Awake in the World | Course One
Introduction to the Bodhisattva Path;
Is it a Path, a Door, a Choice, a Ripening?All the Above?
Sundays: September 20, 27, & October 4
10 AM - 12 PM Pacific
Online via Zoom only
Led by Rev. Susan Shannon
This series will be a fun, informative, investigative overview of the Bodhisattva Path. We will set aside each session to explore different perspectives on what the Bodhisattva Path entails.
In the Mahayana Traditions one enters the Bodhisattva Path upon generating the resolve to cultivate Bodhicitta and dedicate one’s life completely to the attainment of Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is also said that this journey needs constant diligence and discipline for at least three eons, each lifetime dedicated to the practice of the Six Perfections.
We will start by exploring the Gandavyuha Sutra, where Sudhana, a practitioner fully invested in doing all he can to Awaken, describes his pilgrimage to many bodhisattvas, all who guide him towards finding “The Door Towards Discipline of the World Illumined by Dispelling the Spiritual Darkness of all Sentient Beings” aka the Bodhisattva Path.
From there we will contemplate the traditional Five Paths, said to be a succession of stages in our spiritual journey, encompassing all our lifetimes, that lead us to the goal of Awakening. We will discuss different interpretations of these, with special attention to work of
Throughout this course, we will question the value of our tendency to place ourselves on our own map of Awakening, aways asking the question “Who is the I that is...” as well as ponder the great scholar and translator Herbert V. Guenther’s emphasis that spiritual development is not a matter of destroying or turning away from anything as much as it is about rediscovering and remembering the enlightened being that is within us right this very moment. It is not a matter of attainment, but is the actual work of relating to things properly.
The deadline to register is Friday, September 18 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.
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.