More information
There is no expectation that people attending Nagaloka will be Buddhists or agree with all Buddhist teachings. Our events provide an opportunity to learn-and-test-out Buddhist practices in the light of one’s own experience, and in an atmosphere of friendly, encouraging, open communication.
Where
When
6:30-8pm
What to expect
Our theme for the series beginning March 4th is Moody March. We'll be exploring the pitfalls of changing moods and the skills the Dharma gives us to help us avoid suffering because of our moods.
Our moods can be thought of as vedanā or feeling-tone, which can be pleasant, unpleasant or neutral, and serves as a link between sensory input and craving.
How we respond to vedanā depends on how we identify with self, and the illusions/delusions we attach to self.
Sangharakshita says, "The term 'spiritual death' may be slightly off-putting, but it isn’t meant to suggest physical death. What ‘dies’ are all our illusions and delusions about who we are and how things are."
The more we are aware of the "illusions and delusions" we attach to self, the more skilled we will be at letting those illusions/delusions die and free ourselves of moodiness.
In this series, we'll look at spiritual death, vedanā, impermanence and other aspects of Dharma that will help us address our moods.
Each month or so, we will be adding a new dimension of Dharma to explore. Each topic will overlap on some level with the previous topics as consistency and clarity in practice is beneficial to personal growth.
Last month’s Friendship topic can be coupled with Moody March as Buddha connects Spiritual Friendship with transcending negative mental states in the Upaddhasutta: "By relying upon me as a good friend, beings subject to . . . . sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair are freed from sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair."
Please join us beginning 3/4 as we explore Moody March and the skills Dharma provides to address it.
All are welcome! There is no need to attend all sessions or to purchase a book.
For more info, contact Narottama at bnarottama@gmail.com.
Donations
Sessions are offered on a donation basis. All funds support the non-profit Nagaloka Buddhist Center. For those who are able, the suggested donation is $5-$10 per session. Donation options include cash, PayPal, and Venmo.