Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Founding Teacher Dennis Warren

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Thursday, July14, 2016 – 700-915 PM. Sitting and Dharma Talk with SIM Founding Teacher DENNIS WARREN  – “WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF LIVING THE CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE?” – Part II –  

“What is the benefit of living the contemplative life?”

This is the question put to the historical Buddha by King Ajatasattu. The dialogue that continues is one of the most comprehensive and eloquent presentations of the Buddha regarding his teachings; a comparison of his teachings to the other major spiritual and philosophical theories of the time; the original Sangha’s code of ethics; the Buddha’s own lifestyle, and more.

This evening will be part of a continuing discussion of this fascinating Sutta that began during Dennis’ talk on June 9th. You might listen to that talk at as a way of preparing for this evening at https://sactoinsight.org/category/audio-dharma/ .

The evening will explore the specifics of this sutta and how they have direct application to our practice and daily life today in an urban setting.

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Sit & Dharma talk with SIM Founding Teacher, Dennis Warren

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“WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF LIVING THE CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE?” – Part II –  

“What is the benefit of living the contemplative life?”

This is the question put to the historical Buddha by King Ajatasattu. The dialogue that continues is one of the most comprehensive and eloquent presentations of the Buddha regarding his teachings; a comparison of his teachings to the other major spiritual and philosophical theories of the time; the original Sangha’s code of ethics; the Buddha’s own lifestyle, and more.

This evening will be part of a continuing discussion of this fascinating Sutta that began during Dennis’ talk on June 9th. You might listen to that talk at as a way of preparing for this evening athttps://sactoinsight.org/category/audio-dharma/ .

The evening will explore the specifics of this sutta and how they have direct application to our practice and daily life today in an urban setting.

This event will begin at 7:00 pm at Sacramento Friends Meetinghouse, 890 57th Street.

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Day-long Retreat With Long Term Community, Laura Rosenthal

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This will be a beautiful peaceful day of Practice including both Sitting and Walking Meditation.  There may also be time for questions, answers and reflections.  All are welcome.

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Introduction to Meditation with SIM Community Mentor, Rich Howard

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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.

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Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Mentor, Rich Howard

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Thursday, June 23, 7-9 pm. Sitting and Community Evening with Rich Howard, SIM Community Mentor.Bringing Awareness to Everyday Life

We may practice formal meditation for some period each day, but what do we practice the rest of our waking hours? Bringing mindful awareness into everyday life is essential to developing our practice and transforming our lives. We will gather in a circle as a community this Thursday to share our experiences in spreading awareness into every aspect of our lives. Please come prepared to share your wisdom with the group. Rich will facilitate the evening. Dana offered on this evening will be shared with SIM and the Buddhist Pathways Prison Project.

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Sit & Dharma Talk with Long-time SIM Community Member, Laura Rosenthal

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The Five Subjects for Daily Recollection, with long-time SIM participant Laura Rosenthal.

In the Upajjhatthana Sutta, the Buddha says there are five things upon which women and men, householders and monastics should reflect frequently. These have come to be known as the Five Subjects for Daily Recollection. The Five Subjects offer us a valuable practice that is fruitful both on the cushion and in everyday life; they point us toward an experiential understanding of core aspects of the dharma. Join Laura Rosenthal, long-time SIM participant, for a dharma talk and group discussion. No prior knowledge is required, but if you want to read the sutta in advance it is Anguttara Nikaya 5.57 and can be found at these links: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an05/an05.057.than.html(Thanissaro Bikkhu translation) or https://suttacentral.net/en/an5.57 (Bikkhu Bodhi translation)

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Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Founding Teacher, Dennis Warren

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WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF LIVING THE CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE?   

This is the question put to the historical Buddha by King Ajatasattu. The dialogue that continues is one of the most comprehensive and eloquent presentation of the Buddha regarding his teachings; a comparison of his teaching to the other major spiritual and philosophical theories of the time; the original Sangha’s code of ethics; the Buddha’s own lifestyle, and more.

The Samannaphala Sutta is consider one of the most useful and helpful discourses of the Buddha. The question “What is the benefit of living the contemplative life?” is as relevant to all of us today as it was in the time of King Ajatasattu. Ajatasattu was a layman who become a devoted follower of the Buddha after this encounter and sponsored the First Buddhist Council.

The evening will explore the specifics of this sutta and how they have direct application to our practice and daily life today in an urban setting. This will be the first in a series of two or three talks Dennis will give based on this sutta.

Dennis believes that the key question in this sutta, and the Buddha’s answers, are particularly timely because of our move to a new and permanent home in the coming months in the Sacramento Dharma Center.

This event will begin at 7:00 pm at Sacramento Friends Meetinghouse, 890 57th Street.

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Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Mentor, Diane Wilde

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When Meditation is Not Enough

After several years of teaching and practicing meditation, many of us have found that meditation on its own is not enough.  While we may enjoy our times of silence, we find our times off the cushion, “in real life” are challenging and often painful.  We might reflect, “What else can I do? What’s missing?”  The Buddha’s approach to alleviating suffering begins with mindfulness of conduct, and this component of our practice is generally ignored by most meditators.  There is a tendency in the West to dismiss virtue as simple Sunday-school type rules which no longer apply to our modern sensibilities. Yet the Five Training Precepts are part of a fundamental course of therapy for wounded minds. In particular, they are aimed at curing two ailments that underlie low self-esteem: regret and denial.  We will discuss how to make the Five Training Precepts an integrated, and perhaps primary focus of our practice.

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Day-long Retreat “Mobilizing Our Resources” with SIM Founding Teacher, Dennis Warren

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Saturday, May 28, 2016 – 8:30-4:30 pm. One Day Retreat. MOVING TO THE NEW DHARMA CENTER  – REFLECTING ON WHO WE ARE,  WHO WE CAN BE, AND NEW DHARMA RELATIONSHIPS – with SIM FOUNDING TEACHER DENNIS WARREN

This one day will explore our move to the new Sacramento Dharma Center in the coming months. It will be a combination retreat, reflection and workshop for anyone interested in SIM’s future; and learning about and being involved in preparing for the move to a new Dharma Center.

It is important to recognize that preparation for the move involves both our community as a whole, and each of us individually. This move represents a significant transition for SIM’s 14 year history and for each of us as individual practitioners.

What are the challenges – for our community and each of us personally –  in moving to a new Dharma Center? What are  the opportunities? How will SIM maintain its unique identity when living so closely with two other Buddhist communities? How can SIM members contribute to making this move and transition in SIM’s history a smooth one?

Pre-registration is required, although there is no cost to attend. Register by sending an email to Dennis, dwwotp@gmail.com , indicating your intention to attend. You’ll receive a confirmation and a number of issues to reflect upon prior to the 28th.

The day will begin at 8:30 am and end at 4:30 pm at the Friends Meetinghouse at 890 57th Street. Bring your own lunch and plan on staying on-site during the lunch hour

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