Buddhism encourages us to realize that things are frequently not as they first appear. In many cases, the true nature of something is the reverse of what we initially think: what we want and believe is helpful, harms us in the long run; what we don’t want is what we most need; what seems to be a risk is an opportunity.
Disappointment falls into this category. Although we would prefer not to experience it, disappointment is a pre-condition to real development in practice and a more open, inclusive, kind life.
This evening will explore the nature of disappointment and the important role it plays in spiritual practice. What is it? How can we welcome it into our lives? How can we relate to it as a practice, rather than as something unwanted? And why is it indispensable to deep, fundamental insight?
The subject matter of this evening will be appropriate for all stages of practice

Resolve or Determination is considered a pivotal skill in Buddhism. It is essential to implementing and sustaining our intention. It helps us mobilize and stabilize focus, attention, and effort. That’s what makes it a Parami, a special quality of mind essential to deepening and maturing our meditation practice, as well as living a full and satisfying life.
This evening will be devoted to exploring the nature of Resolve, how to develop it and specific ways to use it in meditation and daily life.
The subject matter of this evening will be appropriate for all stages of practice.

(Part 6 of 10 of a series on The Paramis)

The Historical Buddha was clear about his message concerning the importance of thought: What we think about, so we incline the mind. We make the world with our thoughts.

Thoughts are so powerful because they shape our beliefs, assumptions, and expectations. They act as lenses thru which we perceive and understand the world. When these become fixed – and they usually do – we have the same experience over-and-over even though the circumstances and persons keep changing.

This phenomenon – fixed thoughts and views shaping our lives and resulting in suffering – is at the center of Buddhist psychology and practice. This Thursday evening will explore this field of experiences through common situations in meditation and everyday living. The subject matter of this evening will be appropriate for all stages of practice.

All of us have experiences which change the direction of our lives.
Sometimes we know this at the moment it is happening. Other times, we only realize it later. One of those experiences can be encountering a book that causes us to question how we are living or helps us have a new vision of practice or life.
This evening will explore ten books that mattered in this way for SIM’s Founding Teacher, Dennis Warren. Each book will be discussed from the viewpoint of how it was encountered, its impact, and the change or shift in direction that followed.  Dennis will discuss why each book was helpful for him…and maybe for you.
The subject matter of this evening will be appropriate for all stages of practice.

“Noting” or “Naming” is the practice of making a soft mental note to highlight the present experience that is unfolding in meditation or in daily life. It has a number of different purposes and uses. Among others, it can interrupt the distorting grip of reactivity, reframe present moment experiences, and create a new context for working with events, particularly difficult or challenging ones.
Noting/Naming is frequently misunderstood or undervalued even though it has the potential to be one of the most helpful, practical, and powerful tools of practice available to us. 
This evening we look at the different purposes and applications of the Noting/Naming process through practical illustrations of common situations in meditation and everyday situation. We will also place the practice into the larger framework of Buddhist psychology, teachings, and methods.
The subject matter of this evening will be appropriate for all stages of practice.