On Saturday, June 12, 2021, our Teachers’ Corner was focused on the famous line in the Heart Sutra: “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form…“, with teachings from H.H. The Dalai Lama and his long-time interpreter & scholar Dr. Thupten Jinpa. Both teachers emphasized that “emptiness (Śūnyatā)” does not refer to some “Great Emptiness” out there […]

On May 29, 2021, Chan/Zen teacher, David Listen, joined us to guide meditation and give a Dharma Talk via Zoom. He expounded on the Three Dharma Seals (impermanence, selflessness, nirvana). These describe how things truly are; and when we cannot let go of our desire for permanence or a sense of an independent self, we suffer. He explained how nirvana or “true nature” is not a “thing” we can see or attain, but simply describes our capacity to fully realize the truths of impermanence and selflessness, thereby unleashing our full potential for compassion and wisdom.

On Saturday, May 8, 2021, the topic for Teachers’ Corner was “Wise Livelihood.” After meditation, we listened to a dharma talk by the teacher Andrea Fella about “Wise Livelihood“ (often translated in English as “Right Livelihood” from Pali: samyag-vyāyāma or Sanskrit: sammā-vāyāma), one of the elements of the Buddha’s Eightfold Noble Path. As laypeople, we […]

On Saturday April 10, 2021, the topic for Teachers’ Corner was “Grief.” For seated meditation, we started with a 10-minute guided meditation on “Encountering Grief” by Roshi Joan Halifax followed by 20 minutes of silent sitting. After meditation, Belinda shared her recent experience with grief when she lost her cat, and then she read excerpts […]