Focus and Distraction

Michael McCord: Is it "OK" to use Zen to get from A to B as a transactional practice or should a person only practice Zen and see what the fruits of this are?  In other words: can Zen be my workout tool for focus?

Zazen is Loving Kindness

Portion from The Loving Kindness Meditation, " Let no one deceive another nor despise any being in any state. Let none by anger or hatred wish harm to another. Even as a mother at the risk of her life Watches over and protects her only child, So with a boundless mind should one cherish all living things. Suffusing love over the entire world, Above, below, and all around, without limit, So let one cultivate an infinite good will toward the whole world " 

In this week's gathering we will talk about how zazen is a practice of all of the above and more! 

Mudita

Zachary Smith: following on from Mei’s recent talk on Equanimity, I’ll be talking about another of the four Brahmavihārās, Muditā or Sympathetic Joy. We’ll talk about how this marvelous quality can arise, how it’s related to the Western idea of Love and, in the end, trying to get at the common element of all four “immeasurable”, as they’re sometimes called.

Equanimity

Mei Elliott: Sometimes considered the crown jewel of Buddhist practice, equanimity allows us to remain centered and peaceful, even within troubling circumstances. Through the development of insight, the equanimous mind is unshakable and balanced– helping us to keep our footing regardless of the difficulties that may come our way. During this meeting, we'll explore how equanimity is experienced and cultivated through meditation practice.

How Easy Should This Life Be?

Michael McCord: If a person follows a spiritual path, should they expect things to get easier each year?  Should I have any expectations at all?  If life doesn't get that much easier, why follow a spiritual path?

We'll explore this in relation to the modern work life, home life and personal goal setting.  

Most folks identify with the thought:  "life doesn't come with a manual on how to make this all work, when will I figure out how to live?"


Letting Go

Mei Elliott: When difficulty arises, it's common to lean on the time-honored advice to practice letting go. Yet the capacity to let go often seems to be out of our control and proves to be more challenging than we'd like. How can we learn to release our difficulties gracefully and in what ways can the Dharma support us with this? In this session, we'll be exploring the relationship between letting go and liberation, as well as practices for learning the art of release.

Four Noble Truths

Kodo Conlin: Let's start the new year with a return to the root of Buddhist teaching. We'll reflect together on the Four Noble Truths, the first teaching the Buddha gave after his Awakening. Perhaps all of the Dharma can be understood by way of its frame, and its applications to our day-to-day are too many to count.

I Vow to Refrain from Intoxicants

Michael McCord: This Buddhist precept can lead to infinite discussion on what we get intoxicated by (substances, behaviors, etc) and can be easy to misunderstand as a black and white list of do's and don'ts.  In this talk and discussion, we'll explore the nuances of practicing with this precept in the modern world and what it means to be intoxicated, what the impacts can be and what are some solutions found in the Buddhist practice to keep from getting ensnared by things that might overwhelm us.


Self-Receiving & Employing Samadhi

Anshi Zachary Smith: We’ll explore Dogen’s “Self-Receiving and Employing Samadhi”, which is an excerpt from a longer and much more pointed manifesto, his “Bendowa”, and which captures a number of key points about the nature and function of the Self and how it relates to practice.