Anatta and the Four Noble Truths - Insight Meditation Center

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Insight Meditation Center of the Mid-Peninsula 1205 Hopkins Ave. Redwood City, CA 94062 Printed on Recycled Paper Dharma Friends Group Do you have an idea for a Dharma Friends event? If you are interested in joining the Dharma Friends Steering Committee, please contact Anne Foster, Anne@Foster.name, 650/625-0812. This quarter we thank outgoing Steering Committee members, Jill Boone and Ashvin Iyengar for all they have done to help make Dharma Friends events such a wonderful part of our sangha. Dharma Friends encourages spiritually-based friendships and a sense of community in our sangha. All sangha members are welcome to our events and may bring friends. • October through December—Movie Madness: Friday night outings to the movies, bimonthly. Bill Roberts, billyblacksmith@yahoo.com. • October 26, Saturday, 7 to 10 p.m.—Hungry Ghost Halloween Ceremony for All Boo-dhists. Anne Foster, Anne@Foster.name, 650/625-0812. At IMC. • November 1, Friday, 6:30 p.m.—Next Steering Committee Meeting, at IMC. • November 16, Saturday, 6:30 to 10 p.m.—Vegetarian Harvest Potluck. Kate Godfrey, khgodfrey@hotmail.com, 650/322-9148. At IMC. • December 21, Saturday, 6:30 to 10 p.m.—Winter Solstice Celebration, at Dan and Helen Quinn's. Anne Foster, Anne@Foster.name, 650/625-0812. Anatta and the Four Noble Truths, cont’d. The Buddha’s teaching points us away from looking for the self, or trying to understand or improve the self. Instead it suggests that we pay attention to the fear, desire, ambition, and clinging that motivate the building of self identity. Perhaps we feel that we are defective in some way, and that our meditation practice will help us make or find a better self. Can we instead find the particular suffering that is connected with wanting to improve the self? Liberation entails releasing our suffering, not avoiding it, seeking relief from it or compensating for it. This doesn’t necessarily mean that we dwell on our suffering, either; or that suffering never ceases. Indeed, the third Noble Truth reminds us that there is a cessation to suffering. If you were to go to Africa to photograph the wildlife, you could walk all over the plains looking for the different animals. Or you could sit by the watering hole, where all the animals eventually come. Likewise, practice becomes very simple if we pay attention, carefully and non-reactively, to our suffering, that is, the contractions, restrictions and stresses in our body, mind and heart. For the sake of liberation, what you do and don’t need to know will come to you if you simply watch your suffering and its cessation. You will see the grasping and you will see the possibility of genuine happiness that comes from releasing that grasping. May you know the peace of non-grasping to both self and no-self. —adapted from a talk by Gil Fronsdal
Schedule of Events: October - December 2002 For more information call 650.599.3456 • 1205 Hopkins Ave., Redwood City (corner of Hopkins and Birch) Monday Evening Sitting and Talk Every Monday, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Basic Meditation Instruction First Monday of each month, 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. Basic meditation instruction is given prior to the regular sitting and talk. Also, every Thursday 6:15 to 7:15 p.m., prior to the regular sitting and talk. Monday Evening Yoga 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. Join us for Yoga before our evening meditation. Suitable for all levels. Please bring a large towel and sticky mat, if you have one. Taught by Terry Lesser. Monday Evening Book Discussion Group Every Monday except the first Monday of the month, 6:30 to 7:25 p.m. Informal discussion of Buddhist literature. For name of current book, e-mail Anne@Foster.name. Sangha Potluck First Monday of the month, 6 p.m. An informal gathering of Sangha friends. Everyone is welcome. Wednesday Morning Sitting 7 to 8 a.m. Thursday Morning Yoga and Meditation 8 to 10 a.m. Suitable for all levels. Bring a large towel and sticky mat, if you have one. Taught by Terry Lesser. Thursday Basic Meditation Instruction 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. Basic meditation instruction is given prior to the regular sitting and talk. Thursday Evening Sitting and Talk 7:30 to 9 p.m. Especially suited for new meditators. Teen Program Fridays, twice monthly. 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. September 20, October 11 and 25; November 8 and 22; December 6. Contact Ines inesfreed@hotmail.com(408)732-7535. Sunday Morning Sittings and Talk 1st Sitting 8:30 to 9:10 a.m., Walking Meditation 9:10 to 9:25 a.m.; 2nd Sitting 9:25 to 10 a.m.; Talk 10 to 10:45 a.m. Potluck brunch on the last Sunday of the month. Contact Di or Dave Tatro 650/595-4260. Children’s Program Last Sunday of the month, 9:15 to 11 a.m.. Place TBA. Contact Patty McLucas: pmacdesign@att.net 650/802-0665. One Day Meditation Retreats • Saturday, Oct. 12, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with Gil Fronsdal • Saturday, Nov. 9, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with Gil Fronsdal • Saturday, Dec. 21, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with Shaila Catherine Dharma Practice Days Meditation, Teachings and Discussions. Please come for the entire program. Bring a lunch. • Friday, Oct. 11, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with Gil Fronsdal. • Friday, Dec. 20, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with Shaila Catherine Half Day Retreats Silent sitting and walking meditation with a few short meditation interviews with Gil Fronsdal available. Bring lunch for an informal period of discussion afterwards. • Wednesday, September 18, 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. • Wednesday, October 2, 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. • Wednesday, October 16, 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. • Wednesday, November 6, 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. • Wednesday, December 11, 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. SPECIAL EVENTS AT IMC Sutta Study Course with Gil Fronsdal 6 Wednesday evenings, September 18 to October 23, 5:30 to 7 p.m. A class on the discourses of the Buddha from the Pali Canon exploring some of the important teachings and themes of practice. Introductory Course in Mindfulness Meditation • 6 Wednesday evenings—September 18 to October 23, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Taught by Gil Fronsdal. • 5 Wednesday evenings—January 8 to February 5, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Taught by Gil Fronsdal. Insight Dialogue Retreat with Gregory Kramer Virtue, Tranquility & Wisdom in Speaking and Listening Friday, September 27, 7 to 9 p.m., & Saturday, September 28, 9 to 5 p.m. We will learn a practice which extends silent and solitary Vipassana meditation into words and our relational lives. It offers practical guidelines for cultivating the kind of intention and mindfulness while speaking and listening to others that we cultivate in sitting practice. Gregory has been teaching Vipassana and Metta since 1980, and directs the Metta Foundation in Portland, OR. Recently, his primary focus has been developing the practice of Insight Dialogue, a form of Vipassana meditation encompassing listening, speaking, and online communication. Present Moment A One-Woman Play with Michal Rubin Friday, October 4, 7:30 p.m. $15 suggested donation. This one hour play reveals the journey of a young Israeli woman on her first meditation retreat in Thailand. It is
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Anatta and the Four Noble Truths - Insight Meditation Center

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