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The five Aggregates of Clinging are an excellent means for seeing the three universal characteristics: impermanence, conditionality/insubstantiality and suffering/stress. This phrase is repeated like a mantra in the many suttas about the aggregates: “This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.” We will discuss how to use the aggregates in our daily lives to foster insight into how we suffer.
The Essential Role of Context or Framing in Buddhist Practice
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Context – the set of ideas, beliefs and principles which guide our understanding of ourselves, others, our relationships and how the world works – shapes our experience, our assessment of our experience and the choices we make. Context, in very real and tangible ways, determines how we relate to our experience.
In most cases, we don’t give context a second thought. It is the unseen foundation or groundwork of experience that lies just below our normal perception of events.
Buddhist practice involves a conscious and determined re-framing of the context we use to experience and relate to events. The elements of this re-framing – the ideas and principles – are significantly different than the psychological and emotional viewpoints that dominate conventional thinking. Some elements are radically different. In Buddhist practice we refer to this re—framing process as the “Cultivation of Right View.”
During this evening we’ll look at several areas of difference in fundamental context or View between conventional and Buddhist viewpoints; and how those differences translate into significant differences in how we relate to and understand experience – particularly suffering and satisfaction.
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2019 Residential Retreat with Kamala Masters and Vance Pryor.
If you would like to download any of the following dharma talks/meditations, please right click on the date-description link and select “save as”.
Audio file: 20190907-Kamala_METTA Guided Meditation through neutral person
Audio file: (expired) 20190907-Vance_Threefold Training, Wisdom, and Impermanence
Audio file: 20190908_Chanting Three Refuges and Five Precepts
Audio file: 20190908_Chanting in English
Audio file: 20190908-Kamala_METTA Guided Meditation – complete
Audio file: 20190908-Kamala_Seeing the World with Quiet Eyes
Audio file: 20190909-Kamala_Dana as One of the Three Pillars
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The Role of “Framing Experience” In Performance, Satisfaction and Happiness
NOTICE: the first eight seconds of this audio is poor quality and then improves.
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Every day we are presented with circumstances that can be opportunities, challenges or problems depending on how our mind frames the experience that is taking place. The way our mind frames an experience has enormous influence in determining how we relate to the experience, and how we feel about our capacity to deal with it skillfully and how we perform.
This event – how the mind frames what is it about to engage – is critical in guiding how, and whether, we can mobilize our inner resources to take on what life brings to us with determination, patience and satisfaction; or whether we struggle, suffer and are disappointed. This is the difference between feeling empowered and capable vs vulnerable and at risk.
This principle applies whether the circumstances, or life situation, involves our interior life, our relationship with others, or economic, cultural or political events taking place in our community, our country or the work.
Dennis’ talk Thursday night, and the related discussion, with focus on this critical, and frequently overlooked, element of practice. We will examine the what, why and how of framing events from a practice perspective using real life illustrations. How can we use our practice to improve the fundamental way we relate to our experience, improve our performance and feeling better about ourselves?
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Where have you heard that before? These words have become as ubiquitous a phrase as “Have a nice day!” How seriously should we take it, and is this directive even possible OR desirable?
This rather prosaic statement is stating in colloquial terms the core Buddhist practice of “non-attachment” — which is often viewed as one of the most confusing and seemingly impossible Buddhist injunctions… especially as a lay practitioner. How can we become non-attached to our children? Personal relationships? The state of the world? The confusion may come from our misunderstanding about what this teaching really means. We will discuss the deeper meaning of this statement, and methods for its practical application — both on and off the cushion.
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How does our practice include the warmth of heart, expressed freely in devotion? Sometimes it may seem as if Buddhism’s intention to relieve suffering and be awake to the way things are, in Western practice centers, sidesteps the personal intimacy of devotion that we see in Asian temple life, and in other faith traditions. To whom and what is devotion given? What can we learn from others, and from attending to our own longings and gratefulness? Rich and John have been exploring this topic and will invite our participation in that exploration.
After the presentation, Rich Howard and John “Boogie” Phelps hosted an evening of meditation and chanting as long as people wanted to stay (up to midnight). In many Theravada countries, special practice days are observed in line with phases of the moon, called Uposatha. On this full moon day, folks were are also invited to practice the eight precepts. Chanting books were provided.
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Calling to mind The Three Refuges is usually done as a devotional practice. This discussion will look into the nature of refuge itself and ask how Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha might serve as a sanctuary for Buddhist practitioners.
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This talk provided an introduction to Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in anticipation of the 8-week MBSR course which will be offered at SIM beginning August 21, 2019. This recorded presentation should be of interest both for individuals considering participating in the MBSR course, as well as those interested in the place of secular mindfulness in contemporary culture and its connections with Buddhism.
We are aware that this audio recording is incomplete and ended abruptly. If you’re interested, there is another more complete recording from the introduction session offered last year: click here.