“We are like travelers in a desert who exhaust themselves running after mirages, or like someone walking down a road at night mistaking the shadows of the trees for criminals or wild animals waiting to attack.” – Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Modern Buddhism
Emptiness is the way things really are. It is the way things exist as opposed to the way they appear. Emptiness is not nothingness, and it is not just emptying our mind of all conceptual thoughts. Realizing emptiness is the method to release our mind from the ignorance of self-grasping. As the great Yogi Saraha said, “If your mind is released permanently from self-grasping, there is no doubt that you will be released permanently from suffering.” This is because the result of grasping tightly at appearances is that we develop self-cherishing, attachment, hatred, jealousy and other delusions, our mind becomes agitated and unbalanced, and our peace of mind is destroyed.
Start at the beginning of the series if you can, but if you miss the beginning, then start when you are able. Recommended reading: Modern Buddhism by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
May 6 – Seeing Through the Illusion: What is Emptiness?
May 13 – Letting Go of our Body Issues: The Emptiness of our Body
May 20 – Who do you Think you Are?: The Emptiness of our I
May 27 – How to Change Everything: The Emptiness That is Empty of Eight Extremes
June 3 – Stop Grasping: Conventional and Ultimate Truths
June 10 – Living Lightly: The Practice of Emptiness in our Daily Activities
Special Classes: Introduction to Buddhist Tantric Meditation
Meditation classes with teachings by modern Buddhist monk Gen Kelsang Norbu
Thursdays, 7:00-8:15pm, June 17 – July 1
In-person -or- Zoom livestream plus video replay option – Pre-registration requested
Cost: $12/person, members free
*Please note: We are offering these classes in person or via Zoom livestream. If you choose Zoom livestream, then after you submit payment, you will receive an email link to the meeting. This link is for your personal use only. Video recordings will also be available for 24 hours after each class*
“You should never abandon Highest Yoga Tantra, but realize that it has inconceivable meaning and is the very essence of Buddhadharma.” – Buddha, Condensed Heruka Root Tantra
Although Tantra is very popular, not many people understand its real meaning. Tantra, also known as “Secret Mantra” or “Vajrayana,” is a special method to purify our world, our self, our enjoyments and our activities; and if we put this method into practice we will attain enlightenment very quickly. In these classes, our Resident Teacher, Gen Norbu, will introduce the Tantric Buddhist approach to self-transformation, and guide meditations to help us let go of our oh-so-boring self-limiting preconceptions, freeing us to realize our limitless potential swiftly.
Recommended reading: Modern Buddhism by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Free download here – www.emodernbuddhism.com
June 17 – Imagine Complete Purity: The Preciousness of Tantra
June 24 – The Power of Wisdom Imagination: The Tantra of Generation Stage
July 1 – Journey into the Very Subtle Mind: The Tantra of Completion Stage
The Power of Love: Learning to Cherish Others
Meditation classes with teachings by modern Buddhist teacher Diane Adams
Thursdays, 7:00-8:15pm, July 8-22
In-person -or- Zoom livestream plus video replay option – Pre-registration requested
Cost: $12/person, members free
*Please note: We are offering these classes in person or via Zoom livestream. If you choose Zoom livestream, then after you submit payment, you will receive an email link to the meeting. This link is for your personal use only. Video recordings will also be available for 24 hours after each class*
“We need others for our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Without others we are nothing.” – Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, How to Transform Your Life
Our sense that we are an island, an independent, self-sufficient individual, bears no relation to reality. It is closer to the truth to picture ourself as a cell in the vast body of life, distinct yet intimately bound up with all living beings. We cannot exist without others, and they in turn are affected by everything we do. The idea that it is possible to secure our own welfare while neglecting that of others, or even at the expense of others, is completely unrealistic. These classes will introduce the Buddhist way of loving kindness, meditation on gratitude and affection, and the importance of faith in the power of love.
Recommended reading: How to Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Free download here – https://howtotyl.com/us
July 8 – Introduction to Loving Kindness: Learning to Cherish Others
July 15 – Appreciation, Gratitude and Affection: The Kindness of Others
July 22 – Increasing our Faith in the Power of Love: The Benefits of Cherishing Others
