We did a shared reading of the Lion's Roar article, How to Transform Anger in 4 Steps, by Buddhist teacher Judy Lief. In it, she writes:
Since anger is a natural part of us, we cannot really get rid of it, no matter how hard we try. However, we can change how we relate to it. When we do, we...
We listened to an audio talk by Pemo Chodron on the path of meditation, in which she says:
As we travel on the path, we get to know fear, we get to know the nature of fear. Gradually, we become much more adaptable and much more able to stay open and attentive to whatever might arise...reachi...
We shared a reading of an excerpt from Sakyong Mipham's book, Ruling Your World, on how karma works in our lives. In it, he writes:
Many causes and conditions come together for one thing to occur...One word too many, and our friend blows his lid. Two little words, and we've married somebody...
We watched part of a talk given by senior Shambhala teacher Adam Lobel. The talk examines how we might learn to relate differently to our life:
And we can have that sense of awareness and openness, even as we're scrubbing the dishes, even as we're driving the car...it is possible to wake up,...
We followed our meditation with a reading & discussion of a therapy that assumes we are essentially sane and good. Here's an excerpt:
The premise of Contemplative Psychotherapy is that we already have what we need to connect with our inherent wisdom and compassion...We are not, of course, alwa...
After the sitting & walking meditation, we read and discussed an article by Chogyam Trungpa titled, Put Your Meditation into Action. Here's an excerpt:
One purpose of meditation is to develop a feeling of stillness and solidity in one’s practice. In order to become more open, one needs to es...
Just before Wiarton Willie made his move – we presented a free screening of the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray. It was a great chance to enjoy this "hilarious and unexpectedly profound comedy". After the film, there was a discussion of the Buddhist themes that found their way into the script...
We watched part of a talk given by senior Shambhala teacher Adam Lobel. The talk examines how we might learn to relate differently to our life:
And we can have that sense of awareness and openness, even as we're scrubbing the dishes, even as we're driving the car...it is possible to wake up,...
The Shambhala book was our reading and discussion topic for the week. Here's a bit:
A great deal of chaos in the world occurs because people don't appreciate themselves.