“All conditioned things are impermanent.
They arise and they pass away.
Understanding this deeply brings
the greatest happiness, which is peace.”
The insight into impermanence, the first of the three universal characteristics, is essential in developing wisdom. In this talk we will be contemplating impermanence through the perspective of time and how we relate to time.
Everybody talks about freedom, demands freedom, struggles for freedom and are willing to fight for freedom. Freedom is in the news; people make stirring speeches insisting they be given their freedom. Demanding freedom is a much easier task than actually experiencing and practicing true freedom. Perhaps this is because true freedom can be frightening, painful and disorienting. As Janice Joplin sang: “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.” There is a lot of wisdom in that phrase.
Incarcerated people and ”returning citizens” who crave freedom may be the best source of understanding how we long for freedom, and yet find in the traditional sense, it is not what we/they expected. Please join us for this important discussion.
Having a mind that is collected and settled is not only a pleasant experience, but it is also a support for greater wisdom and letting go. Given this, how can we encourage the mind to settle without straining or bearing down?
One of the attractive aspects of Buddhism to many of us is that it does not require blind faith in a teacher or the teachings. However, in several suttas, the Buddha referred to faith as a type of wealth or treasure. And Bhikkhu Bodhi has said the significance of faith is that it “serves as a spur to practice.” There are at least three different types of faith described in our Buddhist tradition, including bright faith, verified faith, and unshakeable faith. We will take a look at these and other facets of faith.
Just as life is happening all around us, so is death. Human beings appear to be the only species that are conscious of our mortality. Yet most people ignore this fact of our existence, preferring to put efforts, thoughts and practice on “more pleasant things”. We want to “wake up”, to let go of our endless attachments and experience contentment and ease in our lives. Paradoxically, facing the death of our loved ones and ourselves, is one of the classic Buddhist teachings for accepting the truth of existence and waking up to impermanence. It is also a teaching that can greatly reduce and perhaps even eliminate the biggest delusion of all… that everyone else will die, except me.
This daylong retreat may not be suitable for those with anxiety, trauma or those who have recently experienced the death of a loved one.
“Acceptance” is a quality of mind and a continuing relationship with experience that is a pre-condition for genuine inclusion, forgiveness, conflict resolution and healing. It plays an even more foundational role as a basic element underlying the psychology, teachings and methods of Buddhist practice.
During this evening we’ll explore the definition and meaning of Acceptance from a practice perspective. What does Acceptance look like in action as part of the method or process of meditation? And transitioning meditative awareness into daily life? How does Acceptance change the fundamental dynamics of mindfulness? How does it empower us to see more clearly and make better choice and decisions? We’ll work with a number of familiar situations to explore these themes.
The subject matter of this evening is appropriate for all stages of practice.
This talk title changed from “The 7 L’s of Spiritual Practice” to “The Divine Abidings: Radiation and embodiment of the four brahmaviharas in meditation practice“.