04/23/2022 “Recognizing Natural Awareness” with Greg Scharf

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Meditation can be seen as the process of learning to recognize and trust a natural quality of awareness that is available to all of us in any moment no matter what is happening in our experience. This awareness allows us to open to and connect with the truth of each moment.

As we gain confidence in the mind’s ability to recognize this natural awareness, we begin to release the burden of trying to control, manipulate, or fix experience so that it meets our ideas of the way it should be, and relax into the truth of the way it actually is.

We start to see directly for ourselves what leads to well-being and freedom and what leads to suffering, both in our own life and in the world around us. Through this process we begin to live our lives from a place of greater balance, integrity, confidence, and connection.

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04/21/2022 “Walking The Path” with Greg Scharf

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03/31/2022 “The Paradox of Shame” with Diane Wilde

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We all experience shame.  It is a universal emotion with some social scientists and psychologists saying it is an innate human trait, and others insisting it evolved within our social fabric. It is considered an absolutely essential emotion in some societies, and yet, is also frequently considered mentally damaging. The causes of shame have dramatically changed, from lack of adherence to prescriptive social mores of the past, to shaming of individuals on social media today. The Buddha also taught about shame (hiri) and its companion, the dread of shame (ottapa). Shame and the reasons for shame as taught by the Buddha are quite different then the “shaming” we experience in contemporary society. We will discuss this complex emotion, its history and why it is an important, yet often overlooked Buddhist teaching.

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03/24/2022 “Revisiting Fundamentals: ‘Right’ Understanding” with Dennis Warren

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Deciding what is the “Right” or skillful thing to do can be confusing when we are suffering. On one hand, the modern interpretation of the Historical Buddha’s teachings seems to offer an endless number of potential methods and solutions. On the other, what method or approach is actually effective in a particular situation can be elusive. The Buddha’s teachings on Right Understanding describe a straight forward, practical and helpful model for working with confusion, struggle and suffering. These teachings become a powerful set of tools for living, problem solving and growth when they are combined with the teachings on Right Intention and Right Effort. Together, they provide short term strategies for working with the immediate, real-time challenges in our lives; as well as strategies for pointing the mind, body and heart into long term satisfaction and peace.
The subject matter of this evening is appropriate for all levels of practice.

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03/17/2022 “Compassion Fatigue” with Rich Howard

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As practitioners of mindful awareness, we want to remain openhearted to the suffering in the world. Our practice teaches us to turn toward conditions as they are, without needing to avoid unpleasant sensations, emotions, or thoughts. This openheartedness leads naturally to compassion, the impulse to take action on behalf of those who are experiencing suffering. However, Western psychology has recognized a condition called “compassion fatigue,” the “secondary trauma” that can result from helping others and that may lead to diminished capacity to empathize or feel compassion. Given all the suffering in the world and our access to it via global media, we may be overwhelmed and start to shut down to the world and those close to us. This evening, we will take a look at how our practice may help us recognize compassion fatigue as it develops and maintain an open heart.

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03/10/2022 “Honoring Our Lineage of Teachers” with Seth Castleman

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02/17/2022 “Letting Go, Inspired by the teachings of Ajahn Chah” with Heather Sundberg

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02/10/2022 “Mindfulness, Mindfulness Based Programs and Buddhist Mindfulness Are Not the Same Thing” with Dennis Warren

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There are an endless number of on-line podcasts, events, retreats, magazine articles, websites, books, YouTube videos and personal services describing themselves as involving “Mindfulness” or being “Mindfulness-Based.” Popularized Mindfulness, Mindfulness-Based programs and Buddhist Mindfulness are not the same things.

This evening will explore some of the important commonalities and differences to help us evaluate available practice options and to be clear about what we are doing in our own individual practices.

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01/27/2022 “The Paramis” with Rich Howard

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Developing a Mind/Heart of Peace The Paramis are qualities of heart that when developed bring the highest blessing, which is peace. In honor of the passing of Thich Nhat Hanh, Rich will use illustrations from the beloved Zen Master’s life for development of the Paramis in daily life. We will see how Thay embodied patience, renunciation, determination, truthfulness, and other qualities of the heart to bring peace at the individual, community, and global scales. Please bring a story of how you have been influenced by Thich Nhat Hanh’s teaching, in person, online, or through his writing: a short quote, a song, a poem, or one of his books. We have invited special guest Helen Hobart to share her experience practicing with Thay.

Rich donated all the dana he received from the presentation to the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation.

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01/20/2022 “Healing and Our Biographical Narratives” with Dennis Warren

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Buddhist practice has a unique approach to problem solving and healing. The teachings, methods and underlying psychology dismantle the confusing, and sometimes overwhelming, emotional energy of difficult reactive patterns and our attachment to a biographical narrative that identifies us as damaged. This approach focuses on how we relate to the narrative, not the biographical details of the narrative.

This evening will explore two practical questions:

  • What is the Buddhist approach to problem solving and healing?
  • What role does our individual biographical narratives play in this process?

The subject matter of this evening is appropriate for all stages of practice. 

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