The Ven. Courtin is always a pleasure to listen to. The real strength in her talks, in my opinion, is the fact that she doesn't water down the conceptual explanation. She lays it out as she understands it. Some don't like her direct and rapid communication style, but it works very well for others. By the way, I don't think she was rude to the young woman at the end. She was trying to explain as she does, directly. That said, she works with prisoners and has access to a very wide array of human experience, including some that are brutal. It's possible that her teaching style has evolved to be practical no-nonsense because of that.

I like how she points out that negative thoughts are not to be denied, but they are also not what sits at the centre of who you are. Not to let ourselves be defined by them. Great.

I am impressed in how she counters the many passive aggressives and victim positions in the audience.

@ 30:40 She blew me away...the reason why I fell apart when my sister died of cancer was due to my attachment to the idea that Sandy was going to go into remission....she simply could not die.

I like her practical teaching, she seems real, and passionate. I like her vs. the xanax voice that most spiritual teachers feel that they need to project teachings.

I very much appreciate her frank manner and emphasis on using ones intelligence. She make me listen yet laugh a lot. She is the perfect one to work with inmates - lucky them and her

Her straightforwardness is challenging & refreshing, the passion for the truth is papable!! thx for upload!!!

Personally I simply do LOVE Ven. Robina Courtins approach to this topic. Becoming your own therapist! It is down to earth and full of wisdom...

Sometimes it takes a strong voice to get the message across.

Beautifully delivered, very well delivered. I love the part how she speaks about the misconception of spirituality and judgement. Thankyou for putting the ancient teachings into plain english. 11:11

This was very introspective and enlightening. I sometimes wonder how the world would be as a whole if we were taught the ability to reduce the suffering that we bring onto ourselves at a young age instead of using material things to try to remedy them. It seems to me that this should be the basis of all teachings. This really makes one think about religion and how many congregations teach the opposite which raises the question, why would others want you to believe that you are not the controller of your own mind? To feel guilt or shame for simply existing? I feel fortunate to have reached a time in my life where many wonderful teachers are crossing my path.

An absolutely brilliant teaching about looking at ourselves and ending our suffering!!! I love this woman's conviction and essence, she is pure truth!!!

"What can I do about it" very good simple point instead of paying for negative actions with guilt.

Truly changes my relationship to these practices. I love the energy of this woman and what she does to break past the ideological assumptions we have in the west of what mindfulness is. So, so great.

I am trying to deal with depression and anxiety, and found what she said v useful. It took me a while to get used to how she was speaking, but so much of it made sense.

Thank you Ven. Robina (and Google) for this presentation / talk video. The active, assertive tone of the speaker matches my tone for the day; and the subject matter was equally matched. Thus, it was beneficial to move quickly, candidly directly to the matter of: what is felt within you/your actions and what is you, the moment of recognition of these and where thinking "what can I do about this?" may bring you. (Now, to work on the underlying assumptions, the pace at which I can come to recognition, and the wisdom with which I decide what comes next!)

Love her! Boom - so real, so straight up. Brilliant! Thank you!

Love her. Am going to listen to this one several times. Feels like she has so much knowledge that I really need to grasp all of it. Also, she doesn't seem harsh at all to me. I sense a loving and compassionate heart when she speaks.

I have been listening to Robina's talks for several years now. I always get something new from the talks each time. She is wonderful! I love her style of teaching, her straight forward, no nonsense approach! Plus, her sense of humor is fantastic!

I listen to a lot of talks on Buddhism and THIS is by far one of the most amazing.

This is such a brilliant talk teeming with lots and lots of wisdom.

This woman is incredible I've stumbled upon her seeking for truth and she clearly knows what she is talking about. I have watched this video already numerous times because she knows how to convey the message for those that are open minded enough to see past her manors. Wich I in particular have no problem with, infact it’s what makes her different and interesting. I on the other half listen to what she has to say and there are few out there that can say something that simple that direct without sugarcoating anything I love it. The only one time when she possibly said something wrong was when she called Sarah Palin authentic lol, but pff who cares about that. I am by no means new to Buddhism or it's concepts but she was somebody I was glad to stumble upon. There are more people out there worthy of listening to or checking out. For anybody serious about these topics go check out Sadhguru , this guy I come to have known only for a few weeks but is blowing my mind. Please fellow Buddhists , spiritual seekers or anybody willing to enhance their own life's and those of others check this Indian yogi named Sadhguru he is very very special and def not a fake guru! Peace❤

Clear, concise advice without the essoterical nonsense, love her.

Really enjoyed this. I didn't expect to finish it, but the direct delivery and relevant and truthful statements she made just drew me in. Absolutely loved it.

This is one of the best explanations of Buddhism and psychology I've ever heard. Brilliant.

This talk really works for me on many levels, and I lived in a Buddhist community for many years. Many of these precepts work and I have taken them with me as part of my life-long quest for truth and peace. A few things however do not add up. She touches on the "how" of Buddhism but not the "why". Buddhism believes that the conditions of our suffering are all tied to karma (cause and effect), which is easy to understand, except they believe in past lives which means we are suffering the effects of past misdeeds. In other words, if you are attacked, raped, disfigured, or victimized in any way in this life, then it's likely because of a past misdeed in a previous live that has "ripened". Their view of why good and bad things happen is very old world and in my opinion the karmic explanation is just another cop out from dealing with the fact that reality is capable of producing loveliness or harshness and often it is for no meaningful reason -- certainly not anything YOU did. The other thing is that pre-modern Buddhists explained thinks like physical deformities, autism, and basically any mental disability that prevents functional human interaction as a "lesser birth". This is because such individuals cannot receive the teachings of Dharma and the Buddha. It's true that a lot of our suffering is because of delusion, but there are some true cases where people are born different, or biochemical imbalances which cause their inability to maintain happiness. Schizophrenics, for example. In these cases, Buddhism's approach to their suffering might be frustrating because it implies that the solution is merely about debunking neuroses, when really there might be in-born problems that can't be debunked with mere analysis. Buddhism is NOT totally equivalent to the modern scientific method because they believe in things which cannot be empirically proven. Tibetan Buddhism in particular is a product of Indian Buddhism merged with local deity worship, so in any Tibetan temple you will see statues to all manner of entities. They are also into 'empowerment' ceremonies where you invoke these deities into you, which IMO is just adding more layers of delusion and not getting to core mind. They also believe in reincarnation, the wheel of life (i.e. when your karma is bad you come back with a lesser birth, like an animal, and if your karma is really good, you might come back as a demi-God), and there is a lot of pomp surrounding lineage rituals and proper ceremonies which again I do not believe really get to core mind. So, I have to disagree that Tibetan Buddhism (which the speaker practices) is free of contradictions. It has many of them, which is why Buddhism is a religion and not a pure science. But as she said, do what works for you. I took a great deal of useful wisdom away from my experiences with the Buddhists, and tossed the rest. IMO Zen Buddhism makes a lot more sense. It's no frills and doesn't have the Tibetan cultural hangups attached to it. If you stick just to the "how" and not the "why", Buddhism will make a lot of sense to you. For me it was not a complete system and I had to continue my search.

Been watching this video when I need it (and her other talks) for nearly a decade now!

Amazing! She is so right about many things. Her comment about depression and people thinking their situation will never end really hits the mark.

I really enjoyed listening to her lecture. she won't make you feel like she's grandma, but she will make you listen.

this was refreshing up front talk i would love to study buddhism with a teacher like Robina Courtin

What a fantastic talk, that is the real essence of Buddhism!

Great Video! I was a very harsh speaker and people used to hate me because of my speech. I am Hindu, one of my Buddhist friend introduced me to eight noble path and especially Right Speech. I loved the concept so much that, I started practicing it regularly and i used the "BuDhamma" mobile app to help me on this. Now, I speak gentle and my people are very happy with me. Lot of things I get easily done now!

Great great great teacher RobinaCourtin

Buddha is a very fascinating historical figure

Wise words. For me it worked in any case. It's good to hear talks on this subject (in a way the most important one of all) from time to time and I find the variety in style and expression among teachers refreshing.

I know Robina, and she's pure gold. Very open hearted and kind. I love her dearly and love her style.

Love this nun's talk & they way she explains things! Love how she answered the 'why have a teacher' question! More please! :)

Thank you for your clarity and directness.

It's always very enjoyable to listen to that woman :)

I just love this woman !

She's awesome.

Bring the pure mind to everything you do - including your job.

Ever best Buddhist talk from a westerner. Truly remarkable.

I come to this video every time I feel lost. Thank you for sharing this ❤️

ruthlessly authentic, witty and humorous!! thank you Ven. Robina!

i dont think ive gathered more wisdom in 1 hour before this video. she's a smart lady. and i love the way she talks fast and has effortless humour haha.

This is a wonderful gift! This sister may not be your stereotype of a spiritually motivated person, but she strikes me as incredibly down-to-earth and real. This is an approach to wisdom and compassion that I can admire and desire to emulate. Namastẻ! Peace and Light!

I actually like the way she talks. It's interesting and it seems real and personable.

"Wish for Truth" ....as she said ... Resonates deeply with me.

First time im hearing her. She's very aggressive but she drives the point home. And she's right - face your own shit people. Everybody is so used to judging everyone else, that's how they've trained their minds to react, instead of even beginning to understand themselves they just project their b.s on everyone else & the second something isn't the way you want it, you go into blaming mode, that's all due to your own lack of self-awareness.

Brillant!

I like smiling eyes :) We're all our own bosses. Very useful, thank you Google!

She is such a brilliant speaker; her details quenched the questions that raised in my mind while she spoke.

Indeed, it is hard sometimes but very rewarding also. In order to heal one has to be willing to endure pain. To me Buddhism is a path of wisdom, peace and healing and I've been through enough in my personal life to realize the immense value of it. I've started to practice Zen again and this time I really plan on sticking with it. Her story about the convicted criminals was a real inspiration, I will come back to this from time to time. Especially in troublesome times. Have a nice day.

The great Robina! Love her - she has changed my life.

What a razor-sharp and analytical mind! But from the questions and comments, I still applaud what J Krishnarmurti said " Truth is a pathless land" and what in a reverse direction, what nowadays sage Tom Campbell said "Truth has numerous paths". We are always stuck with physical appearances and boxes, categorizations, hence most heinous wars are fought along these religions and idealism. We at the Aquarian Age should wake up now! And focus on what these sages are saying: the potentials, the humanity and the Evolution. There are levels of evolution but no hierarchies. Get rid of our shackles, ID and boxes and Cheers to evolution. LOL, LOL, LOL from LOL ( Lots of love, lots of laughs and lots of learning from this Little Old Lady)

Ven Robina is like Coffee, sweet, warm and addictive.

I'm very happy I watched this talk a second time. When one does it one can see beyond her "hard talk" and really get the beautiful message delivered. Which is, to quote Ven. Robina, is hidden under a layer. Thx Robina and everybody who made it possible :-)

I'm smiling at your comment because I was almost clenching my fists when she would call people "sweetheart", "darling", "honey", etc. I find these terms directed at strangers to be very offensive, as if one is talking down to someone. Now, I have to check myself. I think she´s brilliant.

so much stuff there that I have known for so long, good to hear it expurgated so intelligently, eruditely

Best talk ever! (So far.)

I love the information she has. She holds many jewels of wisdom, but she needs to learn how to not cut people off and let them state their question fully lol

@Seikisho I completely agree with you. She's not trying to give off that "mystical" aura that others give off. She's relatable and approachable. I really appreciate the way she teaches and her sense of humor. She's an excellent teacher.

Namaste. Judi Grace StoryCorps.

she is exceptionally beneficial and kind I am so glad to have found her ! infinite gratitude!

we are here to learn and teach each other no matter who and what we are tag as.

I am amazed to listen to your courageous speech of truth. I feel that you don’t have any fear or restriction in your expressions. I am amazed 🙂👍.

This woman is amazing! So down to earth and really makes good sense of the questions raised...take it or leave it :)

This is awesome! She is brilliant. Ive watched this more than once & every time I rewatch it I learn something new. Thank you Robina for sharing your wisdom!

Thank you so much for delivering wonderful, informative and deep knowledge of Budhsim..

I have found in my own life that when we change the way we look at the things , the things we look at change.

Great message to high learning

She throws out so many brilliant concepts so fast! I love her so much!

Very true and Well explained

Thank you for this Amazing Video

So much great info here ... enjoyed Q&A section the most! Robina has a beautiful clear way of speaking it as it IS. The concept that 'All thought is creative' was highlighted MOST effectively ... EVERYTHING starts & ends in our mind ... the hidden patterns behind neurotic delusions causing our pain/fear/anger... and that our thoughts are locked into the feeling level of our awareness ~ luv it! I notice Separation Trauma (experienced at birth) is a powerful hidden element behind much suffering.

Thank you, I enjoy your talk a lot and learn some more:)

Yes, it's amazing that we can make such a difference by choosing peace for a few minutes. Just imagine what would happen if feeling peace became our top priority.

I was 20 & also a spiritual teacher from India, called me sweetheart after his secretary gave me a hard time cause I was sent bringing his breakfast in what she thought it was the most unapropriate moment! then he appeared again while I was so surprised! and he said: do not worry sweetheart, just leave everything there, he made my day, I remember that moment (30 yrs ago) he was my spiritual teacher, not many people had the chance to bring him breakfast! but me! she apologized 3 yrs ago! Luv her

What a pertinent talk ! One of the few times I hear a good explanation of spirituality. Spirituality takes balls !

Wonderful woman ! So amazing, interesting how we blame others for own self-centredness….this has really opened my eyes to how I can be more caring to others….thank you from me and everyone I meet….😅

Excellent lecture, thank you!

Sounds like Buddha was a good student of Albert Ellis, founder of rational emotive cognitive behavioral therapy. Anyway. Their approaches seems to dovetail very nicely. (On the other hand, Albert Ellis said himself that CBT wasn't something he created at all but derived directly from a few ancient Greek thinkers.) Thanks for this outstanding discussion.

This is an amazing talk. The woman has a personality do not mistake that for anger. This talk has helped me immensly. As someone who has done bucket loads of therapy this is the appropriate wake up call - it is time to be your own therapist, you have to do it in the end no one else but you can make you happy, still your mind....think I'll watch it again!!

This woman is outstanding. It's a very different approach than many of other teachers that say "be present, be happy". To my opinion, that's a very nihilistic point of view. What this woman here says is that the road is bumpy, is not nice to look at your self, but take responsibility. This point of view comes from the will of discipline and inner work. This is the balance to the other approach that says "sit, watch, observe and do nothing". The equilibrium is the wisdom of knowing them both.

I found this speaker to speak so much common sense and it is very obvious she is a very well read person, I want to listen to some more!

Loved it. Her speech is so precise and logical.

thanks for kind speech

Different teachers have different styles of teaching. And that applies to different tradition too. If you look at Zen Buddhism, even though the teaching is the same, their approach can be quite different. So, it's a task for everyone to seek out their teacher. Ven. Robina teaching method is fairly direct and is challenging one's ego directly.

Brillant in her clarity and humor on this complex concept

"(its about) giving up the neurotic attitude towards the things, not the things themselves" marvelous Robina, as always ♥

amazing,talk about mind. thanking your Venerable Robina.

I had the pleasure of attending one of her dhama talks the other night in Northern Calif...what a wonderful, funny, and down to earth teacher/practitioner Robina is..... _/\_

I've seen this video so many times that I know most parts by heart. It changed my life enormously and shaped my views, starting from my view of myself. Love it

...she shoots straight from the hips, but she is the new sheriff in town and her badge says courage and her dispensation is loving kindness.

Also, I feel she answered the last question, not with contempt but with compassion, selflessness and truth. She is very articulate and speaks with conviction which should not be mistaken as anger or the sort.

i like her. some buddhist monks keep talking sooo slowly and keep telling me to empty my mind that i fall asleep. she gives more practical advice and has high energy.

Thank goodness that she's here as anti-dote to all the wussy-feel-good Buddhists. No BS, kinda like Bodhidharma. Excellent talk.

What an excellent talk..what buddhism is truly about!

She's not aggressive, she's real.