Awake in the World | Course Two

Steady on the Path: Shantideva’s First Three Chapters - Week Two
taught by Rev. Susan Shannon

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)

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.