03/07/2019 “Working with Difficult Thinking” with Dennis Warren

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

If you would like to download this talk, please right click and select “save as” here.

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 talk, 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?
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Book Club (Wed Morn)

Meeting the second and fourth Wednesday of the month, the Wednesday morning book club formed in February 2019.

NOTE: This book club is no longer accepting new members. If you are not already a member of this group but are interested in joining as space permits, or if you’d like to be a part of creating a new book club, visit https://sactoinsight.org/interest-book-club/ for more information.

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Book Club (Wed Morn)

Meeting the second and fourth Wednesday of the month, the Wednesday morning book club formed in February 2019.

NOTE: This book club is no longer accepting new members. If you are not already a member of this group but are interested in joining as space permits, or if you’d like to be a part of creating a new book club, visit https://sactoinsight.org/interest-book-club/ for more information.

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Book Club (Wed Morn)

Meeting the second and fourth Wednesday of the month, the Wednesday morning book club formed in February 2019.

NOTE: This book club is no longer accepting new members. If you are not already a member of this group but are interested in joining as space permits, or if you’d like to be a part of creating a new book club, visit https://sactoinsight.org/interest-book-club/ for more information.

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Book Club – Wed Morn

Meeting the second and fourth Wednesday of the month, the Wednesday morning book club formed in February 2019.

NOTE: This book club is no longer accepting new members. If you are not already a member of this group but are interested in joining as space permits, or if you’d like to be a part of creating a new book club, visit https://sactoinsight.org/interest-book-club/ for more information.

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Introduction to Meditation with SIM Community Member, Laura Rosenthal

This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

LAURA ROSENTHAL has participated actively in SIM since 2004, when she was first introduced to Insight Meditation (Vipassana) after meditating in other traditions. She served on the SIM board of directors for five years, from 2010 to 2015. She is a graduate of Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Dedicated Practitioners Program (DPP4) and Advanced Practitioners Program (2016-17). In addition, she participates in Heather Sundberg’s Committed Students Program in Nevada City. Her teachers are Andrea Fella and Heather Sundberg. Laura practiced law in the public sector for almost 40 years, with an emphasis on access to health insurance and health care. Her other loves include Jewish text study and writing.

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.

At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.
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Introduction to Meditation

This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

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.

At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.
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Introduction to Meditation

This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

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.

At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.
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02/28/2019 “Entering the Stream – Doubt” with Diane Wilde

Entering the Stream to Awakening, Dealing with Doubt

If you would like to download this talk, please right click and select “save as” here.

This is second in a series on “Entering the Stream” of Awakening. To listen to Diane’s initial talks on this subject, follow these links: Entering the Stream and Not clinging to Self-identity.

Yogis who are sincere in their practice, and desire to alleviate suffering are said to be on the precipice of “Entering the Stream”. A Stream-Enterer, known as a Sotapanna in Pali, the ancient language of the Buddha, is a practitioner who is well on the path to “awakening”, which means cutting through and eliminating the fetters that cause suffering. The first fetter is understanding the delusion of self-identity, the belief that each of us is a separate entity unto ourselves. The second fetter to be uprooted is doubt. Tonight we will briefly discuss self-identity, which will be the topic of the Feb. 23rd daylong and examine in more detail, the second “fetter” of doubt. Doubt is traditionally seen as having two aspects: skillful doubt, which prods us into deeper experiential investigation of the path, and unskillful doubt, which is a dead-end, leading to confusion and unhappiness. We will discuss the characteristics of both types of doubt and how skillful doubt is an aid in navigating the difficulties we often encounter in our own practice. Unskillful doubt is abandoned as we Enter the Stream.

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Thanks, Barbara Colton

Barbara ColtonPlease join the SIM Board of Directors on Thursday night, March 14, to thank Barbara Colton. Barbara is completing many years of dedicated service on our Board and beginning her work as President of the SDC Board. The SIM community potluck (Nurturing Sangha Over Dinner) that night will be in her honor, and we’ll have cake and an opportunity to appreciate Barbara during the break. Please plan to come and celebrate with Barbara and with all of us on the Board!

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