4/21 session at Jacky's

Thanks to another generous sangha member, we were able to meet most comfortably while KS was closed. We're back in the usual digs next week.

I've put together a draft presentation in Google docs and invited you all to add to it.

Marilyn still has a spare ticket to see His Holiness -- if you're interested, email me, and I'll forward it to her.

Other topics:

MIT Mandala, April 24 - May 2, 2009

2012 movie trailer

Proof movie trailer and blog post

And from Renee:

Last night I mentioned 2 events that were happening in the area that may be of interest. There is an all day retreat at the Shambhala Meditation center in Brookline entitled, The Healing Power of Loving Kindness by Tulku Thondup Rimpoche. Also there's a documentary film festival playing "The Unmistaken Child" shot in Nepal about finding a reincarnate of Geshe Lama Konchog. Looks beautiful, plays in Somerville.

4/14 session at Don's

We enjoyed Don's beautiful indoor garden and ginger cake (okay, and sake too) while discussing the Heart Sutra.

We read first turning of the wheel of dharma, which includes the 37 aspects/steps of the path. We discussed two major types of meditation: shamata (calm abiding) and vipassana (insight). One analogy to describe the two types is carrying a cup of hot tea through a room. One is akin to the awareness necessary to balance the cup, the other to the awareness of the surrounding room.

One can ask whether conditioned phenomena
1. are impermanent
2. will cause suffering if grasped onto
3. are empty of inherent existence

If so, why cling to them?

One explanation of the Pali Canon

Recommended film: Enlightenment Guaranteed
Recommended book: Breakfast with the Buddha

Next week we are meeting at Jacky's; see email for address/directions.