Intermediate Study Group
Suffering as a Path to Faith
~Moving from Dukkha to Shraddha~
March 20 - May 22, 2006
Mondays 7 - 9 PM
A 10 week intermediate level course*
Led by Varasuri
Today my birth is fruitful. My human life is justified...[just] as a blind man might find a jewel in heaps of rubbish, so too this Awakening Mind has somehow appeared in me.
-Bodhicaryavatara
Within each of us lies the potential for unbound wisdom and love for all beings. But life hands each of us some unpredictable times of pain, grief and despair--- and even a few joker cards--- that can make us feel trapped and lost. Buddhism teaches us that embedded in the very pain and confusion of our lives is the door to our innate faith (shraddha), the first step towards true wisdom. We all have the capacity for faith, love and peace; we just need to know how to free them from the inevitable rubbish of life.
Buddhism begins with the First Noble Truth, that life is suffering (dukkha). What does this really mean? What is dukkha anyway? And is life really just suffering?
Together, we will explore the depth of what dukkha means and, from our own experience, examine what our individual responses are to suffering.
The Buddha has also said that it is in dependence on suffering that faith arises; that dukkha is a condition for the emergence of shraddha.
On the surface this may not appear to be our most obvious nor spontaneous response. But it is the challenge and mystery of how to move from suffering to faith that leads us to liberation.
I have learned, and hopefully you will too, how shraddha is alive in each of us, how it can inspire and motivate our spiritual journey, and how it enables us to discover the depth and beauty of our Awakened Heart. This will not be an abstract study course, but an exploration of how to bring the Dharma alive as a new way of viewing our lives and the world. We will explore, through readings, discussion, inner contemplation and outer application how to make this a working model for our spiritual lives.
* To get the most out of this course, it is recommended that you have some meditation experience and at least a familiarity with some basic Buddhist concepts (who is the Buddha, the 4 Noble Truths, conditionality). Don't hesitate to come if your knowledge is only cursory; there will be ample opportunity to delve deeper using your own experience. Most essential is life experience and a desire to make the Dharma come alive for you personally.
You are welcome to come to the first session and see if it is for you.
And feel free to call me beforehand if you have any questions.
Varasuri
543-1158
