August Practice Support Group
Practice Like a Bodhisattva
What is a Bodhisattva? A short answer is: a being who has practiced so deeply that sh/e wishes to help others when they are suffering. S/he does this by demonstrating courageous acts of altruistic love and compassion. The more difficult life gets, the more Bodhisattvas appear – they are activated by the presence of suffering. These exceptional beings are primarily driven by selfless compassion.
In this time of great difficulty on the planet, we may feel touched by what we hear on the news, or by what we see happening to our planet, or the dire plight of animals. And there is often a sense of helplessness = what can we do? We can practice to become a Bodhisattva. This means cultivating qualities of heart and mind that are uncommon, but very much needed in difficult times. Dispassion, Compassion and Equanimity are such. In this class series we will explore each quality and become familiar with their expression so that they become more available to us. We cannot control cascading external events, but we can respond with more or less Equanimity, Compassion, and Dispassion. We can learn what it means to be a Bodhisattva.
The class will include meditation practices, a dharma talk with Q & A, discussion, and inquiry.
WHEN
August Practice Support Group
Sundays, Aug 6, 13, 20 & 27
10:00-11:45am PT
Note: During Daylight Savings Time Arizona is the same as Pacific Time
WHERE
Like all our current offerings, this class will take place via Zoom, an online meeting platform.
COST
4 class series: $100-$25
For those of you on a limited budget pay what you can. No one will be turned away.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Registration is required. Once you register you will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours. Please click below to register and make your donation.
Sit every day and the teachings come alive!
The Practice Support Group is designed to help you establish a consistent and nourishing daily practice. Whether you sit 10, 20, 30 or 40 or 50 minutes daily this class will help you to find a length and frequency that works for you. When questions or challenges arise there is the opportunity to explore them in the weekly group.
Participating in a Dharma group is one of the most supportive things we can do to help our meditation practice grow.
ABOUT THE TEACHER
Anna Douglas, PhD., is the founder of Insight Meditation Tucson, and one of the founding teachers of Spirit Rock Meditation Center. In 1986 she was one of five Dharma students invited to train in Jack Kornfield's groundbreaking program of practice and study for new teachers. Although Anna's background is in psychology and the arts, she has had the good fortune as well as the deep aspiration to be able to do many long retreats in the vipassana/insight tradition. For many years her focus in teaching was to guide people in long retreats. She also created and taught mindfulness retreats for yoga practitioners and teachers, and for 15 years taught an annual creativity retreat using painting and writing as the mediums of exploration. In more recent years Anna's teaching has included classes and retreats on aging and dying. She is grateful for the many wonderful opportunities for practice and for teaching she continues to enjoy. This includes offering spiritual guidance to those for whom the Dharma is an ongoing wellspring of spiritual nourishment and inspiration. Anna is available for individual mentoring/guidance in the practice of insight meditation. Even as old age and various forms of decrepitude advance, her deepest wish is that the blessings of Dharma continue to be felt and shared for the benefit of all!