Some foundational texts for Secular Buddhism; the Buddha's parable of the city and its implications; creativity and aesthetics in the practice of the path; a democracy of the imagination.
Cultivating grounded, spacious inclusive awareness. Guided meditation to support establishing awareness of body and breath expanding to receive flow of all existence.
Further thoughts on secular Buddhism; ELSA = Embrace, Let Go, Stop, Act; ELSA is a continuous stream; Mara as Namuci, the drought demon; the stream as the 8-fold path; stream-entry as confidence in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha; abandoning the three fetters; an inclusive conception of Sangha; Sarakani the Sakiyan
The Buddha and the sick monk; the awakening as described in M.26 (The Noble Quest); awakening as a shift from place to ground, Not as a breakthrough to an ultimate Truth; "going against the stream"; the appearance of Brahma Sahampati who encourages the Buddha to teach as the arising of love and compassion and creativity.
After reviewing the emphasis on grounding in more direct experience, we explore how to be skillful as we move away from indirect experience with our thinking, focusing on (1) having our thinking connected with direct experience and (2) using "views" wisely. Includes Q and A.
Through a greater self understanding brought about through mindfulness, we can live in alignment with anicca, dukka and anatta. Becoming aligned in the New Paradigm allows our frustrations with life to cease arising.
