Sangha Nights in May, June and July – the Heart of Buddhism
Practicing Dharma and Meditation in Community, Wednesdays, 7pm to 9pm, in person
For the Dharma to truly change us, we need to engage the heart, not just the head. As Sangharakshita has said, “The central problem of the spiritual life is to find emotional equivalents for our intellectual understanding.”
We may understand the Dharma intellectually – impermanence, compassion, emptiness – but unless those truths are felt deeply in the heart, unless they begin to reshape our emotional responses, they don’t really transform us.
Continuing our theme of “The Buddha,” over the next few months we will explore the Buddha’s teaching – and his embodiment – of the Brahma Viharas: loving-kindness (metta), compassion (karuna), joyful appreciation (mudita), and equanimity (upekkha).
Far from being sentimental or irrational, these are courageous and powerful practices. They challenge our fixed views and habitual reactions, even as they protect and strengthen the open heart.
Other topics include Tonglen, Bodhichitta, Forgiveness, and Gratitude practices, as well as Care for the World and other ways of engaging the heart such as Art, Music and Chanting, and all kinds of Creativity.
Recommended Books: The Heart’s Awakening, by Bodhipaksa (new), Living with Kindness, by Sangharakshita
Program so far (subject to change)
May 6: Introduction to the series: The Metta Sutta – Shunyamala
May 13: Visiting Teacher – Dhammarati
May 20: Metta Bhavana and Shraddha: Trusting the Dharma, trusting the heart – Padmatara
May 27: Karuna Bhavana: Cultivating Compassion – Karunadevi
June 3: Karuna Bhavana: Compassion and Gratitude in and towards the World – Claudia
June 10: Tonglen – Practicing with Suffering – Karunadevi
June 17: Mudita Bhavana – Appreciative Awareness through poetry – Prajnakavi
June 24: Mudita and Forgiveness – Amy
July 1: Mudita Bhavana through Mantra Meditation – Prasadachitta and Danamaya
July 8: Upekkha Bhavana – Cultivating Equanimity – Vimalamoksha
July 15: Upekkha Bhavana – Equanimity and the Right Brain – Padmatara
July 22: Upekkha Bhavana – Equanimity through Mantra Meditation – Prasadachitta and Danamaya
July 29: Dharma Day Celebration – Danamaya
Next Series: Mindfulness of the Buddha
Everyone is welcome to Sangha Night