Proposal for April 2026 Study Group
From Peter Carlson:
These are trying times, so I have decided to revisit the Tibetan lojong training system as the focus for the next study group. This system was created centuries ago to provide a set of aphorisms to guide and express the development of compassion, expressed even toward those whose behaviors are conflicted with your values and ethics. The slogans within the system are intended to provide prompts for recognizing opportunities to “turn poison into medicine”—the challenges of life experience can be transformed into self-compassion and then expressed out into the world, particularly in regard to troubled relationships.
The recommended reading involves “Start Where You Are-A Guide to Compassionate Living”, by Pema Chodron, an American teacher and author who is a very well-respected contributor to the Westernization of Tibetan Buddhism. The reading will be supplemented by documents regarding lojong I have prepared and updated for this series of discussions.
There will be 8 meetings, which could occur on Saturday and/or Sunday afternoons from 3-4:30 via Zoom. I intend to have the first meeting on the weekend of April 25, ending on the weekend of June 20. There will not be a meeting on the weekend of June 13, as I will be celebrating my 80th birthday at a party on that weekend! I want to cap the number of participants in each group to 7, which will provide enough time for me to have a teacher/student dialogue with each person during each meeting.
As has been the case for several years, I require no fee for facilitating the group but ask you to consider donating $160 to the Orlando Insight Meditation Group, a nonprofit corporation; the money will be dedicated to furthering the goal of financing future OIMG projects.
I ask participants to commit to 45 minutes per day of meditation during the series of meetings, as the primary principle of Buddhism is to train the mind towards increasing serenity, clarity and kindness/compassion for oneself and others. If that amount of time is challenging, the lojong training can be applied to increasing your ability to sit longer!
If you want to be in the group, please let me know via email through peter@orlandoinsightmeditation.org of your commitment, including your preferred day, Saturday or Sunday; your willingness to accept either day will help me balance the number of folks at each meeting. If you have to miss a meeting, that is ok, just let me know. Please provide your phone number as well—I will correspond primarily through email but might need to contact you. My phone will not accept calls from anyone who is not on my contact list.
I will be on a self-retreat April 3-10, and unavailable to respond to your contact attempts. It will be helpful for you to express your commitment before then if possible.
I wish you well. Peter
As in previous groups, the fee for the series is recommended to be $160, payable to OIMG, either through the website or via check sent to Peter Carlson, 1818 Carrigan Avenue, Winter Park, FL, 32789. If you don’t have $160, pay what you can afford, knowing that this contribution is a core funding project for our Sangha’s activities. Peter is offering facilitation services freely, as has been the case for a few years now. Participants can make their payment after receiving confirmation from Peter about their application.
Thank you for your interest. We wish you well.