07/30/2020 “Value of Faith, Value of Doubt” with Diane Wilde

The Value of Faith, The Value of Doubt

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Buddhism is unique among spiritual traditions by putting emphasis on both Faith and Doubt. Both are necessary for a balanced practice that benefits ourselves and others. Too much faith encourages certainty without examination of experience. It can lead to mind states such as “if only I practice a lot more, everything will be fine.” Too much doubt can be paralyzing. “Why do I bother? My practice is going nowhere. Nothing has changed!” Knowing how to balance these two extremes brings us to an authentic practice. This helps us not just in our personal practice, but aids in our interaction in the world which seems to insist on extremes at this present time.

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07/23/2020 “Who and What Gets Included or Excluded” with Dennis Warren

Who and What Gets Included or Excluded? Answers that Enrich or Diminish All of Us

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Two simple questions lie at the center of our spiritual practices, daily life and the “cultural” conflicts we are facing: Who and what gets included? Who and what gets excluded?
The answers to these questions influence our intentions, perceptions, choices, and relationships. They shape identity, education, social and economic status, access to power and our health and well-being. They determine how we participate, and how fully we are allowed to participate, in family, organizations and the American experience itself. They touch every dimension of our inner and outer lives.
How do we work with these questions of inclusion from a mindful and caring perspective? In our inner life? In outer life? In both our spiritual and real-life challenges of being fallible, while simultaneously seeking to be more fully human and inclusive? The evening will explore the special role inclusion plays in Buddhist psychology and practice.
Part of our evening will explore a caring approach to understanding and working with the hot, controversial cultural issues we’re all facing from a mindfulness perspective. This will include the meaning of “systemic” and “systematic” from the perspective of Buddhist psychology.
In preparation for a portion of the session, it’s helpful to view the following:

Talk Handout (11 slides) (.pdf)Download

Here’s the flyer to a 9-week course that Dennis Warren will be teaching, Living on the Other Side of Suffering – An Experiment in Opening the Heart and Becoming More Fully Human.

(Click image to expand)

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07/09/2020 “Ordinary” with Rich Howard

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Insight is central to our practice of mindful awareness at SIM, as it is central to our name. We may frame it as a dramatic experience, “a flash of lightning in a summer cloud” as it says in the Diamond Sutra. We may hold an expectation that it is only available in settings far from our daily lives, on pilgrimage to a holy land or in extended retreat at a meditation center. What if it is available in the most ordinary of circumstances? What if we are setting the conditions for insight in the most mundane activities and familiar places of our lives? What if we let our expectations drop away and came into just this moment? In this evening’s talk and discussion, we will explore the terrain of the ordinary.

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07/02/2020 “Considering the Precepts” with Tony Bernhard

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06/25/2020 “We Are In A Societal Revolution!” with Diane Wilde

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We are living through an incredible period, with impermanence being displayed in all its glory on a daily basis. Each day brings another jarring event, both sociologically, medically and personally. It’s truly revolutionary what’s taking place. The Buddha lived in revolutionary times as well, and there are some parallels which can provide guidance during these challenging times. How do we live lives of meaning when fear prevents us from socializing? How do we contend with those with whom we firmly disagree? How can we welcome others not just into our sangha, but into our lives? Essentially, we are looking for ways to create a kinder wiser society which is beginning to emerge from the current chaos. It’s a real revolution!

Confronting Racism with Mindfulness (15 pg paper by Bhikkhu Anālayo)Download
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06/18/2020 “Generosity” with Dennis Warren

Generosity – What Is So Badly Needed at This Moment

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It is reported that the Historical Buddha, when speaking to community groups and practitioners, would always begin his talks with a discussion of the meaning and importance of generosity. This is because the Buddha considered generosity the pathway to compassion, wisdom and ethical conduct.
This evening with be an exploration and discussion of this quality of mind and heart which seems so badly needed at this particular moment in our country’s history.
This will include an examination of the meaning of generosity; a practical model for evaluating the role generosity plays in our individual lives; and realistic ways to experiment with bringing more of it into our lives, relationships and our engagement with social, economic, cultural and political issues.

Here’s the flyer to a 9-week course that Dennis Warren will be teaching, Living on the Other Side of Suffering – An Experiment in Opening the Heart and Becoming More Fully Human.

(Click image to expand)

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06/11/2020 “Freedom” with Rich Howard

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The word “freedom” means different things to different people, depending on what limits are imposed on them. Currently, many people are calling for “freedom” from the public health guidelines that ask us to keep physical distance from others and not gather in large groups. The idea of “freedom” in the Buddhist psychology has a very different context. For many, the aspiration for practicing meditative awareness is freedom from greed hatred and delusion, freedom from “suffering.” This freedom has the potential to lead to cessation, “the unshakeable liberation of mind.” Let’s explore some meanings of freedom, the ways recommended by the Buddha for approaching and finding freedom, and how we might apply these teachings to our current cirumstances.

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06/04/2020 “Two Kinds of Thought” with Walt Opie

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Here are a few points that were mentioned in this talk:

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05/28/2020 “Gratefulness…” with Dennis Warren

Gratefulness – One of the Most Unrated and Important Practices

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The Historical Buddha said that one of the rarest persons to appear on this planet is one who is grateful and who responds with an urge to help. That’s quite a statement given the Buddha’s habit of understatement.
If the appearance of Grateful people on the planet is so rare, why does it seem to be such an unrated and infrequently taught quality of mind? What is Gratefulness from a Buddhist perspective? Why is it so important?
We’ll explore these questions, specific ways to experiment with bringing more Gratefulness into our lives, and the role Gratefulness plays in encouraging and supporting Loving-Kindness, Compassion, Equanimity and Joy.

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05/21/2020 “Practical Dharma During the Pandemic” with Jeff Hardin

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To download this talk, right-click and select ‘save audio as’ or select the 3-dot menu to the right of the speaker icon.

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