Hi, <<First Name>>. I hope that you are finding both time and ease on your cushion as we welcome August. I find myself contemplating the Buddhist philosophies around "no self" and interconnectedness as this year trudges on with the continued barrage of news stories that can only be the result of one group "othering" another. I have been slowing down to take time to consider the ways in which I attempt to secure my ego by manufacturing belonging to specific identities or groups.
Jack Kornfield tells us,"... in our culture, we might fix an identify with the role of being a woman or a man, a parent or a child. We might take our family history, our genetics, and our heredity to be who we are. Sometimes we identify with our desires: sexual, aesthetic, or spiritual. In the same way we can focus on our intellect or take our astrological sign as an identity. We can choose the archetype of hero, lover, mother, ne’er-do-well, adventurer, clown, or thief as our identity and live a year or a whole lifetime based on that. To the extent that we grasp these false identities, we continually have to protect and defend ourselves, strive to fulfill what is limited or deficient in them, to fear their loss."
He goes on to say, "When we truly sense... interconnectedness and the emptiness out of which all beings arise, we find liberation and a spacious joy. Discovering emptiness brings a lightness of heart, flexibility, and an ease that rests in all things. The more solidly we grasp our identity, the more solid our problems become."
In this month's newsletter you'll find links to an article further exploring the concept of "no self," as well as online events and additional information about SEBC. More resources can be found on our website and Facebook.
We at SEBC affirm our commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and interconnection. If you'd like to chat, have ideas for the community, want to help, etc., please let us know - we'd love to hear from you! And if you haven't joined us in a while (or ever), we'd love to see you (feel free to attend meetings as regularly or as infrequently as you'd like)! May we stand stronger as Beloved Community through our Dharma practice and understanding, and in our larger society as a whole. Let's keep the Dharma wheel turning!
Much metta,
Your friends at SEBC |
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Meditation Schedule
The Zoom link for both August sessions is below. Please note, when joining the meeting, you may need to manually enter the meeting ID and password – the direct link sometimes creates issues. Our recommendation is to have the video on whenever possible, to allow a greater degree of connection during the meetings. OPEN TO ALL & FREE TO ATTEND!!
* Virtual: Wednesday, August 3rd, 7 - 8pm
* Virtual: Wednesday, August 10th, 7 - 8pm
Same link (ID/password) for both Wednesday sessions:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86856757692?pwd=alNkenJTVENRL3cvaXJSNTVweS90dz09
Meeting ID: 868 5675 7692
Passcode: 728095
ALL levels of meditators are welcome to attend, including those with no previous experience; however, we encourage people to “bring your own practice.” We're a practice group of fellow travelers, not teachers.
Note: Click here for more info on our Wednesday meditation sessions. |
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Other Online Events & Resources
*Magnolia Grove Meditation Practice Center - "You are invited to join us on Zoom for our Online Mindfulness Practice Session on Thursdays with Magnolia Grove Monastics. Different monastics will facilitate the practice session. Format will vary each time."
* Socially Engaged Buddhism (SEBC) - "We encourage you to visit our resource list on Socially Engaged Buddhism and we invite your participation, perspectives, and solidarity, as together we undertake the hard work necessary for transformation."
* Dharma Seed - "an online resource dedicated to making the Buddhist teachings of Insight Meditation and associated practices available to all. Our intention is to be a support for meditation teachers, their communities, students and meditation practitioners, and to provide access to the teachings to those who might not otherwise have access to them."
* Southern Dharma Retreat Center, Hot Springs, NC - "For more than 40 years, Southern Dharma Retreat Center (SDRC) has offered affordable, teacher-led retreats with a unifying thread of meditation, contemplation, and silence. SDRC continues its tradition of excellence as the preeminent meditation retreat center in the southeast and is historically ranked top 10 nationally."
* Atlanta Buddhism.org - "We have compiled this list of groups that are now meeting virtually."
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Monthly Article: "There is no self."
– ""There is no self” is the granddaddy of fake Buddhist quotes. It has survived so long because of its superficial resemblance to the teaching on anatta, or not-self, which was one of the Buddha’s tools for putting an end to clinging. Even though he neither affirmed nor denied the existence of a self, he did talk of the process by which the mind creates many senses of self—what he called “I-making” and “my-making”—as it pursues its desires."
– "Whenever you see yourself identifying with anything stressful and inconstant, you remind yourself that it’s not-self: not worth clinging to, not worth calling your self (SN 22.59). This helps you let go of it. When you do this thoroughly enough, it can lead to awakening."
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