As the new year approaches, we take stock of 2023 and our lives, not as we wish them to be or fear them to be but as they truly are. And we look with integrity at the changes we hope to make in the near future.
We will contemplate how we can embody the Four Noble Truths and live wisely and even joyfully with the reality of our lives.
All of us have experiences which change the direction of our lives.
Sometimes we know this at the moment it is happening. Other times, we only realize it later. One of those experiences can be encountering a book that causes us to question how we are living or helps us have a new vision of practice or life.
This evening will explore ten books that mattered in this way for SIM’s Founding Teacher, Dennis Warren. Each book will be discussed from the viewpoint of how it was encountered, its impact, and the change or shift in direction that followed. Dennis will discuss why each book was helpful for him…and maybe for you.
The subject matter of this evening will be appropriate for all stages of practice.
“I Feel More Comfortable When I’m Tense”
One insight that unfolds in many layers is how we hold, brace, and defend against experiences that make us feel vulnerable, uncertain, confused or at risk. These form into deeply embedded patterns in both the body and mind. These patterns are the result of years of self-protective thoughts, habits, assumptions, projections, and actions.
Understanding these patterns brings the practical real-life problems associated with fixed views, and attachment to outcomes, into focus. It frames the common difficulties and challenges of being human, including self-sabotage, into a more workable Buddhist framework. And it provides a basis for opening to, and experiencing, more accessible and meaningful forms of empathy and compassion.
This evening will explore this field of experiences through practical common situations in meditation and everyday living.
The subject matter of this evening will be appropriate for all stages of practice.
In this talk we will explore ways that Wisdom and Heart practices inform each other, along with practical applications in our daily life practice.
Presenters: Amy Kovak, David Guerrieri, Diane Wilde, Dennis Warren, and Rich Howard
In this special presentation, we will look at the historical roots of SIM’s evolution, the concepts behind the current Legacy Project, and information on our current three “Legacy Project” teachers (Diana Clark, Walt Opie, and Vance Pryor), including some exciting news about upcoming offerings. We will also present SIM’s new Operations Manager position and look at how the Sangha might support these important steps in creating the conditions for SIM’s future. There will be time for discussion, questions, and responses.
“Be a lamp unto yourselves and strive forward with diligence” is one of the translations of the last words the Buddha uttered to his grieving disciples as he achieved paranibbana, or complete liberation. He left no heirs — no recommended teachers, but rather advised those gathered around him to depend on the Dhamma itself. He left us with a detailed path which alleviates much suffering and unhappiness in our lives.
The challenge is, how do we each individually stay on the path? Have we incorporated these essential teachings into our daily life? If we have, how do we do it? If not, why? Tonight we’ll discuss a few “prompts” that may be useful as a guide while navigating the path the Buddha outlined, in both daily life and on the cushion.
“Noting” or “Naming” is the practice of making a soft mental note to highlight the present experience that is unfolding in meditation or in daily life. It has a number of different purposes and uses. Among others, it can interrupt the distorting grip of reactivity, reframe present moment experiences, and create a new context for working with events, particularly difficult or challenging ones.
Noting/Naming is frequently misunderstood or undervalued even though it has the potential to be one of the most helpful, practical, and powerful tools of practice available to us.
This evening we look at the different purposes and applications of the Noting/Naming process through practical illustrations of common situations in meditation and everyday situation. We will also place the practice into the larger framework of Buddhist psychology, teachings, and methods.
The subject matter of this evening will be appropriate for all stages of practice.