When the Buddha talked about the process of being alive, he talked repeatedly about the nature of action and its results, called kamma. One of the implications of kamma is that actions undertaken with intention always carry an ethical charge: either the intent to help or bring about well-being, or the intent to cause harm. It’s the ethical aspect of our actions that determines their kammic direction, including our future lives. Because not every action has short-term results, they must bear fruit not only in our individual lives but potentially far into the future. Without this teaching, it’s very difficult to speak of the path from suffering to liberation, because so many of the actions of Dharma practice—generosity, learning to be kind, working with the afflictive emotions—take time to develop and bear fruit.
Sean Oakes, PhD
Guest Teacher, Movement Teacher
Sean Oakes, PhD, teaches the Dharma with a focus on the integration of meditation, study, and self-inquiry with trauma resolution and social justice. He has studied in Theravāda, Zen, and Vajrāyāna Buddhist lineages, including training as a monk in Burma, and was authorized to teach Insight Meditation by Jack Kornfield in 2010. He completed the Dedicated Practitioner (DPP1), Mindfulness Meditation and Yoga (MYMT2), and Community Dharma Leader (CDL5) trainings at Spirit Rock. In addition to mentor Jack Kornfield, Dr. Oakes’ primary Buddhist teachers include Sylvia Boorstein and Eugene Cash, Kitissaro and Ṭhānissara, Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu, Anam Thubten, and Sayadaw U Janaka, with whom he ordained as a bhikkhu for a Rains Retreat in Burma in 2002. He studied Yoga with Alice Joanou, Rachel Shaw, Amanda Moran, and David Moreno, and taught mindfulness-based Yoga āsana and prāṇāyāma for 10 years. He studied and performed for many years in music, dance, and performance art, and trained in Somatic Experiencing (SE) and Organic Intelligence (OI) with Steven Hoskinson, integrating the complex systems approach from OI in a distinctively Buddhist approach to trauma resolution. Sean teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, East Bay Meditation Center, and online with Insight Timer, Yoga International, and other lovely organizations. He received his PhD in Performance Studies from UC Davis in 2016, writing on states of consciousness in Buddhist meditation and experimental dance, and lives in Northern California on ancestral Pomo territory with his family and beloved community.
Sean Oakes' Upcoming Programs
Class Series | Online | Dharma Institute
September 5 - October 3, 2024 | 5 Thursdays | 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Compassion & Equity: The Buddha's Approach to Social & Political Life
In this 5-week class, part of our ongoing Refuge of Dhamma study series, we look at teachings from the Pāli Canon that reveal the insightful and still valuable approach the Buddha took to issues like caste, commerce, inequality, militarism, and the web of relationships and hierarchy that defines our place in the social order. We will explore how to bring our practices of intention, ethics, and mindful action into engagement with the world, with compassion and wisdom as our guide.
Sean Oakes
Upcoming Drop-Ins
Drop-in | Online | Hybrid
Monday, September 30 | 7:15 PM - 9:15 PM
Monday Night Meditation & Talk
For over 35 years, the Monday Night sitting group at Spirit Rock has been a welcoming refuge to gather, hear the teachings of the Buddha, and practice Insight Meditation together as a community. The program includes a 30-40 min guided meditation, a short break, and a Dharma talk.
Sean Oakes
Drop-in | On-Land | Hybrid
Monday, September 30 | 7:15 PM - 9:15 PM
Monday Night Meditation & Talk
For over 35 years, the Monday Night sitting group at Spirit Rock has been a welcoming refuge to gather, hear the teachings of the Buddha, and practice Insight Meditation together as a community. The program includes a 30-40 min guided meditation, a short break, and a Dharma talk.
Sean Oakes
Dharma Library
Can't join us live online or on the land? Study and practice at your convenience with Sean Oakes through our new library of recordings, articles, and self-paced online courses.