Every object in the phenomenal world is an object of compassion.
– Reb Anderson Roshi at Clouds in May 2009
The two arms of the Buddha are Wisdom and Compassion. By having an extended class, we can delve in deeply and assimilate the many teachings on Compassion and Love. We will work with the practices around Loving-kindness, the Big "G" (gentleness), the Four Divine Abodes (kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity), forgiveness, and the practice of Tonglen. We will investigate Trungpa Rinpoche's intriguing naming of "Idiot Compassion" and the near enemies of Love. Let's take up the practice of kindness to ourselves and others for an extended period of time and see what happens!
Class meets every other week. We encourage people to take all three sessions.
Mondays 6:30 pm–8:30 pm
Discounted price for registering for Winter and Spring together:
$185 (members: $155)
Fall Session: Cultivating the Felt-Sense of Kindness Love for the Self
Mondays, October 5 and 19, Nov 2, 16 and 30
Fall session only: $110 (members: $90)
Winter Session: Continuing Our Study with an Emphasis on Extending Love to Others
Continuing our study from this fall with an emphasis on the Divine Abodes: Love, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, and Equanimity. We will work with all the abodes and their near enemies. The class will examine how we use the abodes interactively to balance our life and to understand the full ramifications of unconditional love. The text is Sharon Salzberg, Loving Kindness, The Revolutionary Art of Happiness.
Mondays, January 4 and 18, February 1 and 15, March 1
Winter session only: $110 (members: $90)
Spring Session: Continuing Our Study with an Introduction to Tonglen (Taking and Sending)
Continuing our study with an introduction to Tonglen, the meditation practice of "Taking and Sending". Tonglen was devised not only as a compassion practice but as a way of breaking our ego-centric desire system and being able to find a steadfast calm in any conditions. Simply stated, it is a breath practice where you inhale the poisons and pain of the world and exhale kindness, compassion and love. Please have some introduction to loving-kindness practices before taking this class. Handouts are included.
Mondays, March 15, and 29, April 19, May 3 and 17
Spring session only: $110 (members: $90)
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