Since this meeting occurred on July 4, Peter talked about the Buddhist approach to “…life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. We explored the concept of the Middle Path, between agitation and sedation, too much faith/rigidity and too much skepticism/disorganization. Peter emphasized that the application of mindfulness cultivates equanimity, a dynamic process of balancing energy and cognition, guided by benevolent intention.
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In reviewing the Virtue aggregate of the Eightfold Path, this week’s focus is on effective listening. We live in a culture that doesn’t support a long attention span, which leads to poor interpersonal communication. Using Right Speech as a guideline, ways of cultivating mindfulness for effective listening were reviewed. Next week’s topic will be Right Speech.
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This dhamma dialogue continues an ongoing exploration of the importance of using mindfulness practice to examine the classic Buddhist teachings so they can be adapted to a world experience that is much more complex than the time of the Buddha. Virtue is examined as the manifestation of wisdom (clear awareness plus benevolent intention) in our daily routines. This talk is laying the foundation for exploring the meaning of Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood in the 21st century, drawing on modern psychological research.
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by Tommy Harrison
‘Tis the season. The season for generosity. A time of year that brings great joy for some, suffering for others, and a mix of both for many. All around us are examples of both wholesome generosity as well as actions fueled by greed. We get to see some of the best and worst of our fellow human beings and perhaps ourselves. This end of year holiday season has been a cause of personal suffering over the years. Nothing too major, but suffering all the same. It’s only been by turning into this suffering and investigating it that has allowed for a better understanding of what was arising and how to release it. It’s presented wonderful opportunities to pause and reflect on some of the Buddha’s teachings to guide us through the holiday season.
This is the first in a series of conversations organized with the intention to clarify how the core teachings of the Buddha must be redefined in each generation in order for the benefits to be realized. There was great cultural turmoil in the Buddha’s time; our era is experiencing even more upheaval. The teachings of the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path must be realized in ways that are culturally relevant. In future discussions, we will explore how we as a community can practice the core principles with mindfulness and benevolence in order to cope with the increasing complexity of modern life.
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