WEDNESDAYS IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH, 7PM TO 8:30PM ONLINE
Registration - please register below so that we have your information in case of changes to the Sangha Night program or zoom link. You only need to do this once.
Donations: Please consider making a donation or joining our Dana program to help support our teaching. More information on this page.
Beginning March 16 we will open our doors again! If you would like to attend in person please check you can agree to our current safety requirements listed here. We will ask you to confirm when you arrive.
We will still offer the zoom option each week.
Staying inspired: the Four Reminders
Our theme for 2022 is Deepening Practice, and in February and March we will reflect on the “Four reminders”: short and simple teachings that, when contemplated deeply, can motivate us to stay engaged with our inspirations and aspirations, even when times are challenging.
1. This Moment is our Precious Opportunity
2. Impermanence and Death (Every Thing Changes)
3. Our Intentions and Actions have an Effect
4. Ignoring the above doesn’t lead to Happiness (the Defects of Samsara)
These deliberate “wake-up calls” remind us that each fleeting moment offers the opportunity for an open-hearted response that can free us from the trap of conditioned reactivity.
Feb 2 - Overview
Padmatara will give an overview of all 4 reminders and ways we can use them to keep our sense of purpose and inspiration close.
Feb 9 - Exploring the first reminder - This Moment is our Precious Opportunity
Whatever difficulty we face in life it is our good fortune to have come across the dharma, and this moment is our opportunity to practice. Tonight MJ will share a beautiful and fun way to celebrate the ordinary and extraordinary elements of our lives: writing odes to them. She will offer a playful exercise we can practice on our own and later in the series we’ll check back in, with the opportunity to share what we’ve come up with. No ode-writing experience necessary!
Feb 16 - Exploring the second reminder - Impermanence and Death. Celebrating Parinirvana
February is the month of Parinirvana, when the historical Buddha passed away. His last words to his followers were “All conditioned things are impermanent - with Mindfulness, strive on”. Tonight Danadasa will explore the Parinirvana Sutta describing the Buddha’s last days.
Feb 23 - More on the second reminder - Every Thing Changes
Following up on the Buddha’s last words, we will further investigate the fleeting nature of all conditioned things and the freedom inherent in that. With Padmatara
March 2 and 9 - Exploring the third reminder - Our Intentions and Actions have an Effect
Padmatara (March 2) and Acarasiddhi (March 9) will share reflections on this Buddhist teaching, through various lenses, including the precepts and the 4 samgrahavastus (means of unification).
March 16 and 23 - Exploring the fourth reminder - Ignoring the Reminders doesn’t lead to Happiness
Prasadachitta (March 16) and Danadasa (March 23) will lead us in an investigation of this reminder - usually stated as "Samsara doesn't work", or the "defects of samsara". Lots to explore here.
March 30 - Revisiting the first reminder - This Moment is our Precious Opportunity
This week we return to the first reminder - full circle - and see whether the other reflections have changed our view. There will also be an opportunity to share our own reflections.
This evening will include a special Tonglen meditation bringing to mind all people living with the horrors of war.
April May Series - Why do we Meditate
TO REGISTER
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