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
The Four Brahma-Viharas;
Keys to Cultivating a Kind Heart
Dates:
Sundays | October 26, November 2 & 9
Location:
Online via Zoom only
Time:
10 AM - 12 PM Pacific
Patrul Rinpoche holds the Four Brahma-Viharas as keys to obtaining the main source of Bodhicitta - “A Kind Heart.” These are also known as the Four Divine Abodes, The Four Immeasurables, or the Four Divine Emotions. They are core to Mahayana teachings, however are also found in early Vedic and Jain scriptures. The word Brahma literally means ‘highest’ or ‘superior.’ It is also the name given to the supreme god in Hinduism during the Buddha’s time. Vihara means ‘to dwell, ‘to live’ or ‘to abide.’
In this 3-class course, we will explore how we can experience these Four Divine Abodes in our daily lives. Practicing each one of these provides us with a different portal to expanding our compassion, joy, inner peace, and interconnectedness with all forms of life. We will integrate other Buddhist ideals and practices including method, and wisdom, and awakened body speech and mind, with the overall goal of realizing our own spiritual potential so that we can better serve our ailing world today.
Each session will include presentation and interaction with each other. There will be various suggested assignments as well.
Fees:
$120 (series fee)
$150 (series fee + support)
$90 (Sukhasiddhi Members)
The deadline to register is Friday, October 24 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 ONE
Thirty-seven Practices of Bodhisattvas continued
Dates:
Sundays | New dates coming soon!
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.)In the third part of this study and practice course, we continue our deep dive into the solid, simple, yet profound teachings of Gyelsay Togmay Sangpo’s Thirty-seven Practices of Bodhisattvas. We carry on with our exploration of embodying the Bodhisattva way - the vow to benefit all sentient beings - during our modern lives, not as an abstract ideal, but as a lived, daily expression of compassion, wisdom, and resilience.
During this 3-classcourse, we will use the Three Sacred Practices of study, discussion, and meditation to develop the capacity to be a refuge for others while staying grounded in our own inner refuge. We will sharpen our lens and view specific verses through the Six Perfections, in so doing, see how all the basic Mahayana practices strengthen each other. You will be given a basic outline of practices to integrate in your daily lives, with the invitation to creatively enhance them in ways specific to your lives. Various commentaries will be drawn from the rich well of Tibetan scholars and practitioners of the past. We will focus on the many ways we can apply these teachings to our daily practices to serve, to uplift, and to walk the path of awakening for the benefit of all sentient beings. And-we will have fun doing it!
Fees:
$120 (series fee)
$150 (series fee + support)
$90 (Sukhasiddhi Members)
The deadline to register is
**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.