Dharma &

Last week we looked at what it means to live a life of purpose when the puzzle we were working on is gone. The point I hoped to make is that purpose may come not from the puzzle itself, but from the curiosity and generativity that created it.

Several people told me afterward that the talk spoke to them, especially those changing jobs or newly retired, and it got me thinking about Erik Erikson’s last two stages of development: generativity versus stagnation, when we pour our energy into caring for others, and integrity versus despair, when we look back and either make peace with the life we’ve lived or can’t.

In the busy years, it can be hard to make time to ask whether we’re living in line with our deepest values. I think it’s worth doing anyway.

Reflecting on how we live makes us sensitive to our karma. The suttas say some karma ripens in this very life, and the Buddha is reported to have urged his son to watch his actions closely and feel their effects: remorse for what harmed himself or others, gladness for what was wholesome and kind. Remorse, met with curiosity, helps us grow. Happiness at our past conduct sustains us.

The practice can be simple. Each morning I set an intention to be calm, kind, and affirming. Each night, as I fall asleep, I look back on the day. When I lived up to it, a peace comes over me. When I didn’t, I get curious: what happened in my mind, what desire took over, what might I do differently tomorrow?

The practice has traps. It can turn scrupulous, leading to obsession over every small action. And we can mistake a single bad deed for a verdict on who we are. The antidote is remembering that we aren’t fixed selves but changing processes, what the Buddhist teachings call anattā, or not-self. Every day is a fresh chance to show up with calmness, kindness, and generosity.

Texts & references

• Erik Erikson, Childhood and Society (1950): where he first laid out the eight stages
• AN 6.63, Nibbedhika Sutta: intention is kamma; three times of ripening
• MN 61, Ambalaṭṭhikarāhulovāda Sutta: the Buddha’s advice to Rāhula, the mirror
• SN 22.59, Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta: not mine, not I, not my self
• AN 3.99, Loṇakapalla Sutta: the salt crystal in a cup vs. the Ganges (numbered 3.100 in some editions)
• Iti 22: don’t fear merit; it’s another name for happiness
• Peter Wohlleben, The Hidden Life of Trees (2016): trees sharing nutrients through fungal networks

Corrections

A few things I got wrong in the talk. The book I called “The Wood Wide Web” is Peter Wohlleben’s The Hidden Life of Trees. I’d mixed it up with Robert Macfarlane’s New Yorker essay, “The Secrets of the Wood Wide Web.” The image I took from it, older trees feeding younger ones through underground networks, is also less settled than I made it sound. A 2023 review in Nature Ecology & Evolution found no published evidence that mature trees send resources to their offspring this way, though the researchers behind that work have pushed back. The uposatha, the monastic gathering I described, happens twice a month, at the new and full moons, not monthly. And I said only a few suttas preserve the Buddha’s advice to his son, Rāhula. There are more: three in the Middle Length Discourses (MN 61, 62 and 147) and a whole collection in the Connected Discourses (SN 18).

Photo by Mehrpouya H on Unsplash

Last week’s talk explored the freedom that comes from letting the big fish in our lives swim free — the career achievements we’ve may have been seeking, the idealized family we may have wanted to build, the self-image we may have been crafting. After the talk, I found myself wondering what it means to live a life of purpose, even when we aren’t casting about or hooked on the big fish.

For answers, I turned to a neighbor who is an astrophysicist and asked him how his colleagues are receiving the news about AI’s advances in mathematics. He, in turn, pointed me to an interview between Rachel Abrams and esteemed mathematician Steven Strogatz about this very topic. The upshot of this week’s talk and the Q&A that follows is that purpose arises from curiosity, generosity, and creativity — it’s a mind state, not an object. We can lose the object of our interest and still maintain the curious, open-minded attitude that sustains us and gives life meaning.

This talk was given at the Riverside Meditation Community, Brookmont Church, on Sunday, October 25, 2026. It follows last week’s talk, Letting the Fish Swim Free.

Question for the week: Think of a puzzle you’re working on, or one you’ve had to put down. When you chase it, does your attention narrow or open?

Texts & references

• The Daily (The New York Times), “When A.I. Comes for Your Purpose in Life,” October 13, 2026: Rachel Abrams interviews Cornell mathematician Steven Strogatz about the grief and excitement in mathematics as AI takes on its hardest problems.
• Ecclesiastes, which Strogatz turned to by way of the Byrds’ “Turn! Turn! Turn!”
• Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (SN 56.11): craving as the origin of suffering. https://suttacentral.net/sn56.11
• Ānāpānasati Sutta (MN 118): the seven factors of awakening, with investigation (dhammavicaya) second. https://suttacentral.net/mn118
• Alagaddūpama Sutta (MN 22): the simile of the raft, a teaching for crossing over, not for holding onto. https://suttacentral.net/mn22

Hi friends,

I recently had the chance to watch a young man fish for carp in the Potomac River. He was an expert angler, using a mix of panko breadcrumbs, strawberry Jell-O powder, and corn kernels as bait. He had three lines out at once, and after maybe 30 to 45 minutes, there were three fish tugging at the lines at the same time.

He started reeling one in, using considerable strength to wrangle the fish and wear it out, while trying to explain to everyone else how to pull in the others. “How much tension is on the line?” “He’s a big one! We’ve gotta wear him out.” “Can you feel him?” “Get it! Get it! Get it!” The kids were squealing, cheering, and tugging on the rods. Two of the carp got away, but he pulled in the one on his line.

It was tremendous, about 30 inches and 15 pounds, with shiny gold and black patterns across its slick body. Seeing this beautiful animal up close, my daughter, who’d helped reel it in, became quite concerned. She pleaded with the fisherman to take the hook out of its mouth and let it back into the water before it suffocated. And when he did, we all relaxed.

This week’s talk is about the deepest levels of release the practice has to offer. For years, the goal of my meditation practice was to learn to cool off the anger in my mind and heart. Now that the anger has quieted down significantly, I find myself asking, “What is the benefit of continuing on this path?”

Once we’ve stabilized our minds and no longer act out in destructive ways, the path offers a different kind of transformation: the chance to find freedom by releasing the big fish. These are the ideas of who we thought we needed to be in order to feel proud of our lives, the jobs we thought we had to have, the rewards we thought we had to hold, the families we imagined we would build in a certain way. The Buddhist path offers us a chance to release our clinging to these identities and outcomes, and in that release to find a great peace and a quiet fearlessness, neither grabbing for more out of life nor afraid of it slipping away.

This talk was given at the Riverside Meditation Community, Brookmont Church, on Sunday, October 18, 2026. It follows a five-part series on the Meghiya Sutta’s conditions for the release of the heart.

Question for the week: What have you been pursuing your whole life, what big fish have you been trying to reel in, that would be scary to let swim away?

Texts & references

• Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (SN 56.11): defines the end of suffering as letting go of craving (paṭinissagga). https://suttacentral.net/sn56.11
• Sāmaññaphala Sutta (DN 2): the bliss of blamelessness. https://suttacentral.net/dn2
• Baḷisika Sutta (SN 35.230): the Buddha’s fishing simile, in which we are the fish on Māra’s hook. https://suttacentral.net/sn35.230
• Carol Wilson, teacher at the Insight Meditation Society: the “secret hope for pleasure” teaching.

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

Part V in a Series on the Five Conditions for Release

Every year so, reflecting on earlier periods of my life, I have thought, "Boy, I was pretty foolish then. I had a lot to learn." After many years of making this observation, it has finally started to dawn on me that, perhaps, this moment, right now, will be one I reflect back on soon and think, "Boy was I foolish, I had a lot to learn."

This week's talk is on Wisdom, the 5th condition for the release of the heart. It is the final talk in this series. Wisdom, in this tradition, is seeing that everything is arising and passing: our minds, our bodies, our friends, our possessions, and our ideas of who we are.

This talk was given at the Riverside Meditation Community, Brookmont Church, on Sunday, October 11, 2026. This is the last of five talks on the Meghiya Sutta’s conditions for the release of the heart: sitting together, treating each other well, hearing good teachings, practicing them, and wisdom.

Question for the week: What things about yourself seemed permanent that no longer do?

Texts & references

• Meghiya Sutta (Udāna 4.1): the five conditions that ripen the heart for release. https://suttacentral.net/ud4.1
• Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta (SN 22.59): “not mine, not I, not my self.” https://suttacentral.net/sn22.59
• Sakalika Sutta (SN 1.38): the Buddha stays steady when a rock splinter cuts his foot. https://suttacentral.net/sn1.38
• Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Peshischa: two slips of paper, “For my sake the world was created” and “I am but dust and ashes.”
• Dōgen: “intimacy with all things” (attributed).

Photo by Jez Timms on Unsplash

#Buddhism #Meditation #Impermanence #DharmaTalk #Wisdom #InsightMeditation #Mindfulness #NotSelf #LettingGo

Part IV in a Series on the Five Conditions for Release

A few weeks ago I got stuck in an elevator with my kids — the thing I've feared most of my life. My vision wobbled. And then something steadied. This week's talk is about the fourth condition for the release of the heart — vīriya, rousing the energy to practice — and why it's worth doing. It's a strange kind of energy. Instead of tensing up, it's the energy to relax, over and over. Plus: what a Spanish doctor taught me about how hard to work.

The talk was recorded at the Riverside Meditation Community. We meet again this coming Sunday at 9 AM at the Brookmont Church, 4000 Virginia Place, Brookmont, MD.

Texts & references: The five conditions that ripen the release of the heart — Meghiya Sutta (Udāna 4.1, suttacentral.net/ud4.1; also AN 9.3) · Faith as the ground of energy — the five spiritual faculties (SN 48.50, suttacentral.net/sn48.50) · Soṇa and the tuning of the lute (AN 6.55, suttacentral.net/an6.55) · Crossing the flood without halting or straining (SN 1.1, suttacentral.net/sn1.1)

This week's practice: Try one for a week — a body scan in bed before you get up, a few minutes of walking meditation, or a light awareness of the breath all day. Then notice what you find.

Photo by sendi gibran on Unsplash

Part III in a Series on the Five Conditions for Release

When the business of the fall gets loud, I step outside and let the cold air blow the nonsense out of my head. If the moon is out, even better. It provides quiet, simple company. This week's dharma talk is about the kind of talk that is like the cold wind and the steady moon.

The Buddha named ten kinds of good talk, from wanting little to staying out of drama, and I share about the people who've offered it to me — from my dad's sermons on the simplicity of Hondas to my uncle, Jack Kornfield, and the day his teacher Ajahn Chah pointed at a boulder and asked if it was heavy.

This was recorded at the Riverside Meditation Community. We meet again this coming Sunday at 9 AM at the Brookmont Church, 4000 Virginia Place, Brookmont, MD.

Texts & references: The ten kinds of talk that ripen the release of the heart — Meghiya Sutta (Udāna 4.1, suttacentral.net/ud4.1; also AN 9.3) · Brahmā Sahampati urges the Buddha to teach — Āyācana Sutta (SN 6.1, suttacentral.net/sn6.1) · "Enough, let that be" — the actor Talapuṭa's question (SN 42.2, suttacentral.net/sn42.2) · Teaching in the listener's own language — Araṇavibhaṅga Sutta (MN 139, suttacentral.net/mn139) · Jack Kornfield on studying with Wing-tsit Chan and Ajahn Chah · Ajahn Chah and the boulder · Ledi Sayadaw, Sayagyi U Ba Khin, Mahasi Sayadaw, Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Tara Brach

This week's practice: Notice a boulder you've picked up that isn't yours to carry. Then notice who in your life offers the kind of talk that helps you set it down.

Photo by Alexis Antonio on Unsplash

Growing up, there was a piece of advice that circulated in my family: hold your head up and act like you know what you're doing. It didn't leave me feeling ahead. It left me feeling permanently behind. This is a talk about sīla — ethical conduct — and why the Buddha named it the second condition for the release of the heart. This is not a list of rules or finger wagging. It's about seeing that life gets easier when we live in a way we don't have to hide.

Recorded at the Riverside Meditation Community, Brookmont Church, Brookmont, MD, September 2026. Second in a series of five on the conditions for release of the heart.

Texts & references: Texts & references: The five conditions for the ripening of release of heart — Meghiya Sutta (Udāna 4.1, suttacentral.net/ud4.1; also AN 9.3) · Visārada, the confidence of one who has nothing to hide, and its opposite — Mahāparinibbāna Sutta (DN 16, suttacentral.net/dn16) and Saṅgīti Sutta (DN 33) · Sīlabbata-parāmāsa, clinging to rules and observances, as a fetter abandoned on the path · The five precepts · Reflecting on action before, during, and after — Advice to Rāhula (MN 61, suttacentral.net/mn61) · The Good Place, season 3

This week's practice: When you're unsure what the right action is, notice whether you're rushing. Most harm comes out of hurry. Slow down and when in doubt, do without.

Cover Art by Geranimo on Unsplash

What's the point of getting up on a Sunday morning to meet in a suburban church to meditate? Is it happiness? Happiness can be quite fickle. Contentment? Yes, though there's more to it than that. What it's really about is release. It's what the Pāli texts call cetovimutti, the release of the heart. And the Buddha's first instruction toward it isn't solitude in a cave or a forest. It's sitting down next to someone.

Recorded at the first gathering of the Riverside Meditation Community, Brookmont Church, Brookmont, MD, September 2026.

Texts & references: The Meghiya Sutta — the monk, the mango grove, and the five things that ripen release of heart (Udāna 4.1, suttacentral.net/ud4.1; also AN 9.3) · The Upaḍḍha Sutta — Ānanda on admirable friendship, and the Buddha's correction (SN 45.2, suttacentral.net/sn45.2) · D.W. Winnicott, "there is no such thing as a baby" · Wendell Berry, "Health Is Membership" — community as the smallest unit of health · the Roseto effect · Tara Brach

Photo by Federico Enni on Unsplash

What's the difference between a complaint and a need? When the Buddha was dying, he asked Ānanda for water again and again. He was in pain, he was thirsty, he was tired, and he was dying. But he voiced his request without complaint. This talk is all about the difference between naming a need and letting the suffering do the talking.

Recorded at the River Road drop-in class, Bethesda, MD, August 2026.

Texts & references: The Buddha's request for water — Mahāparinibbāna Sutta (DN 16), suttacentral.net/dn16 · Parideva(lamentation) in the first noble truth's expansion of dukkha · D.W. Winnicott on early attention and mirroring · Wei Wu Wei on worshipping the teapot

Photo by Santiago Lacarta on Unsplash

A talk on the dharma of chasing followers: fame, failure, and the fear of being nobody. The wish to be seen, to count, to leave a mark — and what happens when we meet it with awareness instead of feeding it metrics.

Recorded at Downtown Dharma DC, August 2026.

Texts & references: Khemaka Sutta (SN 22.89) — suttacentral.net/sn22.89 · The dung beetle (SN 17.5) — suttacentral.net/sn17.5 · Iti 26 on giving · D.W. Winnicott on mirroring · Erik Erikson, generativity and integrity

The Dharma of Waiting

This talk was given at the River Road Unitarian Church on July 29th, 2026. For more of Devin's talks and writings visit devinmaroney.substack.com. For more information about this meditation community, please visit http://riversidemeditation.net

Hi friends,

This talk is about how to transform blame into the wholesome quality of thoughtful, careful assessment and, beyond that, to see into the vast nature of being. I gave this talk at the River Road Unitarian Universalist Church on Wednesday, July 15th, 2026.

Upcoming Offerings

July 29th, 7:00-8:30 PM, Drop-in Session, RRUUC, 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817

September 13th, 8:30-9:30 AM, First Class for the Riverside Meditation Community, 4000 Virginia Place, Brookmont, MD 20816

[SAVE THE DATE] March 11-14, 2027 Insight Meditation Residential Retreat, Seven Oaks Retreat Center, Madison, VA (Now with more single rooms!)

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Hi all,

This is a talk about how to work with competitive energy and how to transform it from something destructive into something creative. I gave this talk at the River Road Unitarian Universalist Church on Wednesday, June 24th.

Upcoming Offerings

[NEW] July 15th, 7:00-8:30 PM, Drop-in Session, RRUUC, 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817

July 29th, 7:00-8:30 PM, Drop-in Session, RRUUC, 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817

September 13th, 8:30-9:30 AM, Inaugural event for the Riverside Meditation Community, 4000 Virginia Place, Brookmont, MD 20816

[SAVE THE DATE] March 11-14, 2027 Insight Meditation Residential Retreat, Seven Oaks Retreat Center, Madison, VA (Now with more single rooms!)

Get full access to Devin Maroney at https://devinmaroney.substack.com/subscribe

Hi friends,

This is the fourth and final talk in a series on the Limitless Attitudes (Pali: appamaññā), which are also called the Divine Abodes (Pali: Brahmavihāra). The topic of this talk is Goodwill (Metta).

The talk was recorded at River Road Unitarian Universalist Church on June 3rd. I hope you find it helpful.

Upcoming Offerings

June 24th, 7:00 - 8:30 PM, Drop-in Session, RRUUC, 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817

July 29th, 7:00 - 8:30 PM, Drop-in Session, RRUUC, 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817

September 13th, 8:30-9:30 AM, Inaugural event for the Riverside Meditation Community, 4000 Virginia Place, Brookmont, MD 20816

March 11th - 14th, 2027 Insight Meditation Residential Retreat, Seven Oaks Retreat Center, Madison, VA (With lots of single room accommodations this year!)

Photo by Yeshi Kangrang on Unsplash

Get full access to Devin Maroney at https://devinmaroney.substack.com/subscribe

Hi everyone,

I gave this talk last night at the River Road Unitarian Universalist Church (RRUUC) on caring, one of the four Limitless Attitudes (Pali: Apāmāṇa). Enoy!

Upcoming Offerings

June 3rd, 7:00 - 8:30 PM, Drop-in Session, RRUUC, 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817

June 14th, 7:00 - 8:30 PM, Drop-in Session, Downtown Dharma @ Yoga District, 1910 14th St, NW Washington, DC

June 24th, 7:00 - 8:30 PM, Drop-in Session, RRUUC, 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817

July 29th, 7:00 - 8:30 PM, Drop-in Session, RRUUC, 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817

Spring Retreat - Save the Date!

March 11th - 14th, 2027 Insight Meditation Residential Retreat, Seven Oaks Retreat Center, Madison, VA (With lots of single room accommodations this year!)

Get full access to Devin Maroney at https://devinmaroney.substack.com/subscribe

Hi everyone,

I gave this talk last night at the River Road Unitarian Church on rejoicing, one of the four Limitless Attitudes (Pali: Apāmāṇa). Enjoy!

Upcoming Offerings

May 6th, 7:00 - 8:30 PM, Drop-in Session, River Road Unitarian Universalist Church (RRUUC), 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817

June 3rd, 7:00 - 8:30 PM, Drop-in Session, River Road Unitarian Universalist Church (RRUUC), 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817

June 14th, 7:00 - 8:30 PM, Drop-in Session, Downtown Dharma @ Yoga District, 1910 14th St, NW Washington, DC

June 24th, 7:00 - 8:30 PM, Drop-in Session, River Road Unitarian Universalist Church (RRUUC), 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817

July 29th, 7:00 - 8:30 PM, Drop-in Session, River Road Unitarian Universalist Church (RRUUC), 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817

Spring Retreat - Save the Date!

March 11th - 14th, 2027 Insight Meditation Residential Retreat, Seven Oaks Retreat Center, Madison, VA (With lots of single room accommodations this year!)

Get full access to Devin Maroney at https://devinmaroney.substack.com/subscribe

Hi friends,

This is the first talk in a series I’m offering on the Limitless Attitudes (Pali: Appamāṇa), which are also called the Divine Abodes (Pali: Brahmavihāra). I am working my way backward through the Limitless Attitudes, starting with equanimity, which is often taught last and is the subject of this talk.

This was recorded at Downtown Dharma on April 12th. I hope you find it beneficial.

Upcoming Offerings:

I’ll be back at Downtown Dharma on June 14th, and will be teaching a few classes at River Road Unitarian in May, June and July, though the dates have not yet been finalized. I will post a complete schedule soon, with those details and, hopefully, details on next year’s spring retreat.

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Hi everyone,

This is a recording of the talk I gave on Monday night on Right View. It is the last talk in this series on the Eightfold Path. I hope you find it helpful.

Upcoming Events

March 12th - March 15th: Residential meditation retreat in the Insight tradition. Seven Oaks Retreat Center, Madison, VA. To learn more or register follow this link: https://imcw.org/event/?eventId=1678

March 25th, 7:00 - 8:30 PM, Drop-in Session, River Road Unitarian Church, 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817.

April 12th, 7:00 - 8:30 PM, Drop-in Session, Downtown Dharma @ Yoga District, 1910 14th St, NW Washington, DC

April 22nd, 7:00 - 8:30 PM, Drop-in Session, River Road Unitarian Church, 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817.

June 14th, 7:00 - 8:30 PM, Drop-in Session, Downtown Dharma @ Yoga District, 1910 14th St, NW Washington, DC

Photo by Irena Carpaccio on Unsplash

Get full access to Devin Maroney at https://devinmaroney.substack.com/subscribe

Hi everyone,

Here is the talk I gave on Right Intention at River Road Unitarian Church on February 4th. I hope you find it helpful.

Upcoming Offerings:

Retreat

March 12 - 15, Madison, VA: “The Path of the Restful Warrior” is a residential Insight meditation retreat that I’m teaching with Dechen Ellen McSweeney. Click here for more information and registration.

Drop-in Classes

February 23rd, 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM, St. Marks Capitol Hill, 301 A St SE, Washington, DC 20003. More info

March 25th, 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM, River Road Unitarian Church, 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817 More info

April 12th, 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM, Yoga District, 1910 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009 More Info

April 22nd, 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM, River Road Unitarian Church, 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817 More info

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Hi everyone,

This is a talk on Right Speech and its place in the Eightfold Path that I gave at Downtown Dharma on January 4th, 2026. The recording also includes the Q&A that followed the talk.

Also, I learned last night that the audio posts I have been sending out are also podcasts, published to Apple Podcasts and Spotify and elsewhere. In order to make it easier to find them across the web, I gave the podcast a title. It’s called “Dharma &” beacuse it is about the Buddha’s teachings, which are often called the Dharma, as well as other related topics like therapy and mental health and my struggles getting small children into the bathtub. I hope you find it helpful.

Upcoming Offerings:

January 7th, 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM: Drop in class at River Road Unitarian Church, 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817.

March 12th - March 15th: Residential retreat in the Insight Meditation tradition. Seven Oaks Retreat Center, Madison, VA. To learn more or register follow this link: https://imcw.org/event/?eventId=1678

Photo by Niek Doup on Unsplash

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