12/03/2020 “Forgiveness… What if you are not forgiven?” with Diane Wilde

Forgiveness… What if you are not forgiven?
A Discussion and a True Story

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Psychologists generally define forgiveness as a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness or not. It’s a state of mind that our culture and most faith traditions hold as a positive and worthwhile aspiration. Buddhism sees forgiveness a little differently. We will discuss those differences and the practicality of the Buddhist definition of forgiveness.

Edwin Paragas was recently released from twenty years of incarceration beginning when he was sixteen years old. He will tell the story of his own search for forgiveness from his victim’s family and his life now as a returning citizen.

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11/19/2020 “Exploring Equanimity” with Dennis Warren

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OK, The Election is Over – The Fantasy Of A Magic Answer To All Our Problems is Dead – What Do We Do Now?
It’s pretty clear now that the world we live in has changed. This is hard to deny even for those of us who are really good at denial. For many, it is a world filled with confusion, uncertainty, resistance, anxiety and fear for the future – the future of our families, our country, the world.
How to deal with this reality in a way that allows us to experience a sense of ease, purposefulness, empoweredness, togetherness and kindness may not at first be clear.
During this evening we’ll explore the meaning of “equanimity” as a working life premise, as an operational reality, as a powerful tool in the face of our current challenges, sorrows and joys.

The Jordan Peterson video is at https://youtu.be/6_6zwVNn88o

From talk Zoom chat
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10/29/2020 “Art of Being Wrong” with Diane Wilde

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Being wrong: It is a fact of life that is often difficult to admit to others, as well as to ourselves. There are a myriad of lessons, teachings and inspiring examples of how to be successful in all facets of our life. We are so conditioned to be right, it is a jarring affront when we find ourselves on the “wrong side” of a situation or opinion. To compensate for this assault on the ego, we may even have developed rationalizing strategies in order to minimize or even negate being wrong. True acceptance of our mistakes and our own imperfections can lead to a healing of relationships, alleviation of much personal stress and may even open up to a much deeper understanding of “not self.”

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10/22/2020 “Reflections on Kindness” with Gullu Singh

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Gullu is inspired to share meditation as a path to freedom; a way to cope more effectively with the challenges of work and life; and a vehicle for bringing more sanity, compassion and wisdom into the world.

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10/15/2020 “Where Are We Going?” with Dennis Warren

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It’s good to step back from time to time and try to place our lives in context. This is one way for us to get a clear picture of where we are headed and whether our meditation and spiritual practices are helping us head in that direction.
This talk will focus on two familiar situations we regularly face in meditation, practice and daily life. This examination should be interesting and helpful no matter your level of knowledge or experience.
We’ll also take a hands-on look at two realities that our minds almost always want to treat as theory or philosophy, rather than real life, tangible, useful experiences: Annica (impermanence) and Anatta (no-self.) What are these two experiences as real-life events? What relevance do they have to our relationships and everyday activities? How can they help us live a richer, fuller, deeper, more vivid life? This is what we’ll explore.

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10/08/2020 “Becoming Wise” with Walt Opie

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Through stories and personal experience, Walt describes how wisdom is cultivated and how it benefits our lives and the lives of others. He also speaks about the relationship of wisdom and insight.

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09/24/2020 “What is in your Go Bag?” with Rich Howard

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In the devastating fires this summer, we have seen folks needing to evacuate where they live on short notice. Public safety officials recommend having a “Go Bag” packed and ready with batteries, a crank radio, first aid supplies, extra socks, and other essentials. Maybe we should take this idea and think about what to bring with us from our “toolkit” of meditation practices. What is essential? What would you want to have with you to protect your mind in any circumstance? Be prepared to share the practices and essential teachings that you have found most useful.

* Gil Fronsdal, Insight Meditation Center (Redwood City)
* For Pre made Go Bags – google Redfora or Earthquake bags

ZOOM chat shared by Rich Howard
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09/17/2020 “Right Lifestyle” with Tony Bernhard

Right Lifestyle: living the fully awakened life in the modern world…

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09/03/2020 “Turning Toward or Away” with Rich Howard

Meditation Practice: Turning Toward or Turning Away?

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In a 2017 article, Naropa University Professors Carla Sherrell and Judith Simmer-Brown warned about using meditation practice to avoid pain: “We take up meditation as a way to avoid or dull the pain, and only feel it “works” if we feel better. This approach is an expression of a prevailing culture that quickly takes a pharmaceutical to alleviate pain or pours a drink to numb anxiety. This kind of response to pain favors meditation practices that feature detachment, peace, bliss, and absolutist thinking as defense mechanisms against anxiety, fear, and anguish.” Yet, our world right now is full of anxiety, fear, and anguish. How do we avoid the temptation to turn away from the painful aspects of our personal and societal lives? How do we turn toward our experience and the harsh realities playing out in our community, nation, and world? How do we find insight and engagement in the midst of chaos and injustice? We will explore these difficult but essential questions on this evening of practice and inquiry. Bring an open mind and a willingness to look at the motivation for practice.

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08/27/2020 “A Meditation for Rest, Renewal & Preparation” with Dennis Warren

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