Freedom from Inner and Outer Tyranny: The Path of Spiritual Warriors

Tara Brach

Tara, Dharma, Selfhelp, Talks, Spiritual, Buddhist, Insight, Audio, Tarabrach, Mindfulness, Rain, Psychology, Compassion, Vipassana, Health & Fitness, Mental Health, Meditation, Guided, Brach, Buddhism, Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 10.6K Ratings

🗓️ 13 March 2025

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Many agree that this is the most unpredictable and dangerous time we’ve ever lived through. How do we hold what is unfolding, and respond with courage and clarity? In this talk we reflect on the ways we become spiritual warriors dedicated to freeing ourselves from the inner domination of fear (hatred, delusion) and freeing our world from external forms of tyranny. In this talk, Tara explores:

The roots of tyranny and fear—how unprocessed fear fuels aggression, domination, and the rise of authoritarianism.
The power of belonging—why remembering our interconnectedness can empower resistance against oppression.
Inner freedom as a path to outer change—how mindfulness and heart-centered practices dismantle fear and awaken courage.
The role of the spiritual warrior—cultivating presence, compassion, and truth to stand against inner and outer oppression.
Taking action from love, not fear—how small, heartfelt acts contribute to collective healing and justice.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Greetings. We offer these podcasts freely and your support really makes a difference.
0:06.0	To make a donation, please visit tarabrock.com. Namaste, welcome, friends. Thank you so much for being here.
0:32.6	So we'll start with a story. A number of years ago, there was an alleged radio conversation
0:39.2	between a U.S. naval ship and Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland.
0:46.4	So Americans say, please divert your course 15 degrees to the north to avoid a collision.
0:53.2	The Canadians say, recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the north to avoid a collision. The Canadians say,
0:54.8	Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the south to avoid a collision. The Americans.
1:01.5	This is captain of a U.S. Navy ship. I say again, divert your course. Canadians, no. I say again,
1:08.8	you need to divert your course. Americans sternly. This is the aircraft carrier.
1:15.3	USS Lincoln, the second largest ship in the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. We're accompanied by three
1:21.0	destroyers, three cruisers, and numerous support vessels. I demand that you change your course 15
1:26.5	degrees north. That's one five degrees north.
1:30.8	Our countermeasures will be undertaken to ensure the safety of this ship. Canadians.
1:36.8	This is a lighthouse. Your call.
1:43.6	What seems mighty or powerful is often quite deluded and destructive.
1:51.5	So it felt germane to these times to start this way where we're experiencing just
1:59.2	such dramatic increase in aggression and acts of domination
2:03.5	and great harm to those who are innocent, those who are vulnerable to our living earth.
2:12.1	So friends, this is the first new talk I've given a number of weeks and I wanted to take some time
2:20.2	to reflect together how we might hold what's unfolding in our world and respond with a
2:28.3	awake, with a courageous heart. So most would probably agree that the world feels more unpredictable and dangerous than ever,
2:39.8	and that in some way we're collectively hijacked by fear, what I would call unprocessed fear.
	...

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