Based on a wonderful teaching from long-term Buddhist teacher and activist Joanna Macy, the Talk explores the 4 Qualities which are Gratitude, Compassion, Wisdom Lenses, and Intentions for Service, and will include a short guided meditation to explore the qualities directly.
The Buddha described the path of awakening as the “Middle Way.” This Middle Way is key to the most basic and important teachings of the Buddha – the Noble Eightfold Path, Dependent Origination, and the practice of meditation. On this evening, we will explore how understanding the Middle Way informs our practice all along the path.
Buddhist practice is based on the idea of “directly” exploring experiences and events that come into our awareness. What does “directly” experiencing or “direct experience” really mean? How does it relate to thinking and conceptualizing? Is it different, and in what way, from the experience of ideas? The answers to these questions influence and shape our understanding of, and our ability to work with, all of the teachings and methods in practice. This will be the focus of our discussion this evening.
This subject is appropriate for all stages of practice. You can attend in person or by ZOOM. Dennis will be presenting in person and encourages you to be there in person as well.
“All conditioned things are impermanent.
They arise and they pass away.
Understanding this deeply brings
the greatest happiness, which is peace.”
The insight into impermanence, the first of the three universal characteristics, is essential in developing wisdom. In this talk we will be contemplating impermanence through the perspective of time and how we relate to time.
Everybody talks about freedom, demands freedom, struggles for freedom and are willing to fight for freedom. Freedom is in the news; people make stirring speeches insisting they be given their freedom. Demanding freedom is a much easier task than actually experiencing and practicing true freedom. Perhaps this is because true freedom can be frightening, painful and disorienting. As Janice Joplin sang: “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.” There is a lot of wisdom in that phrase.
Incarcerated people and ”returning citizens” who crave freedom may be the best source of understanding how we long for freedom, and yet find in the traditional sense, it is not what we/they expected. Please join us for this important discussion.
Having a mind that is collected and settled is not only a pleasant experience, but it is also a support for greater wisdom and letting go. Given this, how can we encourage the mind to settle without straining or bearing down?