In this talk, we'll explore the deep evolutionary and spiritual currents that shape our lives—the pull of fear and separation, and the quiet, persistent call toward love, compassion, and belonging. Drawing on stories, reflections, and contemplative practices, this talk invites us to remember that caring is our true nature, even when it feels distant or obscured.

Through mindful awareness and heart-centered practices, we begin to sense how our awakened heart calls us—through both the pain of disconnection and the longing for love. As we learn to turn toward our inner experience with kindness, we naturally widen our circles of compassion and deepen our capacity to meet others with presence and care.

In this talk, Tara explores:

✨ How compassion is the foundation of human connection and collective healing
✨ The two forces within us: fear-based reactivity and the call of the awakened heart
✨ Why "caring about caring" is itself a doorway to love and transformation
✨ Practices for turning toward vulnerability and deepening empathy (including Tonglen)
✨ How widening our circles of compassion can help heal both personal and global suffering

Our introduction music is from "Opening" by Adrienne Torf, © 2025 ABT Music

True listening arouses an open receptive presence that can be truly healing. This meditation awakens a listening presence; first bringing that receptive awareness to sensations and sounds, and then offering that presence to the tenderness and vulnerability of our heart.

Our introduction music is from "Opening" by Adrienne Torf, © 2025 ABT Music

In this conversation, Tara is joined by Mohsen Mahdawi—Palestinian refugee, Buddhist practitioner, and courageous voice for justice—whose life bridges worlds that are so often held apart. Growing up in a refugee camp and later emerging as a student leader and advocate for Palestinian dignity, Mohsen brings a rare integration of spiritual depth, clarity and dedication to societal transformation. Together they explore how inner awakening can ground fearless activism, what it means to stand for justice amid profound asymmetry of power, how to resist dehumanization in a polarized world, and whether a spiritually rooted movement for collective liberation is quietly emerging in our time. This dialogue is an invitation to reimagine activism as an expression of love, belonging, and courageous presence.

Our introduction music is from "Opening" by Adrienne Torf, © 2025 ABT Music

Starting with scanning through the body and awakening the senses, we then rest in presence, with the breath as a home base. The meditation invites an openness to whatever arises, and a gentle kind attention if we encounter physical or emotional pain. We end with a prayer that includes our own being and all beings.

Our introduction music is from "Opening" by Adrienne Torf, © 2025 ABT Music

In this conversation, Tara is joined by Mohsen Mahdawi—Palestinian refugee, Buddhist practitioner, and courageous voice for justice—whose life bridges worlds that are so often held apart. Growing up in a refugee camp and later emerging as a student leader and advocate for Palestinian dignity, Mohsen brings a rare integration of spiritual depth, clarity and dedication to societal transformation. Together they explore how inner awakening can ground fearless activism, what it means to stand for justice amid profound asymmetry of power, how to resist dehumanization in a polarized world, and whether a spiritually rooted movement for collective liberation is quietly emerging in our time. This dialogue is an invitation to reimagine activism as an expression of love, belonging, and courageous presence.

Learn more about Mohsen's work at: http://www.mohsen-mahdawi.com

Our introduction music is from "Opening" by Adrienne Torf, © 2025 ABT Music

Listening is an ideal template for awareness itself - it is naturally receptive, open and awake. This meditation invites a deep listening to and feeling our lives, and opens us to the realization of the flow of changing experience and the background awareness that is the source of our Being.

Our introduction music is from "Opening" by Adrienne Torf, © 2025 ABT Music

How can the simple act of asking a sincere question awaken us from the trance of our habitual thinking? In this talk, Tara Brach explores the transformative power of spiritual inquiry—a practice that guides us beyond our stories and into direct, embodied awareness of what is truly happening within us.

Through reflection, teachings from Buddhist wisdom traditions, and guided inquiry, Tara invites us to investigate questions like "What is happening inside me right now?" and "What am I believing?" These questions help reveal the beliefs and emotional patterns that keep us stuck and open the doorway to greater freedom, compassion, and presence.

You'll also learn how inquiry supports the RAIN practice (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture)—a powerful method for meeting fear, self-doubt, and emotional suffering with mindful awareness and kindness. By bringing curiosity to our inner life, we begin to loosen the grip of limiting beliefs and rediscover the spacious awareness that is our true nature.

In this talk, Tara explores:

• How spiritual inquiry helps awaken us from the "interpreted world" of thoughts
• Questions that deepen mindfulness and self-awareness
• Using inquiry within the RAIN meditation practice
• How investigating beliefs can free us from fear and self-judgment
• Opening to the mystery and aliveness of present-moment awareness

Our introduction music is from "Opening" by Adrienne Torf, © 2025 ABT Music

This guided meditation includes a full body scan, and the recognition of the formless awareness that includes and is the source of all experience. By recognizing that awareness we discover the silence and stillness that is the ground of all experience.

Our introduction music is from "Opening" by Adrienne Torf, © 2025 ABT Music