KALYANA MITTA (KM) GROUPS Workshop held Sun, Jul 10, 1:30 – 4:30 at the Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley for current and prospective facilitators or hosts of KM groups with Spirit Rock teacher Donald Rothberg and Dawn Neal. The focus was on Wise Speech in the context of small groups, and how to address challenging situations.

The teaching of Anatta (not self) points to the fact that from the perspective of ultimate reality we are not separate entities to whom life happens. All the people in our life who’ve inspired and impacted us live through us even after they are gone. And we in turn impact the lives of many others and live through them. This talk includes a guided practice to understand anatta from this perspective—that the love we’ve received from others and pass on doesn’t belong to any of us.

James dedicated this talk to his father Arnold, who would have been 93 today; it begins with a moving reminiscence of their relationship.

In this talk Heather discusses the wisdom aspects of compassion, such as the three characteristics of existence (change, stress, impersonality), explores obstacles to experiencing the compassionate heart, and presents daily life practices of compassion in action. The evening concludes with shares from the sangha on their personal compassion practices.

The Path of the Fool

The Buddha says: There are 4 ways of undertaking things. There is a way undertaking things that is pleasant now and ripens in the future as pain. There is a way undertaking things that is painful now and ripens in the future as pain. There is a way undertaking things that is painful now and ripens in the furter as pleasure. There is a way undertaking things that is pleansont now and ripens in the future as pleasure.

A practical and wise exploration of ways in which our wanting things to be static and unchanging, especially with regard to our mental and emotional patterns, limits our lives and creates suffering. The evening ends with a discussion.

James reviews a number of things that are right with the world.