*Sit & Dharma Talk – Diane Wilde – Entering the Stream

Entering the Stream
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Teacher Diane Wilde

Buddhist practice offers those who yearn for “awakening” a map of sorts. “Entering the Stream” or “Stream Enterer” is the first location on this map leading towards complete liberation. Tonight we will discuss the characteristics of a Stream Enterer and what needs to take place in order to realize the liberating qualities of being firmly on the path.

According to the teachings, entering the path of liberation means we should ultimately rely on our own direct experiential knowledge. The Buddha put himself practiced this way. Yet, even the most gratifying experiences can be dangerous if we become attached to them. What “goes beyond all views” probably defines the experience of liberation when we are no longer clinging to experience of any kind—including book-learning, rites or rituals, or sophisticated techniques. Ironically, due to its simplicity and elegance, it can often appear difficult, even though signposts on how to proceed are evident everywhere — if we pay attention. Stream Enterers, according to the teachings, are now firmly on the path to liberation. It is impossible to go back once this state is realized.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.

Thursday Night Talk Dana
“Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical Buddha
We recognize that donating by cash or check at the time you attend this event may not always be convenient for you. If that’s the case, please use the form below to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and your donation will be shared with Rev. Diane Wilde and SIM.

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*Sit & Dharma Talk – Dennis Warren – Working with Difficult Thinking

The Important Things To Know In Working With Difficult, Problematic and Obsessive Thinking.

Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Founding Teacher Dennis Warren

We all know that our minds have “a mind of their own.” It’s not uncommon to find ourselves in situations where we can’t stop thinking about things we don’t want to think about. Or we can’t think the way we want to think in dealing with highly emotional or pressurized issues. Thinking can be difficult, problematic, obsessive…and more. It plays a major role in nearly every, if not every, intra-personal, interpersonal and existential question, delima and dysfunction.
This evening will examine what’s important to know in working with thinking. What do we do when we are faced with a mind that seems out of control? How do we deal with thinking that just won’t stop? How do we develop the ability to think clearly and productively when we want to? What are the underlying principles that will help us understanding our thinking patterns and what to do about them?
There are basic approaches that will apply to all these topics whether your particular mind’s approach to “thinking” is based primarily on logic, kinesthetic or body based, through imagery or emotion, or one of the other ways the mind processes information, relates to experience and makes decisions.
In preparation for this evening, please consider the following basic questions:

  • What is “thinking” based on the teachings of the historical Buddha?
  • What is “thinking” from a meditative and practice perspective?

This will be an interesting, fun and, ultimately, practical evening. Everyone is welcome.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.

Thursday Night Talk Dana
“Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical Buddha
We recognize that donating by cash or check at the time you attend this event may not always be convenient for you. If that’s the case, please use the form below to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and your donation will be shared with Dennis Warren and SIM.

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*Sit & Dharma Talk – Teacher Dennis Warren – Restless, Worry and Anxiety

Investigation Leading to Liberating Insight – A Practical Model For Working With Restless, Worry and Anxiety
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Founding Teacher Dennis Warren

How can Restless, Worry & Anxiety be investigated in a way that leads to liberating insight? This is one of the fundamental skills of a good practice. This evening will be devoted to examining a practical, experiential and hands-on model of working with these obstacles and challenges to mindfulness and practice.
While these states of mind can appear in different areas in our practice and our life, they usually acts as an undermining factor in our confidence, decision making and behavior. What are the related experiences of Restless, Worry and Anxiety? What are their experiential origin? What causes them to be present? What causes them to diminish and no longer be present? What can we do to work with them skillfully while they present?
As preparation for this evening, reflect on how Restless, Worry and Anxiety has influenced your experience and decision making in the last year. Come prepared with questions you have regarding your experiences.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.

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*Sit & Dharma Talk – Sue Taylor – Engaged Buddhism

Engaged Buddhism: A heart as wide as the world

Sit & Dharma Talk with Visiting Teacher Sue Taylor

How do we use our practice to build bridges of empathy and compassion in a confusing and challenging world? Tonight we will discuss the wisdom of elders who have spent their lives metaphorically walking between their internal “practice on the zafu” and their transformational external practice in the world.  We will explore the many ways their examples offer inspiration and courage, as well as spaciousness and resilience.

 

Sue Taylor, PhD, MSW, is a member of the Sacramento Dharma Center Board, an ordained Theravada Minister, and an Environmental Chaplain. She is a professor at CSU Sacramento in the Department of Social Work.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.

 

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Nurturing Sangha Over Dinner

Nurturing Sangha Over Dinner meets informally at six o’clock on the second Thursday of the month, before the regular dharma talk and sit. Please bring your dinner and something extra to share, if you would like. We can continue to get to know one another and talk more about how SIM can support us in our practice. We’ll try this out for a few months and see if it is something we want to continue.

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*Sit & Dharma Talk – Meg Gawler – Happiness and the Arising of Samādhi

Happiness and the Arising of Samādhi

Sit & Dharma Talk with Visiting teacher Meg Gawler

Happiness (sukha in Pali) is the proximate cause for samādhi (collectedness, concentration). It is also traditionally taught as one of the factors of absorption (jhana). On this evening, Meg will explore the various meanings of happiness in a Buddhist context and the role it plays in our practice of meditative awareness.

MEG GAWLER began practicing Buddhism in 1968 as a disciple of the Zen Master, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, including over three years of monastic training. She earned a Master’s in Applied Ecology, moved to Europe, pursued an international career in nature conservation and human development, and began practicing in the Theravāda tradition. She has trained with Gil Fronsdal, Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, and others. Authorized as a Dharma teacher by Jack Kornfield and then by Gil Fronsdal, Meg teaches retreats in both English and French in Switzerland, and serves as a guest teacher at the Insight Meditation Center and elsewhere. Meg also holds a Master’s in Buddhist Studies, specializing in early Theravāda studies. In addition, she teaches Radiant Heart Qigong in the tradition of Teja Bell.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.

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*Sit & Dharma Talk – Rich Howard – Loving Anger

Loving Anger
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Teacher Rich Howard

N O T E  – Due to technical difficulties, we couldn’t include this talk in our Audio Dharma library however we do have this handout that Rich provided the attendees – Loving Anger Resources (.pdf)

We may have idealized views of the spiritual path. We may not want to look at the shadow side of our personality. Yet “seeing things as they are” is the very meaning of “vipassana” or insight. It is only by allowing our anger, fear, and other challenging emotions to come into view and be known that we can move through them to a place of peace. At the same time, we must be wary of “spiritual bypassing,” a premature “transcendence” of uncomfortable emotions. As Rumi says in his poem The Guest House, “meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.” We will spend this evening learning to work with, and maybe even love, uncomfortable emotions, using anger as a case study.
This emotion is so important to understand that Thich Nhat Hanh has an entire book on it (“Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames”) and Bhikkhu Bodhi devotes Chapter III of “The Buddha’s Teachings on Social and Communal Harmony” to anger (pages 47-68). Bring an open heart!

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.

Thursday Night Talk Dana
“Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical Buddha
We recognize that donating by cash or check at the time you attend this event may not always be convenient for you. If that’s the case, please use the form below to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and your donation will be shared with Rich Howard and SIM.

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*Sit & Dharma Talk – Rich Howard – Vision and Intention

Vision and Intention
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Teacher Rich Howard

The vision of Sacramento Insight Meditation recognizes that “development of insight meditation and meditative awareness leads to a life of clarity, balance, and peace expressed in the forms of generosity, wisdom, compassion, and ethical conduct.” As we look forward to a new year, let’s explore our own intentions around developing our practice and how that might be expressed in action. Let’s also discuss how SIM might support individual and community well being in 2019.
The full statement of SIM’s Mission, Vision, and Means may be found at https://sactoinsight.org/about-us/. You may want to review these statements to prepare for our discussion.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.

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