accompanied them. Jill's story is a testament to the transformative power of psychedelic-assisted therapy and its potential to offer hope and healing to those suffering from PTSD.   thejourneysage.com

This talk was given at Empathic Practice in Pensacola, FL. on 2/19/24. If you feel as though you have gained anything or benefited from any of this content, please consider donating via Venmo to gulfcoastdharma   gulfcoastdharma.org

Daniel Ingram, MD is a meditation master (and self-described Arahant, meaning one who has fully awakened) with decades of experience training and teaching worldwide. On this episode we discussed the mission of the EPRC, why it's important, and I ask Elon Musk to pony up some cash for the cause.     The Mission of the EPRC What many might call "spiritual", "mystical", "energetic", etc. experiences and effects, we refer to as emergent phenomena. We refer to practices designed to lead to emergent phenomena, such as meditation, psychedelics, yoga, prayer, etc., as emergent practices. As emergent practices continue to scale up in society, our aim is to give healthcare systems, mental health providers, and those who are helping to teach and promote various practices the information they need to make better decisions about how to both promote the benefits of these practices and manage the different effects that they can produce. The Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium's mission is to use ontologically agnostic, multidisciplinary, first-person, psychometric, neurophenomenological, biochemical, and clinical scientific methods to conduct studies on emergent practices and phenomena to generate clinically relevant information that can add value to practitioners, patients, clinicians, and healthcare systems. By finding the skillful overlap of science, spirituality, religion, clinical medicine, and mental health perspectives, we can generate outcomes that are as beneficial as possible for all concerned.   the EPRC Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha