10/26/23 “Be Your Own Teacher” with Diane Wilde

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“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. 

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10/19/23 “Noting and Naming” with Dennis Warren

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“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.

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10/05/23 “Community Discussion, Retreat Practice”

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9/21/23 “The Buddha Summarizes the Dharma” with Diana Clark

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9/14/23 “Revisiting Fundamentals: Energy & Effort” with Dennis Warren

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Energy and Effort are essential, and interdependent, elements of good meditation and daily living practice. They can be valuable tools for keeping the mind alert, focused and curious if we understand the difference between the two, and develop the ability to monitor and regulate both. And they can become confusing and disrupting aspects of practice if we don’t.
This evening we look at a framework for skillfully working with Energy and Effort using common situations in meditation, daily living, and relationships – becoming drowsy during meditation, losing focus of attention, being unable to sustain relaxed awareness, getting lost in thought or narratives.
The evening will also explore a practice approach using Energy as the primary focus of attention and exploration. Experientially understanding thought, emotions, and actions as fundamental expressions of different types of energy can be a door way to immediate, direct experience and insight.
The subject matter of this evening will be appropriate for all stages of practice. You can attend in person or by ZOOM. Dennis will be presenting in person and encourages you to be there in person as well.

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09/07/23 “Liberation is Possible: The Upanisa Sutta” with Rich Howard

We often say that all things are the result of causes and conditions, and most teachings discuss how this leads to suffering when we try to hold on in the face of change. The foundational teaching of Dependent Origination is the best-known example. But causes and conditions can also lead to liberation. The lesser-known Discourse on Proximate Causes (Upanisa Sutta, Samyutta Nikaya 12.23) lays out a chain of causes that leads from suffering to the knowledge of liberation.
Understanding the steps in this chain of liberation can inform our practice and lead to happiness and peace. We will examine these steps and see how we might apply them to our practice.

This talk was not recorded however Rich Howard wanted to share the following two handouts.

Handout20230907-Liberation-is-PossibleDownload
Handout20230907-Dependent-Origination-APP-retreat-1Download
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08/31/23 “Mettagu’s Story” with Diana Clark

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08/26/23 “Mind and mirage – A neurodharma perspective on the five aggregates (skandhas)” with Rick Maddock

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This is a teaching and practice daylong that will include dharma talks alternating with sitting & walking meditation periods. Today’s theme will be the early Buddhist teachings on the aggregates and how they converge with the insights of modern neuroscience. There will be a particular focus on feeling (Vedanā), perception (Sañña), and intention (Saṅkhāra), and on ways of practicing with our experiences of these aggregates in meditation and in daily life.

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08/24/23 “How intentions shape our experience: Converging views from neuroscience and early Buddhism” with Rick Maddock

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Saṅkhāra is a word with many levels of meaning in early Buddhism. This talk will focus on its meaning as one of the five aggregates (skandhas), where it is often translated with such terms as volitions and intentions. People often strongly identify with their volitions and intentions. The Buddha taught about the dangers of clinging to and identifying with sankharas. The Foam Sutta describes sankhara with the analogy of a carpenter in need of heartwood who goes to a forest and cuts down a plantain tree. But when he cuts into the tree trunk, he finds it is only layers of sheaths. There is no heartwood there. The perspective of modern neuroscience leads to a similar understanding of volition and intentions.

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08/17/2023 “Revisiting Fundamentals: Resolve/Determination” with Dennis Warren

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Why do some people face serious challenges, then go on to persevere or thrive, while others collapse, give up or quit? Why does facing serious difficulties result in some becoming stronger and more resilient, while seeming to break others?
Revolve or Determination is considered a pivotal skill in Buddhism. It implements and facilitates Intention and Aspiration. That’s what make it a Parami, a special quality of mind essential to deepening and maturing our meditation practice, as well as living a full and satisfying life. It is an elemental tool in working with difficulty, challenge, confusion, and doubt.

Dennis encourages you to watch a two-minute video entitled “Movements as Your Teacher Not as Taskmaster” by Ido Portal in preparation for this Thursday evening. Substitute “practice methods” for the word “movement” as you listen to the session. Then reflect on what, if anything, this has to do with your own meditation practice and your life.

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