AWAKE IN
THE WORLD

Buddhist principles and practices are not just for the cushion. In the Awake in the World series, Reverend Susan Shannon leads a supportive and kind discussion on how we live the principles of Buddhism and bring dharma into our everyday lives.

COURSE ONE
Becoming a Global Citizen

Sundays: March 1, 8, & 15

10 AM - 12 PM Pacific
Online via Zoom only

This three-week session will be an exploration of the many maps of awakening as presented by Buddha's teaching. Stephen Batchelor, in his book 'Buddhism Without Beliefs' wrote that after his enlightenment, Buddha agreed to teach only after realizing that he'd be hampering the creation of Communities of Awakening if he didn't. And now here we are thousands of years later, still able to access all the cartography of the path to awakening, tossing around words like 'woke' and yet the world is frayed and people are afraid.

What happened?
How can we change it?
What is ours to do?
How can we figure out exactly what our path is so we can become a pixel in the
Global Awakening that so needs to happen?

We will explore various maps Buddha left us and place them in our individual lives as cornerstones to our future. We will weave together the teachings of The Four Noble Truths, The Six Perfections, The Four Immeasurables, Lojong, and elements of Buddhist Psychology as they relate to the cycle of life. No stone unturned, but you will determine where, how and why they fit into your unique journey.

Fees:
$150 (series fee)
$100 (Sukhasiddhi Members)
$175 (series fee + support)

Register Now

The deadline to register is Friday, February 27 at 12 PM (Pacific).

**Please Note: This Awake in the World class series is included in the Dharma Training Program as part of the curriculum. If you are already enrolled in DTP, you do not need to register separately for this series. 
**Please Note: This Awake in the World class series is NOT included in the Bodhi Program. 
If you are enrolled in Bodhi and are interested in this series, you will need to register separately.

COURSE TWO
Steady on the Path:
Shantideva’s First Three Chapters

Sundays: March 22 & 29
and April 5

10 AM - 12 PM Pacific
Online via Zoom only

Like a flash of lightning on a dark and cloudy night,
Which, for just a single instant, sheds its brilliant light,
Rarely, through the buddhas’ power,
A mind of virtue arises, briefly, to people of the world.

-Shantideva's Bodhicaryavatara, 
Chapter 1 verse 5 Lotsawa House translation

Our three-session class will encompass the first three chapters of Shantideva’s classic text The Bodhicaryavatara. These first three provide an entrance to living a life that inhabits all the main elements of the Bodhisattva Path, starting with prioritizing the Awakened Mind/heart, Bodhicitta.

None of us want to feel lost, yet so many do in these current times! Like being stuck in a large dark unfamiliar house at night, and the power goes out. You feel your way through the structure, stumble through doorways, hallways, stairs. Fear stalls your movement, and you tumble to the ground. Your hand falls on something-could it be? -a known shape-a flashlight! You click the switch and a beam of light cuts through the dark, illuminating your path and emerge through the threshold into a star-lit landscape where all your beloveds welcome you home.

This is Bodhicitta, the Awakened Heart-Mind, our topic for the next three weeks. The flash of lightning in the dark of night. The beam of light, love and refuge that guides the movement of healing and wholeness, transforming our samsaric existence into one of meaning, service, connection, and interconnection.

We will discover and discuss in detail how, in these challenging times, we can continually ‘refresh’ our perspectives and stay aligned with the course that Shantideva maps out for us. We will be drawing from many translations of the Bodhicaryavatara, so if you have a version you like please bring it along. This text intersects closely with the Six Perfections and the Four Immeasurables as well, so we will also be revisiting on those cornerstones of the Bodhisattva path.

No prior experience necessary!

Fees:
$120 (series fee)
$150 (series fee + support)
$90 (Sukhasiddhi Members)

Register Now

The deadline to register is Friday, March 20 at 12 PM (Pacific).

**Please Note: This Awake in the World class series is included in the Bodhi Program as part of the curriculum. If you are already enrolled in Bodhi, you do not need to register separately for this series. 

**Please Note: This Awake in the World class series is NOT included in the Dharma Training Program as part of the curriculum. If you are enrolled in DTP and are interested in this series, you will need to register separately.

PLEASE NOTE:

For Those on Zoom
We request you be fully present with Zoom video on for classes and trainings.
This is an opportunity for the lamas and teachers to connect with you.
If this is not possible, please let the registrar or teacher know.

MEET THE TEACHER

Susan Shannon, M. Div. is a seeker, teacher, earth and animal steward, and devotee of the heart. She has worked in the fields of Emotional Literacy and Restorative Justice for over 20 years, incorporating over 45 years of Buddhist practice and study from the Tibetan tradition. She’s worked with various diverse populations all her life including inmates, Tibetan refugees, the homeless, the differently-abled, at-risk youth, and has served as the Buddhist Chaplain to the men in San Quentin State Prison and Death Row. She currently resides in the San Juan Islands where she writes, provides spiritual coaching and tends her land.