Dates: Sundays, Jan 9. 16, 23, 30
The ‘Taking the Essence’ series is an ongoing class that seeks to investigate a new major theme of Buddhist philosophy each month. In January we will uncover the role that the mind plays in our experience of happiness and discontent and harness the vast potential we have to shape our reality.
Often we devote most of our time and energy to searching for experiences and objects outside of ourselves, or attempting to separate ourselves from things that we find unpleasant. We believe that doing this successfully will bring real lasting happiness, despite knowing that our previous attempts have never created such happiness.
In these four sessions we will explore the Buddhist wisdom that demonstrates that such happiness is a product of internal mental conditions which can be cultivated intentionally.
This investigation is one of the major themes of Buddhist philosophy, upon which the entire practice and theory is based. The class will be informed by comparing contemporary western views and teachings given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and Lama Yeshe.