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.

SPRING 2025 DATES & DETAILS

COURSE ONE

Topic: Renunciation: The Lifeforce of all Dharma Practice

Dates:
Sundays | June 8, 15, & 22

Location:
Online via Zoom only

Time:
10 AM - 12 PM Pacific

“Listen with clear minds, you lucky people, 
Who aspire to the path that pleases Buddhas, 
Who work to give meaning to leisure and opportunity, 
Who are not addicted to the pleasures of cyclic life. 
Lust for existence chains all corporeal beings- 
Addiction to the pleasures of the life cycle 
Is only cured by transcendent renunciation.”
 -Je Tsongkhapa, R. Thurman translation

One Tibetan Buddhist dictionary defines renunciation, as “Leaning Home.” If our true home is interconnectedness, recognition of the Ground of our Being and Bodhicitta, how can we get from “leaning home” to being home? The great teacher Je Tsongkhapa Lobsang Drakpa lists the Three Principal Aspects of the Path as Renunciation, Bodhicitta, and Wisdom. Why is Renunciation so important in Buddhism? How can we practice it in these complex times of materialism and complex commerce?

Surprisingly, these challenging times are perfect for supercharging our Dharma practice, as one of the factors in developing true renunciation is weariness of the world. Weariness is a word nearly all of us have redefined over these nearly 2 years of pandemic life. For many of us, weariness is almost impossible to overcome and has adversely affected our outlook on the future. Given that all the Mahayana teachings on renunciation mention weariness, let’s collectively put that weariness to good use!

This 3-session series will cover renunciation from a variety of angles. Our first session will introduce us to the topic from many perspectives. We’ll discuss what renunciation is and is not, and how we can immediately begin to infuse our every moment of daily life with this necessary, dynamic dharmic force.

Our second session will explore renunciation from several sacred texts of Je Tsongkhapa, Atisha, Nagarjuna, Pabonka Rinpoche, Geshe Dhargyey as well as inspiring verses from the wandering poet/renunciate/Shabkar. We’ll discover how this exquisite element of Buddhist practice is the warp and weft, weaving together the Six Perfections, the Four Noble Truths, the Seven Branch Prayer, and many other mainstays of a Buddhist’s commitment to cultivating an altruistic heart/mind.

Our third session will tie together the first two classes with creative discussion and encouragement about how we can continue to cultivate true transcendent renunciation-while living our daily lives in this worldly realm.

Links will be made available to the texts used in class. No prior experience with Buddhism necessary.


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

The deadline to register is Friday, May 30 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

Topic: Thirty-seven Practices of Bodhisattvas

Dates:
Sundays | July 6, 13, & 20

Location:
Online via Zoom only

Time:
10 AM - 12 PM Pacific

Now that I have this great ship, a precious human life, so hard to obtain, I must carry myself and others across the ocean of samsara.
To that end, to listen, reflect, and meditate
Day and night, without distraction, is the practice of a bodhisattva.
(verse 1, 37 Practices, Padmakara trns.)

The Bodhisattva Vow, the vow to be of benefit to all sentient beings, has the potential of ripening in every one of us in many ways, at our own timing of awakening. To think of this from an ultimate perspective is a beautiful, aspirational ideal, yet from a relative perspective it can be daunting, especially considering climate change, pandemics, political upheaval and all else we are dealing with in the here and now!

This study and practice course will utilize the solid, simple yet profound teachings of Gyelsay Togmay Sangpo’s Thirty-seven Practices of Bodhisattvas. This text was inspired by Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara, so in studying one, we are studying both. We will focus on the many ways we can apply these teachings into our daily practices of ‘self-care for the long-haul’- for ourselves and for all sentient beings. We will discuss how to achieve benefit beyond just helping ourselves and others, to the goal of serving the unfolding and awakening of all sentient beings. This goal is a great example of the goal of becoming a Kalyanamitra - a true spiritual friend - even and especially to those people and situations we have an aversion to.


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

The deadline to register is Friday, July 4 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.