Burlington Buddhist Sangha

Even steady and committed spiritual practice can be energized from a slight shift of perspective, and the vipassana practice that most of us follow is no different. Michael guided our reflections this Sunday as we explored a practice adjacent to our own Early Buddhist style that can bring a new dimension to our meditative and life work.

Perhaps the deepest puzzle of Buddhist practice is the apparent contradiction between the concept of no self—no inherent unchanging, independent “me,”  . . .

. . . and at the same time our experience of our own agency, being responsible for our choices, and accumulating good or bad kamma as a result.  

If there is no me, who is deciding to take this action; if there is no me who is the “owner and inheritor of my Kamma” ? 

Darryl guided our investigation of these questions, drawing on a talk by Ajahn Sucitto, who invites us to see that we usually investigate this paradox by starting from a false premise — and then invites us to step into the freedom that arises when such self-deception drops away.  

You can listen to the talk here: Ajahn Sucitto : Doing, not-doing – entering causality

Perhaps it helps us when setting intentions for the new year (or a new day or a new moment) to take a step back and reflect on where we are, where we have been, and where we are going on the path of wisdom and compassion that has been laid out for us by so many traditions. Eric guided our reflections this January Sunday, drawing on a talk by Matthew Brensilver, who finds resonance between the Buddhadharma and the Native American story of Jumping Mouse.

You can listen to Brensilver’s talk here: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/56979/

There’s an additional talk by Steve Armstrong on the same story here: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/6807/

Throughout his years of teaching, the Buddha emphasized the benefits that committed practitioners could receive from taking refuge in the Buddha (or Buddha nature), the Dharma (or the teachings) and the Sangha (or the spiritual community of like-minded individuals).  

Of these three jewels, Sangha is said to be the most important.  

So let’s explore:  How might engaging with Sangha not only serve our spiritual practice, but keep us healthier and happier during this modern time of tech-promoted isolation and fractured social structures? 

Paradoxically, met on Zoom only for this discussion.  Yet as we saw even just last week, there can be great depth as we meet online.

Lorilee facilitated, and drew upon recent teachings from James Baraz as we explored deeper meaning and application of relating as a community.

You can listen to the talk here: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/83729/

She also mentioned the US Surgeon General’s report “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation” which you can read here: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf

We may devote our energy on and off the cushion to cultivating and sharing love and wishing well to those we care for.  And, we may notice that we have a not-so-hidden agenda in mind – perhaps a change in the disposition or the situation of the Other, or ourselves.  What would it mean to love with a truly open heart, regardless of conditions or hopes – for us? for those we love?  Ellen guided our reflections on these matters this Sunday, drawing on a recent talk by Matthew Brensilver. 

You can hear Matthew’s talk here: https://www.audiodharma.org/talks/17856

The Pali term katannuta (“to have a sense of what was done”) is often translated to gratefulness. Buddhism emphasizes the preciousness – both the rarity and opportunity of human life. However, in our daily stresses, especially during the end of the year, it can be hard to feel this gratitude. This week, Sonia guided our Sangha, playing a talk by Pawan Bareja that explores this topic of gratitude and how we can feel gratitude despite (and even because of) these difficulties.

You can listen to the talk here: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/player/82910.html

Today we spoke about Buddhism, Science, Philosophy, Myth, Epistemic Traps and what all these have to do with one another and more importantly, what they have to do with our response to the world as it we find it.

If you’d like to pull on one of the many threads Eric tried to weave together today, here are some resources.  

Matthew Brensilver’s post-election talk

A Mindscape Interview with C Thi Nguyen

C Thi Nguyen’s paper on Epistemic Traps and Playfulness

Thomas Hertog’s RI talk about Stephen Hawking’s change of heart

Books Mentioned

• There’s Treasure Everywhere by Bill Watterson
• The Human Condition by Hannah Arendt
• The Courage to Be by Paul Tillich
• On the Origin of Time by Thomas Hertog
• Games : Agency as Art by C Thi Nguyen

Movies / Shows Mentioned

• The Lord of the Rings / Rings of Power
• Barbie 
• Black Holes : The Edge of All We Know 

   The feeling that somehow we are not enough pervades the modern psyche – not wise enough or compassionate enough, not good looking or financially secure enough, not having enough friends, just for starts.  And this is not only a contemporary problem.  The feeling of Lack has been an element of being human at least as far back as the Buddha’s time, and the Dharmic teachings address this directly, offering fresh perspectives and pathways to meet this root of the sense of unsatisfactoriness in life.

Darryl guided our reflections, drawing on a talk on “Enoughness” by Narayan, as well as on other sources.

You can listen to the talk here: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/70880/

Most of us are aware that Samadhi reaches far beyond the western idea of concentration, and the explorations of Samadhi by Christina Feldman and Yahel Avigur confirm that understanding and show some unexpected vistas to which this practice can lead us.  

The deep connection of Samadhi to insight reminds of why the Buddha himself first explored that practice and then took a turn. And the close relation between Samadhi and well being, deeply experienced, can also provide us with fresh perspectives. Darryl was our guide this Sunday and shared excerpts from Christina and Yahel that can serve as guided meditations in themselves.

Christina’s talk is here: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/77668/

Yahel’s talk is here: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/73558/

As if the world not obeying our wishes wasn’t hard enough, we are often completely surrounded by noise. Sometimes that noise takes the form of literal sounds: phone calls, the charismatic TV, the shouted town meeting. Increasingly that noise is textual: email, text messages, social media. And ever present is the noise of the mind: worries, analyses, hopes. A portion of this noise is valuable and necessary, but too often the noise carries us away with it. We become reactive animals without any way to discern what is wholesome and what leads to further suffering. Do the teachings offer us a guide on how to retain our focus in the midst of the distracting Worldly Winds? Payton tried to find out this Sunday along with the rest of our Sangha.

Payton played a talk by Gil Fronsdal, which you can listen to here: https://www.audiodharma.org/talks/6111