Why did the Buddha say he only taught suffering and the end of suffering? If this is the core of what he taught, how diligently do we practice it? Do our practices attempt to understand the nature of anguish, or do they sidestep that issue and attempt to create anguish-free environments and foster greater dependency on pleasant experiences? Do we see anguish as a fundamental dharmic principle that guides and directs us toward liberation, or do we pull back and adapt a philosophical approach to anguish - "This too shall pass." Suffering provides all that is necessary for a complete understanding of the formation of self, but we must be willing to move toward the difficult for that to be imparted.

A talk given by Sharda Rogell, Anna Douglas and Howie Cohn teaching on the importance of practicing and following the path to wisdom and compassion as taught by the Buddha.

A talk given by Sharda Rogell, Anna Douglas and Howie Cohn teaching on the importance of practicing and following the path to wisdom and compassion as taught by the Buddha.

A talk given by Sharda Rogell, Anna Douglas and Howie Cohn teaching on the importance of practicing and following the path to wisdom and compassion as taught by the Buddha.

A talk given by Sharda Rogell, Anna Douglas and Howie Cohn teaching on the importance of practicing and following the path to wisdom and compassion as taught by the Buddha.

How does love express itself in the awakened heart/mind. And how does that love get so distorted that it can turn to hatred, cruelty and envy. How can we release our confusion and be free?

When things don’t go the way we hoped, resistance is often a natural response. A key element in our practice is how we respond to that resistance. Of course accepting things as they are is an essential part of our practice. This includes accepting the resistance. But an even more powerful practice is actually embracing the resistance so that it becomes a direct doorway to freedom.