Dharma &

Devin Maroney
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Buddhism
  • Updated Biweekly

Devin Maroney is a dharma teacher and psychotherapist. He has practiced Insight meditation since 2011. He studies directly under Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. He is a teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, teaches regularly at Downtown Dharma DC, and is the founder of the Riverside Meditation Community in Brookmont, Maryland. He has read hundreds of the Buddha's discourses, and his teaching stays close to those early texts, tested against his own practice and against what he sees each day in the therapy room. A licensed clinical social worker trained in Somatic Experiencing and Internal Family Systems, he is the founder of Oaklight Counseling, a therapy practice in Bethesda, Maryland. He lives nearby with his wife and three children.

  1. 1d ago

    Good Talk

    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

    Good Talk

  2. Sep 20

    Easier to Live With

    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

    Easier to Live With

  3. Sep 13

    Dad, Come Sit With Me!

    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

    Dad, Come Sit With Me!

  4. Sep 9

    The Dharma of Complaining

    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

    The Dharma of Complaining

  5. Sep 1

    The Dharma of Chasing Followers

    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 Chasing Followers

  6. Aug 13

    You Don't Have to Wait for Freedom

    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 riversidemeditation.net

    You Don't Have to Wait for Freedom

  7. Jul 28

    Blame Divides; Problem Solving Unites

    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!) Photo by Ksenia Makagonova on Unsplash Get full access to Devin Maroney at devinmaroney.substack.com/subscribe

    Blame Divides; Problem Solving Unites

  8. Jul 1

    Keeping Cool With the Joneses

    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 devinmaroney.substack.com/subscribe

    Keeping Cool With the Joneses
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Devin Maroney is a dharma teacher and psychotherapist. He has practiced Insight meditation since 2011. He studies directly under Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. He is a teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, teaches regularly at Downtown Dharma DC, and is the founder of the Riverside Meditation Community in Brookmont, Maryland. He has read hundreds of the Buddha's discourses, and his teaching stays close to those early texts, tested against his own practice and against what he sees each day in the therapy room. A licensed clinical social worker trained in Somatic Experiencing and Internal Family Systems, he is the founder of Oaklight Counseling, a therapy practice in Bethesda, Maryland. He lives nearby with his wife and three children.

Information

  • Creator
    Devin Maroney
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Devin Maroney
  • Show Website
    Dharma &

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