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Talk + Meditation: When Unjust Power Comes at You – and What You Can Do about It
April 25, 2026

When power comes at us — through authority, intimidation, manipulation, or fear — it can stir old anxiety and self-doubt. So this week I explored how power affects the mind, from personal relationships and childhood conditioning to social hierarchies and authoritarian appeals. We took a look at how greed, hatred, and delusion can corrupt power, how to recognize manipulation and intimidation, and how to reclaim your attention instead of letting fear run the show.

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Talk: When Unjust Power Comes at You – and What You Can Do about It

Download the Talk: Audio | Transcript
Timecodes & main topics:
  • 00:00–10:48 — Releasing unnecessary anxiety and finding the deeper place inside that is already peaceful.
  • 10:48–14:40 — Why power is often the “taboo topic” we don’t talk about enough.
  • 14:40–18:26 — How greed can corrupt power: manipulation, bullying, seduction, and being used.
  • 18:26–22:34 — Recognizing hatred and delusion in power coming toward you.
  • 22:34–29:24 — Social hierarchies, authoritarianism, and the Buddhist model of earned authority.
  • 29:24–32:53 — Why fear, grievance, and chaos make people vulnerable to authoritarian appeals.
  • 32:53–36:06 — Using your own power responsibly and noticing how power shaped you growing up.
  • 36:06–41:48 — Getting tyrants “out of your head,” reclaiming your attention, and walking your path with care.

A Meditation: Cultivating a Mind Without Fear

Download the Audio of this Meditation

It’s easy to feel on edge these days—caught in a low hum of anxiety, tension in the body, and a mind that won’t quite settle.

In this gentle meditation, I guide you in coming home to yourself—settling into the body, resting in the breath, and gradually releasing layers of uneasiness. As you follow the rhythm of breathing, you’ll explore a deeper place inside that is already steady, already okay, even if just for a moment.

Along the way, you’re invited to soften anxiety, connect with a sense of grounded aliveness, and open into a heart that is peaceful, kind, and unafraid.

A simple, calming practice you can return to anytime you need to feel more at ease, more present, and more like yourself.

These teachings are offered freely, at no charge. 

And if you like, you may wish to participate in the age-old tradition of generosity through making an offering yourself – called “dāna” – to support Rick and the Wednesday Meditations. Generosity itself is a beautiful practice that opens and gladdens the heart, relaxes the contraction of “self,” and ripples out into the world to touch many people – and perhaps, eventually, even oneself. 

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