Thursday, August 4, 7-9:15 pm. Sitting and Dharma Talk with SIM Founding Instructor, Dennis Warren. RIGHT EFFORT, PART II
Right Effort, or Energy, plays a prominent role in Buddhist practice. It is one of the “5 Spiritual Faculties”, one of the “7 Factors of Awakening”, one component of the “8 Fold Path”, and is a foundation for the “4 Foundations of Mindfulness.” It’s obviously pretty important for the Buddha to have included it as an element in all of these groupings of core spiritual tools.
This evening will be a follow up to the initial discussion of Right Effort last Thursday evening, July 28. We’ll switch gears and look at Right Effort or Energy from a different perspective – as the application, monitoring, and adjustment of both physical and mental energy as the basic underpinning of all of our practice efforts.
In its most basic form, this involves non-conceptually figuring out, and using our effort to support, what works — what allows us to remain mindful and see into the nature and consequences of what is unfolding — in any moment of experience. In this sense, Right Effort’s contribution to helping us get free of suffering in our lives involves using it to stay focused on a particular way of investigating our experience and the nature of our lives. Understanding Effort in the context of meditative psychology, and how to use it as a reliable and practical tool in formal meditation practice, as well as daily life, is essential to developing, stabilizing, and maturing our practice.
This evening of meditation and discussion, led by SIM’s Founding Instructor, will further explore the meanings of Right Effort, its role in practice and its place in Buddhist psychology.
Sit & Dharma Talk with Visiting Teacher, Heather Sundberg
News, Weekly MeditationThe talk topic is “The World IS a Benevolent Place”
OK we all know the world is not always a Benevolent Place. But what if, as a practice, we occasionally oriented towards the amazing acts of kindness, generosity and discernment manifesting in our lives and on our planet right now? Heather will share how this reality was re-opened to her in a new way over the summer, and explore this topic through teachings and stories.
Visiting teacher Heather Sundberg’s will also be leading two day-long retreats scheduled for October 29th and November 19th.
Sit & Dharma talk with SIM Community Mentor, Diane Wilde
News, Weekly MeditationThursday, July 21, 7-9 pm. Sitting and Dharma Discussion with Diane Wilde, SIM Community Mentor, “The Four Types of People”
Have you ever wondered why there are people who, though born in poverty and deprivation, yet managed to evolve as wise and compassionate people, seemingly content with very little, while others, born with privilege and wealth, seem to require more and more “stuff” and often succumb to cruel behavior towards themselves and others. The Buddha had something to say about these “four types of people” in the Tamonata Sutta:
“There are these four types of people to be found existing in the world. Which four? One in darkness who is headed for darkness, one in darkness who is headed for light, one in light who is headed for darkness, and one in light who is headed for light.” The Buddha did not speak in riddles. His teaching is clear and well-explained. Whenever he said something that people might not understand properly, he explained it immediately. What is darkness? What is brightness? How does one keep on running from one to the other?
Sit & Dharma Talk with Visiting Mentor, Tony Bernhard
News, Weekly MeditationThursday, September 8, 7-9 pm. Sitting and Dharma Talk with Tony Bernhard, Visiting Teacher.
Directions to the Middle Path: the Buddha’s roadmap to the end of suffering…
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Mentor, Diane Wilde
News, Weekly MeditationThursday, September 1, 7-9 pm. Sitting and Dharma Talk with Diane Wilde, SIM Community Mentor.
How do we know that we are acting appropriately?
Buddhist practice is not a set of black and white rules. Just as in life, situations are nuanced, fluid with different strategies for situations, which on the surface, might seem to be similar. Should we always tell the truth when asked? Should we report what we perceive is a harmful act? Do we always disengage from others who we feel are unskillful or don’t share our opinions? Examples abound. Bring your own thoughts and experiences on this topic Thursday night as we look at a variety of life situations with wisdom AND compassion. We are all in this realm of samsara, attempting to cause as little harm to ourselves and others as possible. There is a reason why Sangha is the third refuge.
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Mentor, Rich Howard
News, Weekly MeditationThursday, August 25, 7-9 pm. Sitting and Dharma Talk with Rich Howard, SIM Community Mentor.
Analog or Digital?
Nature is a seamless whole, flowing and changing continuously. The world we inhabit is increasingly digital, measured, quantified, and reduced to numbers and words. How do you think of your practice? Minutes on the cushion? Days in retreat? Years of practice? Or does the practice flow through every waking moment? We will spend this evening examining our view of practice as analog or digital. We will ask ourselves if it makes a difference. Think about your own practice and come prepared to discuss how it might be digital, analog, neither, or both. And how that serves your life and the world.
Introduction to Meditation with SIM Community Mentor, Rich Howard
Meditation Course, NewsThis 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.
Sit & Dharma Talk with Long-time SIM Community Member, Laura Rosenthal
News, Weekly MeditationSitting and Dharma Talk – “The Power of Negative Thinking”: Five Ethical Precepts – With Longtime SIM Participant Laura Rosenthal – Thursday, August 18, 2016, 7:00 pm-9:00 pm
In Buddhist teaching, ethical conduct constitutes an essential training: sila, one of the three trainings that form the ennobling eightfold path. While contemporary teachers frequently discuss the ethical precepts in positive terms, emphasizing the wholesome qualities we are cultivating, traditional Buddhist teaching frames them in the negative, as core unwholesome behaviors with respect to which we practice renunciation. In this dharma talk and group discussion, we will explore why the precepts may have been framed in this way as well as the freedom and richness found in exploring this path of “not doing.”
Laura Rosenthal, a long-time participant in the SIM community, is a graduate of Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Dedicated Practitioners Program (DPP 4) and is currently participating in Spirit Rock’s Advanced Practitioners Program (APP).
Sit & Dharma talk with SIM Founding Teacher, Dennis Warren
News, Weekly MeditationThursday, August 11, 7-9:15 pm. Sitting and Dharma Talk with SIM Founding Instructor, Dennis Warren. RIGHT EFFORT and RIGHT ACTION
Our last two Thursday evenings at SIM have focused on Right Effort, or Energy, and the prominent role it plays in Buddhist practice. This Thursday evening will focus on the important relationships between Right Effort or Energy, on the one hand, and Right Action on the other.
Understanding these two different elements of practice; how they are similar; and how they are different is an important step in making them operational in daily life.
This evening of meditation and discussion, led by SIM’s Founding Instructor, will explore the meanings of Right Effort and Right Action, their role in practice and their place in Buddhist psychology.
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Founding Teacher, Dennis Warren
News, Weekly MeditationThursday, July 28, 7-9:15. Sitting and Dharma Talk, with Dennis Warren, SIM Founding Instructor.
AN EVENING ON RIGHT EFFORT
This evening will focus on Right Effort and present a model for understanding and working with this core practice that may be a little different than you have heard before. Drawing on a number of talks of the Historical Buddha and other teachers, Dennis will explore a practical approach to jump starting your practice. The evening will begin at 7:00 pm at the Sacramento Friends Meeting House on 57th Street.
Sit & Dharma talk with SIM Founding Teacher Dennis Warren
News, Weekly MeditationThursday, August 4, 7-9:15 pm. Sitting and Dharma Talk with SIM Founding Instructor, Dennis Warren. RIGHT EFFORT, PART II
Right Effort, or Energy, plays a prominent role in Buddhist practice. It is one of the “5 Spiritual Faculties”, one of the “7 Factors of Awakening”, one component of the “8 Fold Path”, and is a foundation for the “4 Foundations of Mindfulness.” It’s obviously pretty important for the Buddha to have included it as an element in all of these groupings of core spiritual tools.
This evening will be a follow up to the initial discussion of Right Effort last Thursday evening, July 28. We’ll switch gears and look at Right Effort or Energy from a different perspective – as the application, monitoring, and adjustment of both physical and mental energy as the basic underpinning of all of our practice efforts.
In its most basic form, this involves non-conceptually figuring out, and using our effort to support, what works — what allows us to remain mindful and see into the nature and consequences of what is unfolding — in any moment of experience. In this sense, Right Effort’s contribution to helping us get free of suffering in our lives involves using it to stay focused on a particular way of investigating our experience and the nature of our lives. Understanding Effort in the context of meditative psychology, and how to use it as a reliable and practical tool in formal meditation practice, as well as daily life, is essential to developing, stabilizing, and maturing our practice.
This evening of meditation and discussion, led by SIM’s Founding Instructor, will further explore the meanings of Right Effort, its role in practice and its place in Buddhist psychology.