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Description
This is a group discussion following the regular weekly sitting practice which takes place one Saturday each month. Our usual 2 hour meditation practice will be shorter to allow for the hour long discussion.
We resume our Dharma Dialogue series this month with the teachings of Michael Taft, a contemporary meditation teacher, author, and podcaster. Michael teaches meditation courses, retreats, and individuals worldwide, and is the author of several books. From Zen temples in Japan to yogi caves in India, Michael has been meditating for over thirty five years and has extensive experience in both Buddhist and Hindu Tantric practice.
For our purposes, we’ll be honing in on a particular recent episode of Michael’s famous (in the meditation world) podcast, Deconstructing Yourself. Speaking personally (Greg H), this podcast (as well as Michael’s guided meditations) has been massively influential and inspiring to my own practice, introducing me to countless luminaries in today’s Dharma world and beyond. Whereas the typical format is Michael interviewing other Dharma teachers, in the episode we’ll be discussing, Michael is himself interviewed by a student of his about a range of fundamental topics crucial to both Dharma practice and philosophy, including (in Michael’s own description): “the self as a construction, the distinction between no-self and emptiness, the crucial difference between having a functional ego and being identified with it, psychedelics and meditation and ego dissolution, Buddha-nature vs. True Self, dereification vs. defabrication, Taft’s distinction of nondual one vs. nondual two, and the importance of a healthy ego.”
The episode in question is titled “Nonduality and the Ego” and can be found on his website here or on your preferred podcast app, if you have one. Note that the linked page also features a full transcript of the episode, if you’d prefer to read or wish to revisit any of the finer points.
We will host the Dharma Dialogue this month on Saturday, October 25, following an hour of practice starting at 10 am, and before our Harvest Social at 12 pm. Join us!
Adjusted practice schedule for this date:
10-11 AM: tea ceremony, chanting, sitting and walking meditation
11 AM-12 PM: dharma dialogue
12-1 PM: Harvest Social
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Arrive 5 minutes before start to select your mediation seating. The Jiki will lead a practice of sitting and walking meditation in the Rinzai Zen format.
The practice opens with traditional Japanese tea service followed by chanting The Heart Sutra in both Japanese and English. Closing chant is The Eight Verses of Training the Mind. Candles and incense are used.
Please come early if you would like any instruction or assistance.
Contact: easternsunsangha@gmail.com
Date & Time
Sat, Oct 25, 2025 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Venue Details
Fellowship Hall @ Wesley United Church
101 Patrick StreetSt. John's, Newfoundland A1E 0A5
