An under-appreciated but deeply valuable theme in the dharma of early buddhism is cultivating the ability to see the world, others, and oneself as beautiful.
Practices that cultivate opening to the experience of beauty were the theme of our explorations on Sunday, and we explored them in several ways, ranging from reading, listening to recorded teachings, experimenting with Sensory Awareness, and discussion.
Michael guided our reflections, with help from Gil Fronsdal, Jack Kornfield, Galway Kinnell, and Charlotte Selver.
Here are links to the media used:
- St Francis and the Sow – Galway Kinnell https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42683/saint-francis-and-the-sow
- Gil Fronsdal – Walk with Beauty (Michael used a 7 minute excerpt; the whole talk is worthwhile) https://www.audiodharma.org/teacher/1/ scroll down to Walk with Beauty 2019-7-29 (41h.13m)
- Jack Kornfield – Sacred Perception https://jackkornfield.com/sacred-perception/
Burlington Buddhist Sangha 