The clear message of the Buddha is that this holy life has as its end the unshakable deliverance of mind. (The Simile of the Heartwood, MN 29 and 30). This talk is about what is to be cultivated in our lives so that this deliverance is actualized. The cultivation of dana (generosity), sila (living a virtuous life), and bhavana (developing the mind through concentration and insight)….these three lead one securely in the direction of nibbana.
Anupadana, meaning non-clinging (often translated as letting go), is the very essence of Dharma practice. This introductory talk looks at the specifics of cultivating a non-clinging attitude with respect our physical, emotional, and mental experience.
The teaching on Dependent Origination shows us how craving and suffering arise from wrong understanding and a lawful process of cause and effect. By bringing wisdom and awareness to each step in this chain reaction, we uproot craving and bring an end to suffering.
For many Western Buddhists, it is challenging and often confusing to know how to work with views, theories (whether spiritual or social) and the judgmental mind. We explore the nature of views and judgements and how to practice with them, especially in the context of service and social action.
"Enlightenment is intimacy with all things" teaches Zen Master Dogen. While we long for this intimacy, we are conditioned to avoid the vulnerability and fear that an intimate presence can arouse. This talk explores how our mindfulness and heart practices cultivate the capacity to be intimate with our sensations of aliveness, our emotions and the beings in our life.
A second overview of socially engaged Buddhism is offered, through vignettes and stories of engaged practices, a discussion of some of the challenges of connecting inner and outer transformation, and a sense of the great creative possibilities of such an approach. With Q&A.
