Starting Over AGAIN  –  No blame. No shame. Let’s start again.
Frequently, we need to remind ourselves about this practice; what we are doing and why are we doing it. It is so easy to slip into the stress and demands of everyday life, and put meditation and mindfulness WAY in the background… “When I have time.” By the time we get back to it, if we ever do, we may have lost our way. Where should we start, AGAIN? What do I need to do now? Am I failure as a Buddhist practitioner? Have my previous efforts been lost?
Tonight we will discuss the basics of this practice… the Three Trainings of virtuous behavior (sila), meditation or concentration (samadhi) and discernment or wisdom (panna), which make up the map that the Buddha encourages us to follow. Whether we follow a linear path or determine an area which needs more attention, we are practicing mindfulness and meditation and we are starting over again. The wonderful thing about the Dharma is when we focus on one aspect of the path, it automatically brings in the others. Tonight, let’s start again.

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The Atthakavagga: the original seeds that gave rise to Buddhist teachings – Part 2

“The wise person does not oppose any other person’s doctrine.” This is one of the reflections from one of the earliest books in the Pali Cannon, the Atthakavagga. Gil Fronsdal states in his introduction to his translation of the Atthakavagga: “Here we find the Buddhist teachings pared down to their most essential elements, free of the more complex doctrines often associated with Buddhism.” The poems and verses from this small collection reveal a pattern of teachings that are much different — in their directness and simplicity — from the later sutta collections. Verses in the Atthakavagga often have an almost koan-like quality, which often seem open to interpretation. We will discuss the exegesis of the Atthakavagga and our own interpretations of a few of its seemingly “simple” verses.

• Talk handout: Dutthatthaka Sutta (.pdf)
• To listen to Part 1 of this talk, click here or visit the audio dharma post date of Nov 16, 2017.

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Death and Dying as a Teaching
Just like in the Buddha’s time, death is not an easy topic for people to consider.  Fear, guilt, denial, and/or sadness all come to the surface when we speak of our own death, or the deaths of those close to us.  This is exactly why the Buddha recommended that we don’t turn away, but rather make this fact of our existence, a subject of frequent reflection. Maranasati, or Mindfulness of Death is a reflection on our death and the deaths of others.  Death of course, is inevitable, and when we can to begin to view it with the same acceptance as birth, we start the process of uprooting ignorance and delusion. We will discuss how we can begin incorporating a “friendly” attitude towards death in our daily lives.

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Karma and Rebirth (continued) 

Why the emphasis both in meditation and daily life on the present moment? And why is it so difficult to maintain our focus on what is happening in the present moment? Yet this is the core instruction we are continually reminded of as we navigate the Buddha’s path to awakening. The present moment is the only place where we have the liberating opportunity to create our own karma, thus creating a future of much more ease and contentment. By remaining oblivious to the present moment, we stay in delusion…continuing our habitual reactivity mentally and to the episodes in our lives which perpetuates discontent and unhappiness. We might consider that each moment we are “present” is an opportunity for rebirth… to “wake up” to our lives.

The Buddha provided a check-list of sorts which helps us focus on what is taking place. This list is the ten unwholesome actions — in thought, word, and deed — and their counterparts, the ten wholesome actions. As you read them, you may notice a category or categories in which you struggle — or have ignored — which has caused unhappiness for yourself and others. We will discuss these “wholesome and unwholesome actions” and how effectively to work with them.
In preparation for the evening’s discussion, please read “V. The Way to a Fortunate Rebirth” Chapter 2 (page 156 – 161) in Bhikkhu Bodhi’s book, “In the Buddha’s Words.”

• To review Diane’s previous talk on this topic, click here.

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Part 1 of 3 in a series.

How often have we said to ourselves, “If I could only be ME!  If I didn’t have to play a social roll, pretend I am someone I am not, and could be authentic — my life would be so much easier!“ Too often we create endless identities which hide the authentic person we feel inside.

Yet, we continue to conform, continue to hide the depths of our true feelings, and too frequently are unable to experience — both in ourselves as well as externally— the freedom of being “real.”

In this three part series, we will look at what it really means to be authentic, both to ourselves and in the society which we live. We will discuss what authenticity means, and the steps — often challenging— that we need to take to allow ourselves to be truly seen, both internally and externally.  The first in this series will investigate what we mean by “becoming authentic”. The second in this series will address bringing authenticity into the world… especially at this time when it is so needed.  The third in this series will be a community conversation of our own experience with the topic.

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Here is a home practice that was given out after the talk:

• During a meditation, ask the question, “Who Am I?” As your mind slips away, keep coming back to this question.
• What have you discovered about the small self in meditation and in your daily life? Be specific.
•  When have you had the experience of authenticity in meditation and daily life? What took place?
• How honest are you with yourself during meditation?