A timely and thought-provoking talk given at a People of Color (POC) day-long retreat at San Francisco’s East Bay Meditation Center 2019. The East Bay Meditation Center hosts teachers from all lineages to teach the Dharma to their POC, LGBTQI2, Differently Abled and Scent Free Communities.
Occasionally Order members drift away from contact with the Order for a considerable length of time, and if we are unable to contact them – or if, when contacted, they confirm that their membership of the Order is no longer meaningful – they may be removed from the Order register. This is a check that Bhante carried out on occasion in relation to those he had ordained, and that may be undertaken periodically by relevant...
An introductory course held over five Thursday evenings (7.00-9.30pm) - Book here
There is an old English saying:
“Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny”.
The Buddha would have agreed with that. According to the Buddha, what we think, what we do with our minds, is the most crucial factor in how free and happy we become. This course will help us become more aware of the thoughts...
“May I deliver all beings from difficulties; may I eradicate all passions; may I master all dharmas; may I lead all beings to Buddhahood.” This is the Bodhisattva’s resolve upon the awakening of the Bodhi Heart.
The four rūpa jhānas (hereafter referred to as the jhānas) have been described as connecting with liberating insight in different ways. Are they best considered as merely preparing the mind for the acquisition of insight? Is it that their characteristics represent suitable objects for insight practice? Or do they have a more intrinsic role in inducing insight? I am going to focus on the last of these possibilities and in particular propose jhānic experience as a way to counter mental...
What is the Bodhicitta, how can we talk about it, what parallels can we find in our own experience? These are some of the questions explored in this second talk on the Bodhicaryavatara.
Contemporary society tells us that its important to get it all out and that we need to be kind to ourselves. However when we look at the Bodhicaryavatara Shantideva takes a different tack - make war on the defilements! What are we to make of this? Talk 3 of 6 on the Bodhicaryavatara.
More counter-cultural stuff here, shouldn't we always express how we feel? Shantideva seems to be saying something else when he encourages us to be 'like a block of wood'...
Talk 4 of 6 on the Bodhicaryavatara.
