Meeting #31: July 14, 2020
Meeting Theme: Things happen. Nothing that happens is permanent. And it’s not about “you,” because you are impermanent as well. One the one hand that sounds very bleak, but on the other hand it is very liberating. Everything is in flux; perhaps when we learn to let go our faculties are set free to experience the world and our living in it rather than clinging to some illusion of what we believe the world should be.
Today’s Quotes:
From “Mind in Comfort and Ease,” by Longchen Rabjam, 14th Century Tibetan Buddhist Teacher
With conscientiousness, introspection, self-restraint, and a sense of dignity, bring your own mind under control. See the equality of praise and blame, approval and disapproval, good and bad reputation. For they are just like illusions or dreams and have no true existence. Learn to bear them patiently, as if they were mere echoes.
From “Your True Home” by Thich Nhat Hanh
When we look deeply at the nature of things, we see that in fact everything is impermanent. Nothing exists as a permanent entity; everything changes. It is said that we cannot step into the same river twice. If we look for a single, permanent entity in a river, we will not find it.
Gently Guided Meditation: Breath/Body/Mind awareness.
Video of Meeting:
Meeting #32: July 16, 2020
Meeting Theme: Our contemplative practices serve to train the mind/body to be fully present and receptive to each moment. But how do we then respond to each of these moments? Or, put another way, “What sort of person should you be?,” which is the question Aristotle sought to answer in his Nicomachean Ethics. His response, summarized briefly, is to practice virtue; that is, develop habits that dispose a person to act in ways that lead to happiness. “Doing” virtue leads to “being” virtuous; there is no other way.
Today’s Quotes:
From “Mind in Comfort and Ease,” by Longchen Rabjam, 14th Century Tibetan Buddhist Teacher
In short, by never ignoring the Dharma in all that you do, bring your mind under control, do no harm to others, and without succumbing, even for an instant, to the mental afflictions (e.g. greed, hatred, ignorance), devote your days and nights to virtue — this is crucial!
From Aristotle’s “Nicomachean Ethics”
Virtue, then, is of two sorts, virtue of thought [e.g., wisdom, comprehension, intelligence] and virtue of character [e.g., generosity, temperance, courage, justice]. Virtue of thought arises and grows mostly from teaching, and hence needs experience and time. Virtue of character [i.e., of ethos] results from habit [ethos]; hence its name ‘ethical’, slightly varied from ‘ethos’. Hence it is also clear that none of the virtues of character arises in us naturally…A state of (virtuous) character arises from the repetition of virtuous activities.
Gently Guided Meditation: Breath/Body/Mind awareness.
Video of Meeting:
James M. Walsh Pastoral Counseling 