Dependent Arising and Emptiness

Mei Elliott continues with a theme that we began speaking about in December: emptiness.  This week in particular, we will be focusing on emptiness and dependent arising.  

During this meeting we will explore the relationship between dependent arising, emptiness and freedom from suffering.  We'll investigate how dependent arising can help us navigate difficult relationships, work with challenging emotions, and deepen our understanding of the emptiness of self.

As emptiness can be a perplexing topic, I plan to explore different teachings on this theme over the course of several meetings.  This is the second talk in the series.

Emptiness

Mei Elliott speaks about the Heart Sutra, perhaps the most well-known text in the Mahayana tradition, which states that "form is emptiness and emptiness is form.”

Most of us are well acquainted with the realm of form: this is the normal, conventional world— the world we live, work, and interact in. Given this, what is emptiness? How could that possibly be the same as form? And how is this relevant in daily life?

During this talk, we will explore the relationship between form and emptiness, and investigate how realizing emptiness can provide freedom from stress and suffering. This theme will be continued in the coming months as we explore additional facets of emptiness.

Taking Refuge during a Time of Crisis

Mei Elliott speaks about climate change and taking refuge. Taking refuge is one of the foundational practices in Buddhism. During this talk, we will be exploring what it means to take refuge in the triple treasure, and how doing so provides a direct response to suffering, both internally and externally. This conversation will allow us to understand how meditation provides a powerful response to climate change and the impending crisis of extinction. To fully explore this theme, the talk will include teachings on emptiness, mindfulness, and the three poisons.

Concentration and Zazen

Mei Elliott explores many questions related to concentration practice. Is it possible to cultivate concentration without gaining mind? Do both shamata and shikantaza develop concentration? What does focusing on the breath have to do with freedom from suffering?

To answer these questions we will be exploring Zen teachings as well as material from the early Buddhist canon, including information about the jhanic factors.

A follow-up class to Meditation and the Thinking Mind.

Skillful Speech

How do we speak the questions we don't know how to ask each other? Can we find ways to cross the gulfs that divide us and keep us separated? It is up to us to start having the conversations we want to be hearing and creating the realities we want to inhabit.

Siobhan's talk focuses on finding ways connect across difference using the framing of "Skillful Speech" which is one of the steps on the Eightfold Path. She will be inviting us to look at how we can begin to heal by having the courageous conversation that you don't want to have.

Genjokoan

Engetsu Lefevre speaking about the Genjokoan and creativity. The Genjokoan was written by Eihei Dogen, the founder of Soto Zen in Japan, and it addresses how true reality can be expressed in everyday life.

Compassion

Compassion - Miriam-Webster "sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it"

Will this make a person soft, weak? Many can see how this is a good trait with loved ones or the unfortunate in our society but on a daily basis - will a person get taken advantage of at work? in fighting for justice? or dealing with the more fortunate in society at large? How does this central tenant of Buddhism apply in a person's everyday life?

Meditation and the Thinking Mind

Mei Elliott explores how to work skillfully with thinking in meditation. For many practitioners, it can be easy to relate to thoughts as "the problem" in our meditation, and yet, the thinking mind is imperative for communication, work, survival, and for understanding the very teachings that allow us to practice. Given this, it can be difficult to know how to relate to thoughts, and what to do when they arise in meditation: do we drop them, ignore, reject, chase, or allow them? During this YUZ session we will explore how to skillfully relate to thoughts through traditional meditation instruction from the Zen and early Buddhist traditions. Learning how to see our thoughts clearly, frees us from compulsive reactivity, providing us with insight into the nature of not-self and greater freedom in daily life.

Mei will be focusing on this curriculum for a two part series. Both classes on this theme will gravitate around practical meditation training, and will provide opportunities for you to ask questions about your practice. The date for part two in this series will be announced shortly, and will likely occur in the coming month.

Parents

Siobhan shares about the theme in the context of her personal experience:

My relationship with my parents is a central theme in my life. My dad has alzheimers and my mum is his main carer. They just celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary, and the dynamics between them have transformed as age has set in. Watching the change in their relationship from hardworking politicians in Europe, (my father was a member of the European Parliament and my mum worked with him), to the simplicity of their current lives where the main decision of the day is which cafe to go to and read the papers, has been a really beautiful and tender witnessing. Seeing how they both are dealing with aging and death, particularly of their friends, has been an inspiring example, heartfelt with no grasping.

Siobhan will also speaks about how to practice with the challenging dynamics that often arise with our parents: the wish to be approved of and the pain of not meeting their standards; or the difficulty of not being able to save, control or fix parents that suffer and struggle.

Formal Zen Practice

What is formal zen practice? How can you do it and is it the right training for you?

Engetsu Lefevre is the head of the meditation hall (the ino) at City Center; she will be sharing about how she came into this role, starting as a professional in a big city, then finding herself in a monastery for several years, and now working a temple job. She will be talking about her relationship to zen training, and inviting the community to to explore this training for themselves.

Thanks for the Feedback

Mei Elliott explores the theme of feedback. We are surrounded by feedback. A high five, a promotion, not being invited to a friend's wedding, getting an A or an F, a thank you note from a neighbor, the expression on your bosses face when you show up late, again. Feedback is everywhere, and yet most people find constructive feedback extremely difficult to receive. Together, we'll explore the way that our struggles with feedback are linked to truth, relationship, and identity. This will include an investigation of the way the Buddhist teachings of not-self, or anatta, support us in meeting feedback with openness and ease.

This talked is inspired by the brilliant book of the same title by Sheila Heen and Douglas Stone.