Community Circles are small groups of individuals (maximum of seven including facilitator) exploring their lives and experiences through sharing, compassionate listening, and the unfolding of the Dharma. Community Circles meet once every week and are facilitated by senior students of Buddha Eye Temple. Attendance to all 6 meetings is essential.
The First Noble Truth: A Community Circle on Suffering and Grief
Led by: Senior Student Reiko Rain Rue
Sundays, 3/28 - 5/2
2:30pm - 3:30pm (online)
Environmental reckoning, racial reckoning, and the ongoing global pandemic, we are truly in the midst of massive attenuated suffering. How do we stay present? How do we individually and collectively grieve? The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism include: 1) the truth of suffering, 2) the cause of suffering, 3) the cessation of suffering, and 4) the path to the cessation of suffering. Right there, we can notice our desire to skip right over the first truth, and get on with some delusion of getting it to stop; or we get stuck. So what happens when we pause on the first truth? How do we allow the light of wisdom to illuminate our grief? In this community circle we will hold space for suffering, loss and grief, and explore this wilderness through the six Paramitas. How may we honor and embody this Truth of Suffering?
Join Reiko on Sunday afternoons for a Community Circle on Suffering and Grief. Each online meeting will hold sacred the shared guidelines for Community Circles at Buddha Eye Temple.
Registration required. Please click here to register.
Click here to learn more about Reiko Rain Rue.
Racialized Mind and Racial Justice, Part 2
Led by Sangha Elder Jun-e Carmelita
Mondays, 3/29 - 5/3
7:30pm - 8:30pm (online)
This circle extends a continued focus on Head Teacher Ejo McMullen's dharma talks “Racialized Mind,” (listen here) from the Fall Practice Term 2020. These talks provide a framework for personal exploration of our consciousness and Buddhist Practice, in relation to the on-going work of antiracism and social justice.
Registration for this Circle is now closed, but related topics may be pursued through the Tuesday evening Reading Group on Ecodharma and the Practice Group on racial justice.
We will use a focused format that includes questions, discussion of readings and personal reflection.
Click here to learn more about the Jun-e.
Ecodharma: Reading Group
Led by: Carl Bybee
Tuesdays, 3/30 - 5/4
5:30pm - 6:30pm (online)
David Loy’s book Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis poses the question: “How can we respond urgently and effectively to the ecological crisis---and stay sane doing it?” This class will read and work with David’s book during this six-week reading group. We will explore through discussion and personal reflection his argument that Ecodharma offers, in his words: “a Buddhist perspective on responding to the climate emergency that can help us face issues of social and political divide and upheaval as well. All of these daunting challenges call for bodhisattvas, or ecosattvas, who have a 'two-sided practice’ - committed to inner transformation and thus able to maintain equanimity in the face of uncertainty, while also ready to engage in compassionate social action.”
Let’s see what this “two-sided practice” might look like for us, on our cushions and in the world.
David Loy, author of our study text as well as many other books on Zen Buddhism and one of the founding members of the new Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center will be visiting our May 4 class for questions and discussion.